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[Ange9495]

Hi all, I'm in a couple of other forums on this site and came across this when trying to find out some information on low folate levels. Visited my GP last week after feeling rubbish for a number of weeks. Symptoms included: tingling/pins & needles in left arm/hand; daily headaches; deteriorating eyesight and extreme tiredness and just a general feeling of unwellness. Blood tests done and got a phone call on Tuesday from GP receptionist to say "your folate levels are low and you need to come and pick up a prescription". No other information given, my response "eh what? What's folate and what does it mean?" Of course she couldn't give me any answers at all so all I've done since is Google! I picked up script and it's folic acid. Will this make me feel better? Please tell me it will!?

[JMN2017]

I totally agree with what Hidden has posted. My GP says all my levels are fine but B12 was just out of range, Folate just out of range!!! Hmm. He refuses to agree I am B12 deficient because all 'within normal range' whereas I see a 'picture'.

I've been self-injecting for 9 weeks now and feel so much better - the GP still won't agree, in spite of improvement in symptoms.

SO, get a print out of all results, every time, and you'll soon get the idea

By the way, you are entitled to have a copy of your results, although some practices will charge a bit. If you have internet access to your surgery, ie make appts, you should be able to have access to your test results too - so ask receptionists if you don't have this.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

folic acid is one form of vitamin B9 = folate.

as others - I'd suggest getting hold of your full blood results as serum B12 is a problematic test - and will miss 25% of people who are deficient (and pick up 5% who aren't) if used as a single measure. However, many GPs miss this because their understanding and awareness of B12 deficiency is quite low.

Although folate deficiency can cause tingling this is more commonly a symptom of B12 deficiency.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Gambit62]

if your symptoms are down to anaemia - larger rounder red blood cells in the case of folate and B12 deficiency - then these will take at least a couple of months to go as new red blood cells are only made as old ones die and red blood cells live for about 4 months. Other symptoms may go more quickly, others more slowly - depends on which of the processes that the body uses folate for have been affected and are causing the symptoms - same for B12 deficiency.

Folate deficiency tends to come on very quickly as the body doesn't have significant stores of folate - unlike B12 which is stored in quite large amounts in the liver. Symptoms overlap considerably because the two are used together in many processes.

[Ange9495]

Thanks for your replies. I'm going to make an appointment to speak to my GP about the blood results in detail. Hopefully I get some answers and the right course of treatment. Thanks again 😊