23 and Me results-4 weeks!

[JenniferG]

Hi!

 

I would like to anyone who is contemplating using 23 and Me because of the wait time to know......I just got my daughter's back today and it took 4 weeks!!! I was so surprised.

 

I have so much learning to do. But, here is what Genetic Genie has told me so far:

 

+/+

COMT V15M

COMT H62H

VDR Taq

MAO A R297R

MTHFR A1298C

 

 

+/-

CBS C699T

 

 

Yasko recommends supporting CBS mutations and healing the gut before starting supplements. Since she is only hetero for one CBS, does that "qualify"?

 

The +/+ mutations combined confuse me......especially the COMT / VDR Taq combo....does anyone have the +/+ for both? And how are they treating?

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciated! (ahem..LLM )

 

Thanks!!

[Mayzoo]

Our results only took just over 3 weeks and I was surprised as well. Sorry no insight on your results. They are different than ours and I am still studying up on ours .

[LNN]

We have all the mutations you list except MTHFR A1298C (we have C677T instead). But we don't have the exact same combo in one body, plus we have additional mutations on other genes.

 

I started treating MTHFR before we ever did 23andMe (back when the 23andMe test was $500 and it wasn't in the budget). When I found out DD also had two CBS +/-, I didn't stop what I'd been doing for MTHFR. First, I copied Heartfixer http://www.heartfixer.com/AMRI-Nutrigenomics.htm into a word document and deleted the sections that didn't apply to that kid. Then I highlighted the advice it gave for each mutation we did have. That gave me my long term plan.

 

Next, I stopped all the supps I was giving that were working against that kid's mutations. Gave that about a week. Then I just then treated CBS first out of all the other issues (while keeping our methylfolate/methylB12 the same as it's been for 10 months). Because we'd already checked heavy metals and fixed the gut, I didn't feel like we needed to wait for a really long time for CBS issues to resolve. After a few weeks, I took a circle approach. I started DD on molybdenum (Yasko sells moly drops so much easier to titer doses up or down - and they have no taste, so I put 2 drops in a medicine cup w/5ml of water) and some Yucca, tho I stopped the Yucca after reading it stimulates estrogen receptors (and we don't need more mood issues!). She was already taking Vitamin C and I added Vitamin E. I don't give carnitine because she's had seizures in the past and it can lower your seizure threshold. It's also used for hyperthyroidism and DD has subclinical signs of hypothyroidism, so carnitine seemed like a bad fit for her. I also stopped forcing her to eat protein at dinner. She now gets by with a few bite sized pieces of chicken or pork a few times/week. I let that settle for a few weeks.

 

Then I moved on to heartfixer's recommendations for other mutations. I did not buy test strips to test DDs urine sulfites - some research says this won't really tell you what's going on anyway and it just felt too nutty. I've put my kids thru so many whacky things - making them pee into cups for 24 hrs, pooping into bowls for stool tests, spit tests, blood tests - I just wasn't up for having my hand pee'd on every day or even every week. Maybe I should have, but I'm just too tired of being neurotic.

 

Every week, I added one supplement that was missing from our plan. Low dose, then moved on to the next supplement. As opposed to titering up on only one supplement, getting it to the "right" dose and then moving on to another thing. I figured it was better to add a little of everything that was needed first, and then see where we were at. We're still in a tweaking phase and I haven't pushed the fact that DD should really lighten up on dairy, even tho she's CBS. Trying to find balance to "should" and "must" - the kid needs to be able to indulge in some ice cream after all she's been thru.

 

For me, the hardest thing was trying to find the balance between VDR, COMT, MAO and MTHFR - trying to figure out how far to lean toward or away from methyl groups. You'll probably run into the same thing - VDR +/+ gives you a lower than average dopamine level but COMT +/+ and MAO A + create high dopamine. So in the winter, the body may need Vitamin D and that would be especially true for your VDR Taq +/+. But then, the COMT +/+ and MAO A + are going to slow down how quickly that dopamine gets degraded. It will be a balancing act for sure. You may need to do some reading on Vitamin K - maybe by taking a Vit D3+K supplement, you can encourage the D to go toward bone and immune system assistance instead of dopamine production.

 

My DS has COMT +/+ and MAO-A + and he's really been helped by using a B-Complex that's a bit high in niacin (50mg) and uses adenoB12, not methylB12. But he doesn't have MTHFR. So that lessens his need for methyl groups. In your case, you've got a jeckyl & hyde situation where COMT and MAO suggest less tolerance for methyl groups yet the MTHFR suggests a need for them (and maybe here, the VDR Taq works in your favor in terms of lowers the overmethylation issue). You'll probably have to dig up the old articles written by Pfieffer and Walsh and see if your kids fit into the overmethylator or undermethylator table. You may end up using smaller amounts of both methylB12 and adeno or hydroxy B12. Fun with science!

 

But just to take little stress out the situation, remember that I've OD'd my kid on methylfolate and she survived. It generally only took a few days of something to know if I was on the right track and if I was wrong and stopped the thing that was de-railing us, things straightened out in a day or two. It wasn't like trying to turn a cruise ship around. Worst case, I wasted money on the wrong kind of B12 or other supplement. Wasn't the first time. I was taking to the executive director of an ADHD non-profit the other day and we traded kid stories. When I confessed to ODing my kid she said "You too?!" - and she did it with the help of doctors. It's always a best guess as we try to figure this out. Low and slow. And then when you get it figured out, they'll grow and change eating habits and you;ll get to figure out new doses all over again!

[Dedee]

I am confused on the results of your MAO A R297R. Does it really say that your daughter is ++? This gene is only carried by females and thus a daughter can only be +/-. A son will be considered (red) single + because he will only recieve the gene from his Mother and they will refer to this as homozygous but females can only be heterozygous on the MAOA. At least that is the way it is discussed in Yasko's book. Either way, it doesn't matter because it's still a positive and not a good thing. Just wondering if genetic genie had a mishap.

 

Thanks for letting us know about the rapid turn around time. That is good to hear. I have several family members (myself included) who have tests pending right now. Good luck with your interpretations also. It's all I do with my spare time lately. I have results of 3 kids and my brain is on overload trying to figure this stuff out. Make sure you download Dr. Amy Yasko's free book on Autism. It goes over each SNP. I have read those sections numerious times. Keep waiting for it to sink in.

 

Dedee

[JenniferG]

Yes it does say the MAO is +\+. Strange.

 

LLM--how did you test for metals?

 

Thanks!

[LNN]

We did a urine test using DMSA provocation - a metals chelator - thru Dr. M about 2 yrs ago in the middle of lyme treatment. DS was slightly high in mercury, DD was slightly high on lead. DS used DMSA for 2 mos. to chelate mercury and DD used EDTA for lead for about 3 mos. We didn't re-test - other things going on at the time and taking priority in the money dept. But their levels were so slightly elevated to begin with that it wasn't a priority to re-test. So when it came time to treat CBS, I felt pretty good that even if there were metals left, the body could handle it on its own.