Follic acid

[Donby]

Can a lack of follic acid cause terrible muscle and joint pain? I'm so tired and I'm in absolute agony. My legs lower back ache so much. I can't even walk properly. I coukd sleep the clock round. I've been put on flic acid supplements just hoping they work.

[Nackapan]

It did my daughter. Much improved since levek s raised and on s maintenance dose of 40o mcg

[Donby in reply to Nackapan]

Thanks

[fbirder]

I suffered from intermittent, but severe, joint pain (ankles, wrists and knees) since my late 20's. In my late 50's (2015) I was diagnosed with low folate and undetectable B12. I started taking methylfolate supplements, at the same time as getting B12 injections.

After a few months it was pointed out to me that I hadn't had an arthritis attack for a while. As time passed I remained pain free. I assumed it was the B12.

In November 2017 I switched to folic acid. Two weeks later I had my worst attack of knee pain ever. I needed a zimmerframe to get to the loo. My food and drink had to be brought to me. As is normal for me, it recovered in a week.

Then my wrist went. That was so bad I needed help to open a packet of crisps.

Then my other knee.

I had no idea what was going on. I increased my injection frequency (needing somebody else to do it for me when my wrist was bad).

Then in February, as suddenly as they started, they stopped. No more joint pain. None in the following 2.5 years.

It took me over a month to realise that I'd switched back to methylfolate in February. All those cripping attacks of joint pain happened when I was taking folic acid. They never happened when I was taking methylfolate.

Yup, it's nothing but anecdotal. There is one published paper on methylfolate and joint pain in those with the C677T homozygous mutation in the MTHFR gene. People like me.

So, I would say - try methylfolate for three months. It's as good as folic acid (but costs 10 times as much). It might be worth it.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

It took me a couple of years to get folate level up to a useful level and stabilise there, even with NHS supplements, and I still take daily multivitamin and mineral tablets to ensure it doesn't drop back down.

Have you also had ferritin and vitamin D checked ? I would have a look at the results, as low but within range can give symptoms too.

A thyroid check wouldn't go amiss, especially if all these are affected and B12 low.

NHS often just do TSH, some do T4 too.

It might also be worth doing a full range test which includes T3 and anti-TPO and anti-TG - which hopefully should eliminate any potential problem there. I got one done, just to make sure, by postal blood test.

My lower back and joints: shoulders, hips and knees, no longer keep me awake trying to find that elusive comfortable position. Pain very rare- and although all of it can return, never as severely as initially. Feet still as stiff as frozen kippers on waking though. That I can live with, as they soon thaw out ! Why that happens, I've no idea.

[Donby in reply to Cherylclaire]

I've had my thyroid checked too x

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Donby]

Good. Hope it's just folate - which is being addressed already. Takes time, but you will see improvements.