Terrible extra fatigue

[Damseltree]

Since before Christmas I've had crushing fatigue. Sleep 8 hours each night but usually fall asleep after breakfast. Then fall asleep after lunch but usually wake up by tea time. The evenings are best for me. I've been on three I.M. b12 per week since early October. I can't work out if the injections make me feel tired or not. I take 800 iu of folate each day. I am having extra blood tests for thyroid, iron and vitamin d on Thursday. Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful. I do like a glass of wine each night.

[deniseinmilden]

You need a wide range of vitamins and minerals in conjunction with your B12 to keep everything running so many people benefit from a broad spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement plus extra folate, potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamin D.

The most obvious ones for you to test for are, as you are doing, iron, vitamin D and thyroid function.

I'd add potassium and magnesium and folate (even though you are supplementing) to that list for testing.

If they all come back good you could consider trying methylfolate instead of the folic acid in case your body isn't methylating properly. I was like you and it made all the difference for me. If you have too much you can get a stonking headache so you will know if you don't need it!

Another critical thing for me is haem iron which is only available from red meat and fish in the UK. Sometimes the mechanism for converting the other forms of iron in our diets and supplements to haem iron (the form our bodies utilise) stops working and then you can have as much iron in your blood as you like, you'll still feel anaemic and the only solution is to eat more meat and fish.

Be aware of possibly having an absorbtion problem beyond just your B12. For a while I needed amounts of things way beyond what is recommended (and in fact what should have killed me!), just because such a small percentage was being taken up.

[Auntyp62]

I feel for you as I’ve been there, sleeping up to 18hours a day and eventually diagnosed with hypersomnia. For me it was coming off 8 weekly b12 and taking 1000a day orally along with folate and vitamin d .........my thyroid conversion t4 to t3 greatly improved

[Damseltree]

Thank you for your replies. I am taking a multi vit from H &B and a multi vit b complex tablet too. I have stopped taking the very high dose b complex as vit b 6 is included at a very high dose. With the two tablets, the folic acid amounts to 800 mcg. What I wonder is could this be too much or too little ? At my last reading of folate mine was above 20 (no range given).

Thank you for your interest.

[Nackapan in reply to Damseltree]

That happened to me. My folate is above the range but no actual figures given. I cut back on folic acid to 200mcg my last blood test it was still above range. .I've also had really bad fatigue back. I'm the opposite as better in the morning when there is natural light . The evenings I just feel ill and have to dodge artificial light.

I found b12 I jecti9ns every other day although needed did wipe me out more.

Raising my ferritin levels helped me and I'm wondering if I've cut back my iron too far. Next blood test due si will then know. Hope ferritin is on your blood test.

Also you may need more vit d ??

I'm jealous of your glass of wine . I've not had s drop since this condition hit me.

Perhaps have a few alcohol free nights ?? Hope get the right balance of vits to get you functioning better soon. T c

[Damseltree]

Thank you for your comments Nackapan. Yes testing for ferratin, vit d thyroid and folate. Will cut down on wine too. Wife keeping diary to try to see any pattern which I can respond to.