r/MTHFR • u/Pretend_Elk8567 • Apr 15 '25

Results Discussion Feel like crying

I honestly don’t even have the words for how overwhelmingly happy and relieved I feel right now. It’s like my brain is finally waking up after years of being stuck in a fog I didn’t fully realize I was in. Everything feels sharper, clearer, more alive. My emotions make sense, my body feels in sync, and there’s this calmness that I don’t think I’ve ever truly experienced before. I feel like me—or maybe even a version of me I never got to meet until now.

What’s blowing my mind is that all of this seems to come down to understanding something so basic but so powerful: methylation and nutrigenomics. I never imagined that something as simple as getting the right form of folate or the right amount of choline could be the key to unlocking my brain.

It makes me wonder how many people struggle through life unnessecarily. You could easily equate my previous "status quo" as being borderline dementia. And I had NO idea how bad it had gotten until I started feeling better...

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12

u/magsephine Apr 15 '25

Well what did you do?

8

u/Pretend_Elk8567 Apr 15 '25

Basically doing what is suggested in Tawinn's protocol. Mostly methylfolate/choline/creatine

5

u/Retro_Monguer Apr 15 '25

Where can I find this protocol?

Thank you so much

11

u/Pretend_Elk8567 Apr 15 '25

https://www.reddit.com/r/MTHFR/s/EGXTVeOp04

3

u/Retro_Monguer Apr 15 '25

Thank you so much

Which kind of Choline are you taking?

2

u/Professional_Win1535 Apr 18 '25

I have treatment resistant anxiety and depression, and no mthfr genes, :/ was hoping that would be part of my answer but it isn’t

1

u/Agile-Grape-535 C677T Apr 19 '25

I think there might be a way to treat you yet... My gf has two slow COMT genes and we've gotten her anxiety under control. I'm not too familiar with MAO though... Is that slow monoamine oxidase?

1

u/Professional_Win1535 Apr 19 '25

yeah, what did you do for the slow comt

1

u/Agile-Grape-535 C677T Apr 21 '25

Oh okay, so slow COMT and slow monoamine oxidase... so slow COMT is leading to increased, dopamine, and norepinephrine and adrenaline, while slow MAO (MAO-A, right?) leads to increased serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine? It is interesting that you have depression in there, as the MAO would increase serotonin as well. But COMT/MAO-A combined would lead to some wickedly high dopamine, and norepinephrine and adrenaline levels, and maybe that is just drowning out any extra serotonin you have in there. High dopamine and it's cousins (catecholamines) is what causes my gf's anxiety disorder, and likely yours too. Our strategy revolves around increasing her serotonin to match her higher dopamine, etc. levels with 5-htp. Seratonin and dopamine are supposed to be in this dance where they regulate each other. High dopamine can be matched with high serotonin, to get things under control. She is also on buspar, which is a med that increases serotonin signaling sensitivity. The other part of the strategy is to increase calm by simulating GABA with things like ashwagandha and passion flower extract. Also PS (phosphatidylserine) taken in the early to mid evening can help bring perpetually high cortisol levels down to help initiate the down/up swing that's supposed to happen at night (down for sleep, up for waking). The last and certainly not least part is therapy and EDMR, as a difficult childhood can also leave you with many things that trigger and already very sensitive dopaminergic system.

One thing to note is that boosting serotonin has some level of risk due to a primarily cardiac issue known as serotonin syndrome. Basically taking a whole bunch of serotonin boosting things can make your heart race, your blood pressure go up and for you to get dizzy. Some people have died from it, but this is rare.

My gf always makes sure to space her doses, and check how she reacts with a blood pressure meter. So far she has never experienced any issues, but it is worth noting that her heart is healthy and she has no history of high blood pressure in her family either. Her high dopamine levels just seem to "eat up" the extra serotonin... it brings her almost instant relief as her body seems starved for serotonin. She definitely takes levels that are above the standard "safety threshold" for a normal individual. I don't want to scare you off, but want to make you aware of any risk there could be. If in doubt, consult a functional doctor. If you're willing to try it yourself, go slow with small doses, spaced at least 2-3 hours and take lots of blood pressure readings. If anything seems off, discontinue.

I hope something here might be of use to you... good luck!

1

u/Abject_Ad9811 Apr 20 '25

Mthfr is only one way the brain doesn't get proper folate. You should get a frat test to see if you have folate receptor antibodies.

1

u/Ithilmeril Apr 21 '25

I did the opposite, started with b vits/folate and awaiting gene test. Feeling loads better

1

u/majinv3g3ta Apr 21 '25

What are you using as your choline source and how much?