Methylation- I have a question

[Guest pandas16]

How do you find out if methylation is a problem and what supplements are typically used to fix it? I tried to follow the other thread but im kind of lost.

[SSS]

Well, there is a test you can get run through Labcorp to test both of your genes to see if you have a mutation-

you get one gene from each parent.

We had the test run about a year and half ago, my dd has a double mutation

A1298C.

Trouble with detoxing (again!)

Once I have had this information, I've been studying Yasko's sight, googling-

some of it is sad- can mean likelihood of miscarriages- heart disease, runs rampant on each side of DH and I-

 

Anyway, have had some input from our Dr. I have also done trials of supps-

found out methyl B-12 huge no- but found a need for colalamin B-12 from alternative testing, giving drops of that, folacal, and I bought Yasko's RNA formula for her mutation, started giving it today-

All this to say, IMO, if there IS a mutation (and not everyone has it)

I believe it should be addressed, if there are health issues.

I think the first step is identifying what the 2 genes are-

Yasko has a different test, that is much more detailed, looks at more genes connected in the process.

[MomWithOCDSon]

We've not done any of the testing, but, similar to some of the other health issues, have looked at this clinically. This Pfeiffer chart has been helpful in that regard.

 

Pfeiffer Methylation Chart

[SSS]

My daughter has distinct issues on BOTH sides of that chart--

I liked finding out if/what her actual gene mutations are, it made it clearer to me why some supplements were a fail, and other one that would be helpful.

*sigh* I don't know, nothing is easy about any of this.

Edited December 4, 2011 by S & S

[JAG10]

Here's another both sides of the chart question..... If supplements are going to diminish the undesirable traits, would they also diminish the artistic ability of dd11 or the innate ability to play piano by ear of dd8??? Is that a price of "normalcy?"

[SSS]

Well, from my simplistic point of view, I don't think that is the case at all-

from what our old DAN! Dr. said about the mutations, and our current Dr.

it has more to do with the body's ability to detox out metals, infections-

 

What they have found in the autism community (and Yasko's information)

is that an overwhelming amount of autistic children have common mutations-

C677T and A1298C, I believe- and when the MHTFR mutations were 'corrected'

children began to have gains and recovery- why the MB-12 shots are so popular.

 

My own personal view of autism, in general, not always, is that it is medical conditions bringing about the condition-

heavy metals, viruses, infections of bacteria and fungal, neurotransmitters, etc.

My views are in line with the bio-medical, Defeat Autism Now community/Doctors.

 

My point- is that the MHTFR piece, where mutations are present, if corrected, are shown to have the immune and detox system working more effectively.

 

My own daughter, who is a grand artist and very good student, if I thought she would lose the qualities while helping her system detox better,

I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole!

 

Hope this makes sense.

[trggirl]

In our case, I had my daughters neurotransmittors tested. She came back very high in norepinephrine and glutamate so I started looking for ways to lower norepinephrine and glutamate. One way to metabolize norepinephrine is the whole methylation cycle. This is what led me to studying it and thinking there may be some help with it.

 

We have never done the Yasko testing although I would love to see her video. I am sure the testing would provide valuable information.

[mom2yo]

I am getting a better sense of methylation from this thread as well, as the other one was way over my head (and my eyes are starting to hurt from all the reading and research i've been doing lately).

 

Can anyone explain to me how do u go about getting these tests? Is this s/t i can discuss with Dr. B at our next appt in 2 weeks or is this not under his forte? is this s/t u do under a different type of specialist??? And who excatly is Yasko?

 

My ds17 also would fall under both sides of the chart that was posted on this thread. E/t is all pretty new to me, and right now we r trying antibiotics and had a steroid burst w/o any success (except for a couple of better days on the steroid) as some of u may have read on my "praying for a miracle" thread. I keep reading and reading, and i feel like my head is spinning..don't know where to turn first...how does one know what to do, where to go, what to be tested for, etc...

 

thx,

mom2yo

[momcap]

Here's a quick and easy read on methylation that someone posted on the lyme forum. I can't remember who it was, but I still have it book-marked, so here it is:

 

http://www.ceu-usa.com/courses/WC001/test_drive/methylation_cycle.htm

[JAG10]

Excuse me if this is an ignorant question. Can a child have a mutated gene if neither of their parents do? Can the gene mutate on its own or is it always inherited?

[peglem]

Excuse me if this is an ignorant question. Can a child have a mutated gene if neither of their parents do? Can the gene mutate on its own or is it always inherited?

Genes can mutate on their own- For example, Down's Syndrome is a gene mutation, seldom inherited from the parents.

[HT's Mom]

Here's a quick and easy read on methylation that someone posted on the lyme forum. I can't remember who it was, but I still have it book-marked, so here it is:

 

http://www.ceu-usa.com/courses/WC001/test_drive/methylation_cycle.htm

 

 

That was a good article! Helpful in visualizing this methylation issue, which is way over my head. But, I'm wondering about the testing too - am I missing something or has no one yet posted exactly what tests to ask for??

 

It seems that this article, and most of the explanations and the books available on amazon about methylation all seem to be dealing with treating too much homoscystein (under methylation, I think?). Is this the more common problem?

[momcap]

Here's a quick and easy read on methylation that someone posted on the lyme forum. I can't remember who it was, but I still have it book-marked, so here it is:

 

http://www.ceu-usa.com/courses/WC001/test_drive/methylation_cycle.htm

 

 

That was a good article! Helpful in visualizing this methylation issue, which is way over my head. But, I'm wondering about the testing too - am I missing something or has no one yet posted exactly what tests to ask for??

 

It seems that this article, and most of the explanations and the books available on amazon about methylation all seem to be dealing with treating too much homoscystein (under methylation, I think?). Is this the more common problem?

 

I have no idea, sorry! I just bookmarked this and a few others in case we need to look at this some day. Right now we're seeing great improvements in DS8, so I'm crossing my fingers that maybe methylation won't be something I have to really research down the road. Hopefully someone will chime in with the appropriate tests to ask for.

[LNN]

Too much homocysteine is something that can lead to heart disease, so I think that's why it gets so much press and I think it's one of the methylation points that's had the most research done on it. "Cancer/methylation" will also give you a lot of books and research articles. But there are a lot of other methylation points that cause other illnesses.

 

As far as I understand it, there is no one test or even an agreed upon series of tests you can do to "test methylation" - it's like saying how do I test for good health. Good health in what part of the body? I think of methylation as a line with 300 dots on it. You can't test at all 300 dots. You have to pick a few that seem like problems. You have to look at a clinical set of symptoms and say "you know, you fit a certain pattern. People with this pattern have problems with too much homocysteine. Let's test your MTHFR gene and see if you have a problem methylating homocysteine."

 

But let's say you instead have a problem where you can't recall your dreams, get side stitches/cramps when you jog, have white spots on your finger nails and always have chapped lips. Then you clinically look like you might have pyroluria, so let's do a urine test for that. And if you do, we can supplement with zinc, B6 and some other things to get the conveyor belt working again.

 

Methylation effects hundreds of chemical processes in the body and each methylation point is guided by certain specific genes. So what test you run depends on where you think the body has issues.

 

Amy Yasko is a naturopath who treated many kids on the autism spectrum and identified a few dozen genes she feels play a role in the various symptoms of ASD. So one option is to test those dozens of genes and see what you find - and she then has recommendations/supplements for working around any genetically caused road blocks. Or you can pick a few of the more common genes and test those. Or you can do testing with a place like the Pfeiffer Institute and they also provide supplement suggestions based on your profile. But I don't know enough about them to say what they actually test or the cost.

 

The other option is to look at the chart Nancy posted and do trials of supplements that help various road blocks. But I'd do that with a doctor's input, because some supplements effect other things (e.g. if you give lots of zinc, you periodically have to check copper levels, if you give a lot of magnesium, you need to watch calcium levels, etc).

 

I'm not sure I've given a clear answer, but there is no single "methylation" test.

[NancyD]

For anyone whose child has a mutated MTHFR gene and has a problem with methylation, I just posted a link on another thread about tics and anesthesia. In this article it discusses how noxious oxide can harm the methylation process. Thought it was interesting.