There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.
Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:
symptoms related to anaemia
reduced sense of taste
diarrhoea
numbness and tingling in the feet and hands
muscle weakness
depression
Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body and your B12 levels are "bumping along the bottom" of the range.
What sort of diet do you have? We source B12 naturally by eating red meats, fish, seafood, eggs, poultry and dairy produce and as long as you don;t have an absorption problem or are on medication that have an adverse effect on B12 such as antacids or PPIs, other autoimmune disorders (especially thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Grave’s disease) Type 1 diabetes, etc you should get enough from food.
However as your doctor appears reluctant to treat by our low/normal B12 level you will do yourself no harm by taking a supplement.
I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious Anemia (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 46 years.
Being borderline, with symptoms, your doctor should start you in a course of B12 and give you a test for Intrinsic Factor antibodies. If the test is positive, or the injections improve your symptoms then you have injections for life.
In UK, patients with B12 deficiency with neuro symptoms are supposed to get more intensive B12 treatment. See UK B12 documents for more info on UK B12 treatment.
Have you been tested for PA? Coeliac disease? H Pylori infection?
Coeliac Disease
In UK, two first line tests are recommended.
1) tTG IgA
2) Total IgA
My experience is that Total IgA test is not always done but I think it's an important test as people with IgA deficiency will need different tests for Coeliac disease.
NICE guidelines Coeliac Disease (2015 version) recommend that patients with unexplained b12, folate, iron deficiencies should be tested for Coeliac disease.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.