Yawning and Folate deficiency

[Sleepybunny]

Hi All,

Do any of you know if folate deficiency can lead to excessive yawning?

If you have any useful links, please post.

Thanks

SB

[Gambit62 Administrator]

yawning is a way of increasing the amount of oxygen you take in so if folate deficiency has resulted in anaemia then yawning would be a way of making up for the transfer of oxygen being less efficient.

[fbirder]

Is this normal yawning or is it subtly different?

When I was on clinical trials for paroxetine (Seroxat) us volunteers noticed we were all having strange yawns. They started round the back of the neck and went in a wave through the shoulders and neck, finishing with a slumping of the whole body.

Since then it’s become quite well known that unusual yawning is associated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like paroxetine. watermark.silverchair.com/3...

Folate deficiency has been linked to changes in serotonin metabolism - jnnp.bmj.com/content/69/2/228 so it’s possible that the folate deficiency is causing changes to serotonin activity which induced the yawning.

Just as an aside. While researching this yawning I found a paper entitled ‘Unusual side effects of clomipramine associated with yawning’ so I ordered a copy. The paper itself is still behind a paywall, but here’s an article that describes it. scicurious.scientopia.org/2...

[Sleepybunny in reply to fbirder]

Hi,

Normal yawning I think. It's not me.

[deniseinmilden]

It does sometimes for me if I have a sudden drop in my levels but that's just my anecdote.

[Miss-guineapig]

I've never thought about yawning before but yes I do yawn more...how strange lol! Not a problem at all though xx

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

I started yawning as I read your post Hidden .

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

My yawns aren't normal yawns (can't remember when I last yawned normally now)- they are like overlapping gasps. People turn and stare. Unable to control it and feel like a goldfish. Is that the same as "the sighs" that Martyn Hooper mentions as a B12 deficiency symptom ? I think so.

This has happened almost every day for at least the last couple of years, even though I self-inject every other day. It is not affected by folate levels, which have now been over 20 ug/L twice when checked - so finally able to reduce supplementation. Frequency of B12 injections also seems immaterial, strangely. The odd yawn-free day has never seemed significantly different from any other to me. Still keeping symptom records.

I once saw a neurologist who listened (!) and asked me at one point whether I yawned- I laughed and said "Yes!!", feeling like we were finally getting somewhere. He also laughed in recognition - but sadly, we got onto another topic so I never found out what he thought that meant.... a near-breakthrough moment ?.... then he went off on long-term sick leave.

So near and yet so far, Sleepybunny . Let's keep hoping and keep asking the questions. One day, who knows ? We might get answers !