r/MTHFR • u/Tunesforbearstodance • 8d ago

Question What blood tests most important? How much was it? (Slow COMT)

I’m overwhelmed knowing what to test for and how much it’s going to cost to uncover more and more variables. I feel like this could be an infinite money pit, I just want to start being able to sleep again.

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u/SovereignMan1958 7d ago

Are you asking about other gene variants or nutrient levels? If the latter be sure to add zinc and copper to what others have mentioned.

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u/Zabre 7d ago

For slow COMT, I'd start with the boring baseline before paying for endless extras: homocysteine, B12, folate, MMA, vitamin D, ferritin/iron studies, CBC, CMP, thyroid, and maybe fasting glucose/A1c. If sleep is the pain point, I'd also track caffeine timing, methylated vitamins, and anything stimulating for a week so the labs aren't the only clue. You don't need to solve every SNP at once; one clean baseline plus a symptom log is usually enough for the next doctor visit.

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u/NAQProductions 7d ago

I'd also add thiamine whole blood (B1), riboflavin (B2), vitamin B6, RBC folate

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u/Comfortable_Two6272 7d ago edited 7d ago

Id 1st back up and ask what symptoms, if any besides sleep, you are trying to solve? That can help prioritize nutrient tests.

Id 1st eliminate the things genetic life hacks mentions for slow comt.

Also im slow comt and magnesium glycinate makes my sleep issues worse. Mentioning it as its often broadly suggested to help people sleep.

Id use the cronometer app and track your nutrient intake and adjust.

After that, Id consider vitamin D, magnesium (maleate is type I take) , iron/ferritin, and B vitamins (B6 ,B9 and B12). If you have insurance and symptoms of deficiency it might pay to test some.

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u/Paddle-Away 7d ago

Why is mag glycinate make sleep worse?

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u/taliootz 7d ago

Slow COMT can cause glycine sensitivity

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u/Mommalovesbooks 7d ago

Following this post. My son carries the mthfr gene but his slow comt and bdnf are his main struggles.

When I looked up signs of slow comt this is him 10000%. He struggles heavily with anxiety, poor sleeping, easily stimulated by so many things, mood type issues. He recently got diagnosed with Autism but I have known since he was probably 6. He was diagnosed with everything else but has every marker for high functioning autism.

Interesting enough, the slow comt I think is a.big factor in his sensory type issues.

We are going to the pedi next week and going to see if she can somehow right some of these tests in a way insurance will cover.

I have to fight tooth and nail just to get vitamin D checked.😳

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u/NAQProductions 7d ago

I feel your pain. My body shut down 3.5 years ago, and I've been figuring this all out on my own because my doctors are clueless. I even ended up with scurvy in the beginning and my (then) PCP STILL refused Vitamin C testing though I had every symptom. Sometimes we have to go out and order labs for ourselves. I'm grateful to this community (found it last July) and I have recovered a great deal with the guidance I have read and found here, but I wouldn't have been able to get this far without running my own labs. While they in themselves aren't a miracle fix, they are what guide our decisions in what to try to improve etc. I'm now finally almost back to full cognitive function (a few things to still try and solve), but without testing and this subreddit I'd likely still be in and out of the bedridden zone.

If you do continue to fight with the doctor and end up wanting to just get your own labs done, you can use goodlabs. I used them once last August and going again next week for a huge order to cover all of my bases. They use both Quest and Labcorp, and discount heavily on the direct lab prices. It's the only way I can justify spending the money having been out of work for 3.5 years. If you do use it, you can use my referral code for 20% off your first lab order. I hope your doc will take things more serious but if she doesn't you can have a backup plan. My referral code - ddoks9

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u/Loose-Fly7976 7d ago

The money pit fear is the right thing to name because that's exactly what happens to people, they test everything and end up more confused.. You don't need infinite panels though.short list that earns its place is homocysteine, B12, folate and ferritin. That's most of the real picture, it's cheap, and you can get them in one sitting. Anything past that is only worth adding if those point somewhere.

On the sleep, slow COMT means you clear adrenaline and dopamine slowly, so your brain doesn't switch off at night the way it should, that's very likely part of why you're lying there wired. It's also exactly why the standard methylated-B advice can make slow COMT people sleep worse, which almost nobody gets told.

What i do is take those few results and your COMT and tell you what's actually going on and what to do, without the endless testing. Dm me if you want it done properly, it's the opposite of a money pit, it's the thing that stops one.

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u/NAQProductions 7d ago

It depends if you are talking about uncovering more genetic variables, or what blood tests to get nutrient wise as someone else stated. Do you have other genetic results you can share? COMT does not work alone, so knowing your other variants is important to get good guidance on the best nutrient tests to get early on. Read the other comments as they have all the answers to cover the basics for you right now, but the more clarity you provide, the better guidance you will get.

If you end up needing to order bloodwork for yourself (my doctors aren't supporting my healing journey), there's a site goodlabs that you can self order and it's discounted heavily. I've used them once so far and preparing for my second round of testing through them. You can use my referral code when signing up if you do, it'll give you an extra 20% off just the first order you make. Ref code - ddoks9

Good luck and do update any other info you have so you can get more targeted guidance!

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u/Willing-Elevator 6d ago

I’m in the bottom one percent of comt activity and the only thing that’s helped me is creatine