I had low folate and supposedly low normal b12. A doctor told me to take b12 first because of the 'folate trap'. He said if you get folate repleat it can disguise a b12 deficiency. I am not exactly sure what it is all about can someone please explain the term 'Folate Trap' for me?
Much obliged.
Its all down to confusion and misunderstanding and thinking that the symptoms of b12 are caused by blood disorders when the blood disorders are actually symptoms of B12 deficiency.
Having high folate can result in smaller blood cells. This counteracts the macrocytosis that is caused by a B12 deficiency and hence masks this one symptom. However, there are a lot of other symptoms ... and macrocytosis isn't a prerequisite of a B12 deficiency.
There was a period when guidelines were poorly worded in the UK and it looked as if you shouldn't treat a folate deficiency if a B12 deficiency was present. Think the current guidelines are a bit better expressed and make it clearer that a folate deficiency should not be treated on its own if there is a possibility of a B12 deficiency - both need to be treated simultaneously.
I had noted that with my being iron deficient also (I have many deficiencies as I suffer from Hashimoto's and Addison's disease which went undiagnosed for years) that the smaller sizes of the red blood cells due to iron deficiency masked the average sizes of larger cells from the b12 and folate problems.
Hi,
Other links that may be of interest.
patient.info/doctor/macrocy...
patient.info/health/vitamin...
labtestsonline.org.uk/under...
patient.info/doctor/full-bl...
UK B12 websites
pernicious-anaemia-society....
B12 books
What You Need to Know About Pernicious Anaemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency by Martyn Hooper
Could it be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses by Sally Pacholok and JJ. Stuart
UK B12 documents
ukneqas-haematinics.org.uk/...
Google "BCSH Cobalamin and Folate Guidelines"
Folate
B12 and folate interaction
Updated B12 and folate results
Why is folate so important?
