Re: Mayo Clinic

The Mayo clinic will run standard tests and do a standard work up of you. If that's not been done before it could be useful but be prepared for dishing out a whole wad of cash for standard tests that get you told 'everything is normal'.

I would try genetic testing through either 23andme or Dr Yashko - Yashko is a lot more expensive but does interpret your genetic info and give you a good protocol. Altho Yashko charges a few hundred up to a thou. for testing just a few genes.

23andme tests your entire genome (bar a few!), for 99 bucks - and they give a rough 'health labs' interpretation of 'health risks'. Also lots of other cool ancestry features. However, you are able to access your entire raw gene data and run it through other programs to detect more specific genetic defects that are pertanent to your current health problems, like detox ability of your liver, your metylation cycle status and much more.

It's a bind to wait the 6 weeks from 23andme for the results but i got my results a couple of weeks ago and was astounded to learn the defects i have and understanding how they impact entire health.
For instance, the enzyme which converts beta carotene to vitamin A - it's defunct within my genes so i don't do the conversion. I don't eat liver either! Not for over 20 yrs! I have night blindness and mega eye floaters aswell as other vit A problems...i now realise it's a vitamin A deficiency.
Vitamin A also is important for hormone synthesis.

Also the methylation cycle has several defects in my gene - MTHFR is fully defective, aswell as the CBS gene. CBS enzyme pathway when defective actually acts as a 'drain' on the whole methyl cycle...creates huge amounts of sulfites , aswell as ammonia, which triggers the sympathetic nervous system...which triggers the adrenals....see where im going with this?

I was taking NAC due to trying to up my glutathione levels - altho i wasn't aware i cannot do the conversion enzymatically at the genetic level - so not only was i making problems worse with adding sulfur (NAC) i wasn't getting the glutathione i hoped as i wasn't converting it - just adding to the ammonia problem and feeling more jittery!

I've reduced all sulfur foods, mainly brassica family...and am feeling hugely relieved and a lot calmer. My sweat doesn't smell like ammonia and i'm not excessively sweating like i used to. The CBS gene pathway works alot faster when defective so hence the liver becomes too taxed to deal with the ammonia load and shoves it out through the skin.

Also the 'liver detox' genes/enzymes is another set of info which i found to be highly defective.

I could go on about how genetic info can truly help you join dots to your health concerns but you get the gist. You get A LOT of info from 23andme...you\'ve gotta be willing to do some homework that's all.

No other diagnostic tests were able to tell me why my sweat was ammonia-like...and why i was profusely sweating. Why i was so wired, tired, despite all the mineral and adrenal protocols. That CBS gene pathway being defective explains it. There aren't even many doctors who have any idea about genetic implications.

It's the wisest 99 bucks i've spent in all the thousands i have on guesswork remedies, based on symptoms alone.

I have more energy in 2 weeks after implimenting small changes based on genetic info than i have in the 6 months i've spent mostly bed-bound swallowing handfulls of supplements based on NB and AF standard protocols.

We are all different and we get ill for different reasons, so therefore need an individualised protocol for healing.
Diagnostics can easily run into tens of thousands and you still not be much wiser. I would highly recommend the genetic route.

PM me if you'd like to know which sites are helpful to decipher your genetic info.

Huge luck to you hawksfan...i feel for you and understand the frustration of knowing there's something really not 'right' with your body. It's terrifying to feel that when young especially. Relieve yourself with knowing you are searching for answers and they will come, as you are looking. You have not resigned to feeling crappy and accepting that is how life will be...keep searching :-)

Hugs to you,
PP