LNN

A few people have posted or PMd recently about not doing well on methylfolate. Sometimes, it's been a dose issue and dropping the dose has helped. But as I kill time waiting for my 23andMe genetic test results, I'm puttering around the methylation sites and I found this article: http://www.mthfrsupport.com/1/archives/05-2012/1.html Read the whole thing if this applies to you, but here are the highlights: There are two genes that I want to talk about that can make a heavy impact on your health that need to be addressed before an MTHFR protocol is started. CBS and SUOX. What is CBS and why does it need to be taken care of before an MTHFR protocol? CBS is Cystathionine-β-synthase. CBS converts homocysteine into cystathionine. This pathway removes sulfur containing amino acids. When it is shut off there can be trouble. ... There are supplements out there that doctors will give to individual with MTHFR to help raise their glutathione which can actually cause a methylation trap. When a patient starts glutathione boosting supplements such as MSM, TMG, NAC and silymarin and they start complaining about negative side effects, this should raise a red flag that there could possibly be a CBS enzyme deficiency. A wonderful source of information out there is heartfixer. It is basically a step by step manual on how to address this situation and clear out the sulfur in someone with CBS before starting an MTHFR protocol. http://www.heartfixer.com/AMRI-Nutrigenomics.htm#CBS It is always best to avoid processed foods when there is a CBS mutation. Most processed foods contain sulfites which are bad for most and especially bad if you have a CBS enzyme deficiency. Findings to be associated with CBS are low dopamine, low seratonin, cardiovascular risks and multiple chemical sensitivity. And for all of you out there with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, it can cause low ATP production. Vitamin B6 in the P5P form also interferes with people who have CBS SNPs. So for those of you out there taking P5P as part of your MTHFR protocol, know that if you have certain CBS mutations, vitamin B6 in the P5P form can possibly have a negative effect on you and might have to be given in lower doses. CBS and ammonia is another key factor in people with CBS mutations. People with CBS have trouble breaking down ammonia. There is still much more for me to learn but one thing I do know, is that CBS must be addressed before an MTHFR, MTRR and/or and MTR protocol can be properly started. I am in contact with many doctors who know about CBS and SUOX who get an overflow of patients with negative side effects to an MTHFR protocol because their doctor did not address CBS and SUOX mutations first. Turning to the SUOX enzyme deficiency. What is SUOX? What can be done if you are diagnosed with a SUOX SNP and what can be done to clear up the SUOX pathway before starting an MTHFR protocol? SUOX I even know less about but I will explain what I know. SUOX stands for sulfite oxidase. People with SOUX mutations are normally molybdenum deficient. With SUOX sulfite has a problem converting into sulfate. I know that I have seen some positive results with molybdenum (ammonia free), boron and I have just started supplementing with GABA. Also the COQ10 and NADH/d ribose seem to help me somewhat. I have been reading much of Dr. Amy Yasko's absolutely incredible work on methylation and will soon be adding Carnitine to my protocol. This supplementation seems to work best plus a few others. Now that you see sulfur must be avoided until CBS and SUOX are taken care of, this will give you an understanding as to why some people react negatively toward a basic MTHFR protocol. Getting the trans sulfuration pathways clearly is a must before any MTHFR protocol can be started. I encourage anyone with SNPs on the methylation pathway to study the works of doctors and researchers out there like Amy Yasko, Dr. Ben Lynch and Rich Van Konynenburg that are understanding methylation is not only about MTHFR. There are many other factors involved. That is what makes us all different. We are all unique individuals. I'm sure there are other mutations that also need to be addressed. MTHFR is just one of many. When I first came across it, it seemed a big one for my personal family history (lots of heart disease). It was easy to test at any commercial lab, and I could afford it. Yasko's panel at $450 for two kids was out of reach. But then 23andMe dropped it's price to $99 in december. So I took the plunge and now wait for results. I'm sure my head will be spinning in a few weeks. For my DD, treating MTHFR has been huge. But for those who haven't seen that "wow" they were hoping for, maybe the above will give you some things to look into. Maybe it isn't that treating MTHFR isn't helping but rather that there are other road blocks (even beyond the ones mentioned) that are in the way. Not everything is related to methylation. We spent two years treating DD for infections first. Pandas is still about strep, Pans is still about eradicating infection and squashing inflammation. But then some kids still can't seem to get to 100% and for those kids, sometimes this is the place to find additional answers. So I pass it along for whatever help it might be. For those still scratching their heads about the whole methylation thing, I also found this site with a few videos and articles that might be helpful: http://www.drjessarmine.com/category/methylation/ This guy is a chiropractor and RN who helps moderate the Facebook MTHFR Support page. Don't know anything about him or his practice or knowledge. I just pass it along fyi...

Just wanted to point out that this thread is almost 3 yrs old. I haven't seen some of these members in a long time...

A long time ago, I used to ask people here if brain fog was something they dealt with and I'd hear lots of "yes". but then their descriptions of what they were dealing with didn't match what we were dealing with. It was a different degree of impact for my son. Then we found lyme and I read about brain fog as a symptom and thought "aha - this is what we have". But it wasn't. We had lyme but the fog didn't seem to be entirely related to lyme. We were dealing with something different. Finally, we discovered pyroluria - a zinc/B6 deficiency. By the third day of treating it, it was like someone turned on a light switch. 18 months later, we started using phosphatidyl serine - a supplement used for ADHD. Again, someone turned on another light in the room. My point isn't to say your son has the same things my son has. My point is that not everything is Pandas. Sometimes, their bodies are already fighting something else or deficient in something or underperforming in some way and then Pandas comes along and knocks the s*** out of them and we blame it all on Pandas. Then we do all we can to obliterate strep and we're still left with residual stuff - things that may have been simmering pre-pandas. Sometimes you need to hunt beyond pandas for answers. Not discouraging you from testing for other infections or lyme. I would certainly do that. But I would also read up on other issues to see if anything strikes a chord (mold, pyroluria, methylation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial issues...). Keep fighting.

I guess I'd also want to know if the infection were still there. Isn't your daughter much older than 5 now? Still, a trip to an ENT might be worthwhile. Sounds like she may be having a lot of issues sinus-wise that could benefit from surgery or aggressive treatment. Her high homocysteine is likely related to the untreated MTHFR mutation. The high B6 and high serine are also probably related. If she has methylation blocks (probably more than one), then things are getting dammed up and not being synthesized properly, which is contributing to the mood issues and OCD. I'm sure you're really tired of tests and additional doctors. But it might be worth a phone call with one of the methylation experts. You can find a list here http://www.mthfrsupport.com/find-a-practitioner.html or post a question on the Facebook MTHFR Support page. I'm sure methylation isn't your only problem but the lyme and Pandas treatments might not be having the impact you'd expect if the body's systems are clogged. When we found methylation issues in my kids (pyroluria in my son - a zinc/B6 deficiency; MTHFR for my daughter) and started treating those things, the other stuff melted away much much faster. Someone who has medical training plus experience with methylation might be able to put his all together for you and help with a breakthrough.

Thanks for the link! Just before I read this, I was trying to work through a math strategy with my 2nd grader (who is a worrier to the max). She was a wreak, fearing that she was the only one who didn't "get it" and that she'd "get in trouble" for not being able to meet timed math test goals (for which she has a 504 but that's a different post). So I read her the part that says stress before a test is a good thing. She scrunched up her face like I was crazy, so I showed her the sentence to prove I wasn't making this stuff up and she thought about it. Then her face lit up like a storm had just passed and she said "you're right! it does help me focus!" Now maybe she won't be so hard on herself and can come to see performance anxiety as something less than paralyzing failure. Interestingly, COMT is one of the genes Yasko and 23andMe looks at. COMT degrades dopamine, in the process using up methyl groups. Individuals who are COMT (+/+) degrade dopamine slowly, and as such have a lot of methyl groups floating around. If we supplement a COMT (+/+) individuals with methyl-B12 (or any other methyl donor for that matter) we can “OD” them with free methyl groups, too much of a good thing, and this leads to mood swings related to fluctuations in neurotransmitter levels. Individuals who are COMT (-/-) have normal COMT function; they break down dopamine rapidly, using up methyl groups in the process. COMT (-/-) individuals need and tolerate methyl donors quite well. So if you are (+) for the MTR up regulation and/or (+) for the MTRR down regulation, and you are also COMT (-/-), all we need to do is to give you methyl-B12. We are giving you the methyl-B12 that you need, and any extra methyl groups left over can be put to good use. Conversely, if you are COMT (+/+), we know that you have an excess of methyl groups floating around. We will give you hydroxy-B12, expecting it to combine with the methyl groups available to form the methyl-B12 you need (without ODing you with too many free methyl groups). This is all very confusing, and it gets worse when we consider the individual who is (+/-) for COMT, and when we factor in how one’s VDR gene status interacts with their COMT status. I will give you specific recommendations, whether you need methyl-B12, hydroxy-B12, or both in combination, in my analysis of your Methyl Cycle genotype. COMT degrades dopamine, norepinephrine, and to a somewhat lesser extent other neurotransmitter substances, by tacking on to them a free methyl group that COMT obtains from SAMe. The V158M and H62H alleles of COMT are down mutations. Individuals (+/+) or (+/-) for these genes will degrade dopamine only slowly. Now, while COMT (+) status is not the norm, from our perspective it is not necessarily a bad thing. We need dopamine to defend against microbes and heavy metals; here being (+) for COMT is actually in our favor. BH4 deficiency is the consequence of CBS, BHMT, and the “backward” MTHFR A1298C defects. We need BH4 to carry out multiple physiologic steps, including the generation of dopamine. If our COMT (+) status keeps us from breaking down dopamine, we do not need to “spend” BH4 to make dopamine, leaving more BH4 available for other critical functions. The downside of being COMT (+) is that you will have a lot of free methyl groups floating around, as you are not using them up breaking down dopamine. Thus if we need to give you other Methyl Cycle intermediates (such as methyl-B12 if you have MTR/MTRR issues), we risk ODing you with methyl groups. Too many methyl groups can lead to mood swings. Panic attacks and bi-polar mood disorder are seen with greater frequency in COMT (+) individuals; this makes sense. COMT (-) individuals, on the other hand, need and tolerate methyl groups. A third, and less frequently encountered COMT abnormality, COMT 61, is a down regulation defect. Individuals (+) for COMT 61 breakdown dopamine quite rapidly and are at greatest need for methyl donors. The bipolar mood swings are a classic problem for DD. So when I get our 23andMe results, I'm betting she'll be COMT+ (sorry - I didn't mean to make everything about methylation - it's just so cool how it all fits together).

Homo means two of the same Hetero means one of each So if you are heterozygous, you have one mutation on your MTHFR gene if you are homozygous, you have two mutations if you have "wild type" it means you have no mutations In your DDs case, the mutation is called C677T. The simplest explanation I can point to is the link in my first reply. http://www.easytolovebut.com/?p=2782 Some doctors feel that having only one mutation is not serious and doesn't need to be treated. Other doctors feel it's a very big deal. I can only say that treating my DD (who has one mutation aka heterozygous) has made a huge difference for the better.

Many things I've read say that methylB12 is poorly absorbed if taken orally and so many doctors suggest B12 shots. Maybe that's what your doctor is referring to. Not familiar with nasal sprays. However, I've also read a few things that suggested methylB12, that was already methylated, might be absorbed orally without a big issue. A lot of methylB12 supplements are taken sublingually (dissolve under the tongue) so it gets absorbed before reaching the stomach. Debate about how much gets absorbed, but when you're on a budget, well...I've taken my chances. DD has huge needle phobia. So she takes a sublingual and we hope for the best. Dropping the multivitamin was probably a good idea. Most contain regular folate, which you want to avoid. To compensate, my kids end up having to take additional single-vitamin supplements like magnesium, D3, C, etc. But you'll want to look into getting methylfolate into your son - and at a low dose. It's like a clogged sink - when you first get things going again, you may see an increase in behaviors as detox gets underway. As for the increase in tics you're seeing, one possibility is that he may have yeast. By doing an elimination diet, you may be starving the yeast. Yeast die-off releases toxins - this is a good article http://mthfr.net/methylation-inhibited-by-candidas-toxin/2012/09/08/. Toxins can make some people tic. Mold can cause many of the same issues as yeast. If he's on antibiotics, I would seriously consider adding back the probiotics - a good blend of strains. Theralac is a personal favorite but there are many. I would just avoid Sacc. Boulardis until you have everything else stable. My son reacts badly to Sacc B even tho it's supposed to be good for people on abx. You might also ask your DAN to do a yeast test - either blood test for candida antibodies or a stool test. Then discuss treatment options as well as detox ideas. When I first went down this path, I bled cash on supplements and tests. Some helped, some went into the "shoebox of shame" where I can't use the stuff but feel too guilty about the money I've spent to just throw the stuff away. Sometimes I circle back and find one of those supplements helps at a later time, when other things have been fixed. But I would certainly read as much as you can on methylation, given that he has two mutations. You might also want to lurk on the facebook MTHFR Support page or contact one of the practioners who chime in there. They may be able to work with you and your DAN to put together an affordable plan of attack. (fyi - since your son has 2 mutations, both parents carry at least one MTHFR mutation as well. You get one from each parent.)

Colleen, My son (85 lbs) takes 600mg ALA when he's flaring (my DD also takes same amt. sometimes - she's 50 lbs). They take it once or twice a day. My son says it helps with brain fog. But it isn't the "wow" impact you might hope for. It's just one of the things I give to keep things tamped down. Someone here is using a type of glutathione that seems to be helping. Hoping they'll chime in.

MTHFR and Pandas are two separate issues. You can have one without the other. But it's like ketchup and french fries. If you have them both, it can put a little different spin on your treatment. You might have better success getting to 100% by treating both Pandas infection/inflammation plus the impact MTHFR mutations have on your ability to make dopamine and serotonin. This is the closest "MTHFR for Dummies" article I can get to - it leaves a lot out. It doesn't get into Pandas. But it tries to explain how a mutation can effect neurotransmitters and moods. How supplementing with methylfolate plus methylB12 can help, how you need to start very, very low dose and build up, how there's no established "correct" dose, especially for kids. http://www.easytolovebut.com/?p=2782 Can it cause anxiety? yes. Can it cause tics - yes, if the tics are a result of dopamine issues (sometimes tics are a result of detox issues, not dopamine). Can it be taken orally, yes - but you need to make sure it's the right kind of methylfolate (see this article when you're getting ready to order http://mthfr.net/l-methylfolate-methylfolate-5-mthf/2012/04/05/ You can google "methylation protocol" and find different suggestions on how to treat. For my DD8, I am just giving a tiny amount of methylfolate and methylB12 every other day. This is keeping her moods pretty stable, which is a huge accomplishment. Other people need higher amounts daily. Is it serious? Well, it probably has some long term impact on health and puts him at risk for heart disease, stroke, certain cancers. It would certainly impact mood. But is it deadly for him right at the moment? No. It is something that should be treated and treatment is lifelong. My DD will always have to take a methylfolate supplement and be wary of foods or vitamins high in regular folate. Especially when she's ready to have kids. None of us here has a medical background and the best bet would be to find a doctor who has experience. But that's easier said than done. So we can give you suggestions and point to helpful sites. But there's no single answer. How old is your child? Weight? what supplements does he currently take?

S- wish there weren't a continent between us so we could ship the kids off to school and go see the matinee together I was thinking of inviting a girlfriend to come see it one day - someone who struggles mightily with depression. Next week marks the one yr anniversary of her attempt at suicide. For those who've seen the movie - is it uplifting or would taking this friend be a bad idea? Winters are obviously her roughest time of year.

Watch this interview with DeNiro and Katie Couric and tell me if it doesn't sound like it could be about your family... http://video.katiecouric.com/services/player/bcpid1778770226001?bckey=AQ~~,AAABWfWhrnk~,FtZztaNxIqTVkSb1ju2Ka7JVAY8r79nB&bctid=2142527286001

Thanks hopeny! I knew of the last two links and I've seen the methylation diagram but not the accompanying explanations.

You may also want to discuss tonsils/adenoids with an ENT. Some kids get deep sinus infections that aren't helped by the first tier of abx. You can ask for a cephalosporin like Ceftin, omnicef or a mycin like clindamycin to see if that might help. You can also ask for a nasal swab/culture - not pleasant but could guide you in a choice of abx. My DS had been on and off abx for 8 months and then on constantly for 6 weeks and still had an infection in his adenoids or tonsils that wasn't being reached with a swab. He had a T&A and saw remarkable improvement (until he was dx'd with lyme). Hang in there. I know you feel alone and that's understandable. I know it must make you very anxious to think that your child isn't getting well and that you could face years fighting this disease. But those of us who've been here a long time will tell you that each battle gets easier because you gather more tools, discover weak spots that you can shore up in their health, use CBT therapy to help fight the behaviors and thoughts, and slowly, it does get better. You find the unique keys for your child and they do get better.

Oh yes, the latest money-suck If you've ever watched any Yasko videos or tried to wade through her methylation diagrams, you know that she tests for several dozen genetic mutations along the methylation pathway. MTHFR is just one of those. But her test is $450. There's another company called 23andMe that tests hundreds of mutations, not just along methylation but for various other issues, that used to charge in the same ballpark but in December, dropped it's cost to $99. It's a spit test. Used to take 2 weeks for results but when they lowered the price, they got swamped and now it's 4-6 weeks for results. The downside of 23andMe is you only get raw data which you then have to upload into an app that converts the data into something you can work with. Then you still have to do all the legwork understanding what it all means. Or you can go to Facebook's MTHFR Support page and the moderator there will charge you $50 to log in as you, look at your data and teach you how to do it. The plus of Yasko's test is that Yasko gives you her interpretation of your data without you having to decipher. But...23andMe tests for a lot more stuff. So it's a coin toss. Which test you run depends on your funds, your ability to dive into the unknown and how masochistic - or broke - you are. There's also privacy concerns, as you're giving your DNA data to a research company. There are laws that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on genetic predispositions and pre-existing conditions, and if you pay out of pocket, your insurance company would never know you've even had the test. But there was a story last month in the press about how relatively easy it can be to identify someone by their DNA if you have a few pieces of staring information. So it's not a risk-free thing to do. That was lfran's concern in her post. And to think I felt like a nutty mom when I tried to explain Pandas 4 yrs ago. Ha! Now when I reflect on Pandas, lyme, metals, pyroluria, methylation, detox, stool tests, endoscopes, Pex, IVIG and now genetic testing - that frantic mom almost looks sane compared to the woman I am now.

Yay! No experience with Samento but I understand it can pack a wallop. Good luck!

I used first initials but used my last name, since I was acknowledging that I was the mom (I recall having to click a box attesting that I was consenting to something on behalf of a minor). But you could probably use pseudonyms. My plan is to download all the data and analyze it. Then when I feel I have a good handle on it and am sure I have all the data, I will write the company and tell them to delete the data from their database (you need to put it in writing and they have 30 days to comply). I also checked all the privacy settings (don't share my data with other researchers, don't make my profile public, didn't complete any surveys, etc). There is still the risk that the data will be put into an active research database prior to my writing a letter and 5 years from now when other companies do this and you have better control, I'll regret that some personal data may be out there. But I can't wait 5 yrs or 2 yrs for better privacy options. I want my kids as healthy as possible now. We just sailed through the first January in 4 years where my daughter didn't flip out and go insane before my eyes. I attribute it to using the right dose of methylfolate and other supplements. So I want more concrete data to map out what she should and shouldn't be taking. Tired of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, wasting money on stuff that doesn't and having to ride out storms if I give her something that makes things worse. When treating methylation issues, I hear time and again that you need to do things in a certain order. Well, this seems like the best way to find out what mutations we need to worry about and plan accordingly. I suppose working with Yasko may provide a bit more security but even she may be pooling data for her own purposes and it may be impossible to ever get complete privacy once you do one of these tests. But nothing in this journey has been easy or simple and it's required a lot of rolling the dice. There are laws protecting our abilities to be insured regardless of genetics, steps I can take to minimize who can see the data and we'll have to live with the unforeseeable risks. Seemed better than just groping around for answers.

It isn't that having an MTHFR causes or makes you more susceptible to Pans. Something like 45% of the population has a MTHFR mutation as well as additional mutations along the methylation pathway. So it's not a cause. It's rather a compounding factor. Even if you get infection under control, methylation effects neurotransmitter production, energy and detox systems. So if you have Pans and you also have methylation issues, then your child may be struggling to get back to 100% even with antibiotics. The infection was the tipping point, but health systems may have been shaky beforehand and now you might need to do more than just clear infection to get to 100%. So for my kids, they struggle to make enough serotonin and dopamine and struggle to get rid of toxins (from dying bacteria and environmental like allergies/mold). They take antibiotics but they also take supplements to improve the body's ability to do these other things. Finding methylation roadblocks is sometimes the key to getting back the kid you know is trapped. So some of us have tested for MTHFR and when we treat it with supplements, we see behavioral issues improve considerably. A few of us have gone a step further and are testing additional genes that play a role in methylation. Dr Amy Yasko does a panel of tests and the company 23andMe does a similar panel.

ThinkGut - in addition to gut bacteria, you may also want to read up on the subject of methylation. It too plays a huge role in mental and physical health and since you're managing this disease without antibiotics, you may find that methylation information helps you compliment the gains you're trying to hold with diet. Here are two good intro sites: http://mthfr.net/ and http://www.mthfrsupport.com/index.html Here are some videos: http://www.renewashoe.com/medical/ http://www.autismone.org/content/dr-amy-yasko-presents-assessment-metals-and-microbes-function-nutrigenomic-profiling-part-1-

Florostor is Sacc. Boullardis - a strain of yeast. My son can't tolerate it - makes him edgy, angry, impulsive, foggy. Others here have also had negative experiences with Sacc B (tho some feel it works well for them). Not a big fan of Culturelle mostly because it's only one strain of probiotic and it's not refrigerated, so I always wonder how many of the little guys are actually alive by the time it gets home. On the other hand, taking antibiotics without any probiotics seems like a huge invitation for C Diff and other nasty bacteria to move into the neighborhood. Instead of giving up, you may want to visit your local health food store and see what sort of probiotics they have in their refrigerated section or see if they will special order specific brands for you. We use 4 different blends, rotating them thru the week. We use TruFlora twice a week to elbow out yeast, Theralac and two kinds of blends carried by the local store - approx 30 billion CFUs per capsule. Our local library has a book on probiotics - might be worth reading up and the various types and experimenting - maybe on yourself first, since its possible you and your child share a similar gut environment (sharing genetics and diet would increase your chances of having similar gut critters). This is also a helpful site http://probiotic.org/index.htm

ThinkGut - do you have a Pandas child? Is s/he on antibiotics?

Boy develops autoimmne disease. Doctor puts him on a chemo drug. Mom has a "feeling" that this isn't right. Talks to a "kook" about complimentary medicine. Guess who was right? http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/magazine/the-boy-with-a-thorn-in-his-joints.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0 Data on diet and supplements are lacking, at least partly because they are hard to get. It’s hard to design a great study around something with so many variables, like the food we eat. Pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, lend themselves easily to randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Plus, anti-arthritic drugs are great for business. Together, the top two sellers, Humira and Enbrel, took in more than $8 billion in 2012, not including December, according to IMS Health, a health care technology and information company. At the N.I.H., the complementary-and-alternative center’s budget is 0.4 percent of the entire N.I.H. pie.

Very interesting site you sent me to. They also mention ephedrine as a problem, which is what we've seen from giving her antihistamines when she's recently had a fever. She takes an antihistamine daily for allergies but when she gets something more often for a cold/flu, she's had clonus issues. If the EEG comes back with abnormalities (they wouldn't give me any info after the test - have to wait for the dr to call next week), I'll have to switch to Lynch's product http://www.seekinghealth.com/liposomal-b12.html which is also in drops. His is 50mcg/drop. Wonder how I'll give 1.5 drops??

I was watching one of Rawlins' videos and he had the same "you are here" slide - LOVE it! If I could print it out legibly, I'd frame it It really does put things in perspective. As important as MTHFR is, it's just a drop in the bucket. But then I think, wow, if treating this makes such a big difference for DD, just imagine how cool it will be to be able to play with all that 23andMe data - oh, some really good geek reading in the coming months!

I would stop the niacin. By now, if you're seeing things calm down, let it run its course. Adding niacin at this point could tip her the other way. Lynch has a discussion on his site about the differences between various names for methylfolate. Confuses me too. We use Yasko's Methylmate B liquid drops http://www.holisticheal.com/methylmate-b-nutritional-supplement.html - only one drop. I then use 1000mg sublingual methylB12 tablet. You can buy a combo methylfolate + methylB12 (Thorne's Methylguard) but because we need such a low dose of methylfolate, this wouldn't work for us. I posted a question about using methylfolate for A1298C on mthfr support on Facebook. A dietician who treats methylation responded "it depends on what other genetic pathways are effected to know what to recommend for the person. Please get the 23andme test completed and then find a good practitioner to help you with evaluating the results and making recommendations. I have learned many times from hearing horror stories of people going to Dr treating with methyl folate and methyl cobalamin having severe adverse reactions. Instead of using Bh4 provide the nutritional substrates in order to produce it" I responded by asking what those nutritional substrates are. Waiting for a response - or feel free to join the conversation yourself - the Mthfr support page is a public group. This group is coming out with an ebook on the whole methylation process - they hope to have it available in March. They also have a weekly blog radio show. You can listen to past episodes at any time. Apparently, many found the first webcast very helpful - about treating gut issues first. I haven't had time to listen yet.

Sacc B (Florostar) makes my son angry, impulsive, hyper. Before increasing her florostar, you might try stopping it altogether and switching to a different probiotic for a few weeks. We rotate between Truflora (2x/week to fight yeast), Theralac and Ultimate Flora. As for natural anti-yeast options, we use odorless garlic pills, 1/day at dinner. Haven't had a yeast issue since starting it 11 months ago (did have a 1 week herx when we started). We used to have big yeast issues.