Folic acid dose

[Soozysoosop]

Hi everyone

My B12 is 253 pmol/L

Folate 12.72 (8.83-60.8)

Ferritin 291 (20-150)

I about to start self injecting as am very symptomatic neurologically. I have hypothyroidism levels all within range.

How much folic acid do I need is 400 mcg enough.

Many thanks

Susan

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Soozysoosop you Folate level is "bumping along the bottom" so I think you do need to supplement.

I'm not a medically qualified person but I have been taking 1 – Folic Acid 400μg tablet every day for more years than I can remember but then I have B12 injections every three weeks.

You may also benefit from increasing your intake of folic acid from foods such as spinach, dark leafy greens, asparagus, turnip, beets, and mustard greens, sprouts, soybeans, beef liver, brewer's yeast, root vegetables, whole grains, wheat germ, bulgur wheat, kidney beans, white beans, salmon, orange juice, avocado, and milk. In addition some breakfast cereals are fortified with folic acid.

I'm a bit surprised that, given your test results, your doctor didn't prescribe you with some folic acid or does he/she not know you intend to self inject B12?

Have you self injected before?

[Soozysoosop in reply to clivealive]

Hi thanks that's great advice eat a lot of those foods. Unfortunately even when I went armed with guidelines etc she would not entertain b12 injections even though I'm very symptomatic with whole spine pain struggling Day to day with brain fog and extremely poor short term memory I completely crash in the afternoon. She has referred to neurologist and for spinal pain and mri. Also haematologist .Also my mum has pernicious anaemia! Big sigh! I just don't have the energy to argue anymore.

[hunny59]

Just as a quick thought Soozysoosop - your ferritin is rather high - has anyone commented on this yet?

[Soozysoosop in reply to hunny59]

Hi no I would welcome any comments though thanks

[hunny59 in reply to Soozysoosop]

Obviously I'm not medically qualified (the same as most on here) but a ferritin level as high as yours looks as though your body may be storing too much iron. Iron overload (haemochromatosis) can cause numerous symptoms which overlap with a lot of other conditions, including chronic fatigue. I only mention this because my brother was diagnosed late last year with it and I'm in the process of being tested as it can be genetic. You may want to look into it and mention it to your doctor with a view to having your transferrin saturation measured. B12 may also bring those ferritin levels down as iron is one of its co-factors. Ideally, the doctor should do liver function tests as well if haemochromatosis is suspected.

haemochromatosis.org.uk/hae...