Folate levels on loading dose injection advice please?

[Julie07]

Hi, I have just started my loading injections of B12, I asked my Dr about my folate levels and he says they are ok as the number is 5, would It help the B12 injections if I took a supplement to get it a little higher please?

Regards. Julie

[Gambit62 Administrator]

folate is actually very respondent to dietary intake.

it is possible that your need for folate may increase slightly during the early stages of treatment as your body will be using additional folate to run processes and that could include using more folate than you normally would because you are healing as well as running the processes.

The best form of folate is from food - so take a look at your diet and make sure its as good as it can be in terms of folate rich foods.

B12 absorption problems can also affect absorption of folate so if your diet is already good then you may want to look at using a supermarket supplement.

[Julie07 in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you, It looks like my problem is poor absorption. I will look to include as much folate rich foods as I can. I have been on Omeprozole for 10years so I may having trouble absorbing it.

[Mashie44]

Hi,

Gambit knows far more than me! Can only say my personal experience is that folate (and vit D) really helps. My diet is good and I would expect to get all I need from it, all being equal. My folate was 3.9 when b12d was diagnosed and this was "normal" - although it was almost off the bottom of the scale and that was not mentioned until later when I insisted and got the actual test results (range was something like 3.8 - 25). Sounds as if yours is pretty low too tho scales vary. Initially I didn't take folate as I was "normal" - but found over time and with experimentation that it helped. It is now 15 after a year supplementing (vit D has also gone from deficient to ok). Good luck!