Treating MTHFR with COMT?

I've had this problem as well. I'm double 677T + slow COMT. I cant handle any methyfolate at all, not even 1 mcg, or i get extremely agitated. I was told to just fight through this until it gets better, but i'm not sure how great that advice is. What is also annoying is that they throw methylfolate into every multivitamin, which limits your options.

Here is one unmethylated multi-vitamin i've found:
https://www.amazon.com/non-methylated-multi-vitamin-90-capsules-veagan/dp/b01bj7fv1k

Also, another good tip is to use creatine. 70% of your SAMe goes toward ATP production, so creatine ups your SAMe for use for other things w/o forcing the neurotransmitter issue like methyldonors would.

Finally, I discovered that MTHFR problems really are just riboflavin deficiences. I explained it all in this post, and in the conversation that followed in the thread below:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=4230614#gsc.tab=0

I'm not sure if it's possible to just fight through the deficiency by supplemetning w/ methyldonors and eventually your body gets used to them. In theory it should be, but not sure if its the right approach.

I'm also chelating mercury slowly. I feel that once I've made progress there, my methyl pathways will work better. Just a hunch. I suspect that when one is mercury toxic the body shuts down methylation so as not to move the metals around. Plays into Navieaux/Neith Nathan's cell danger response.

Post Edited (dcd2103) : 1/21/2021 4:37:07 AM (GMT-7)

Thanks for the responses!

Good points Dcd... I have looked into the riboflavin and MTHFR theories and they definitely seem to carry some weight.

Whats strange is that the multivitamin I was taking had 500mcg methyl b12 and 400mcg methyl folate, and I was doing fine for months. I'm starting to think that the b12/folate increased my methylation drive, which in turn depleted the other b-vitamins/co-factors (that I wasn't taking, such as riboflavin, some micro-nutrients, etc...), and I ended up in trouble.

I am going to try supplementing micro-nutrients and b-vitamins before adding back in b12/folate, and see what happens.

Very well possible.

How long did you stop for? It’s also possible that your brain got used to the low level of neurotransmitters when you stopped, and had a hard time re-adjusting when you ramped back up. I always thought this is how it happens, us slow comt guys have brains which are super used to low levels of dopamine and adrenaline. Takes a long time to adjust to that influx when we start to methylated. Somehow you were able to do it the first time, but not the second. Maybe you depleted some other important cofactors like you said.

I recently started using hydroxy b12. I noticed that my b12 is always super low (300s), which could be contributing to my nerve problems. No problems with it. Haven’t tried folinic acid. Niacin I think is great to take when you over methylate and get that agitated feeling.

Neil Nathan and Rich Van K did a study, and claimed to find that the majority of those undergoing their simplified methylation protocol (which was basically a multivitamin + 2000mcg Hydroxy B12 + 200mcg methyl folate + 200mcg folinic acid) ended up with a more normalized methylation cycle after 6-12 months.

It took a lot of time, apparently, but improvement was reported in the vast majority of patients.

However, I've been lurking on methylation forums the past week or so, and haven't read much about success with Hydroxy B12. Some even claim it can induce a b12 deficiency, which I have yet to understand.

Phew... I guess I should give it a go regardless. This methylation stuff feels like Lyme! I finally get a diagnosis for my detox problems, but the treatment is confusing as all get out!

FishingforLight, I think I’ve finally found the answer!

The solution is to use betaine! I was studying a methyl cycle chart and noticed that betaine methylates homocysteine just like methylfolate. It’s an alternative methylation pathway. But I looked into it and apparently it doesn’t bother a COMT issue because it won’t up-regulate neurotransmitter production like methylfolate will

This is how you get your methylation going for detox without bothering COMT, with TMG

https://www.mthfrexperts.com/comt-mutations-what-you-need-to-know/?fbclid=iwar2z6lku_gw_dkcxnd3ox97whbowxrjtpryodn21vbqfj8jq0ntven9-p9s

P.S. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but apparently Quercetin and ECGC both inhibit COMT function, which would be especially impactful for someone like me. I'm not sure if you take both these supplements, but I have reduced my dosages of each the past couple days, and have been in a particularly good mood lately. I also started taking a b-complex without b12 or folate.

It all could be coincidence, but I'm hoping lessening the COMT inhibition and increasing the b2 might get me started in a good direction!