Folic acid, injectable subcutaneous.

[ACritical]

Can you inject a Folic acid injection, subcutaneously rather then IM? Even if it says on the box it’s for i.v and i.m? As I can’t find one specific for subcutaneous use. I am trying to circumvent taking folic acid orally as I have issues taking supplements. I am looking for some one to advise me about this hopefully with a medical background.

[Polaris]

Personally, I prefer to increase intake of food containing folic acid, since my relative was prescribed folic acid instead of the B12 she badly needed, especially as there are so many options:

beans, peas, leafy greens, sprouts, beets, eggs, citrus fruits , bananas, nuts. seeds, etc.

[ACritical in reply to Polaris]

I do try to do it that way. However I read that if you inject more regularly you have to also add extra folic acid etc… the co factors… I tried the supplements but that doesn’t work for me, tummy upset and headache, feel terribly unwell taking supplements. I made sure they were of reputable make like Sol… I now have found folic acid drops with Basil infused that is doing no harm, but quite expensive.

VitaminFit

Folaat (Folate)400 mcg

druppels( drops)

👌🏻

[Hidden in reply to ACritical]

Hi ACritical.vitamist uk Ltd do a folic acid spray 200ug I also don’t seem to do well on the tablets so I use this and I do try and get what I can via foods but I do seem to plummet really quickly,I went from havng levels in double figures ( but under 20 ) which I was happy with back down to 4 really quickly so I’m now using the spray twice daily and I keep an eye on my levels via blood tests but, to be honest, I usually know right away because it shows up as tongue sores when I’m low.

You can buy on Amazon it’s worth a try.best of luck.

[ACritical in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, I will have a look at that!👌🏻♥️

[wedgewood]

No medical background , but I would definitely NOT inject Folic Acid sub-cutaneously . Folic acid is easier to absorb than B12 . Unless you are exceptionally low in B9 ( folic acid ) injections are not necessary. At most a . 5 mg tablet for a few weeks only , then a daily 400 mcg tablet , but best of all , plenty of green-leaved vegs peas , fruit , for the other benefits that come with them apart from the folic acid .

[deniseinmilden in reply to wedgewood]

I agree in principle and wouldn't recommend them per se, but the trouble is, if you need it and can't get it any other way then at least the injections are an option.

The evidence for getting nutrients from food is overwhelming and yet way too easily dismissed.

If politicians were brought up to eat their greens and avoid alcohol the world would be a better place! 😁

[deniseinmilden]

First of all I'm not medically trained but do have some sound knowledge through nutrition and vet-based qualifications and experience.

I know you are sensible and will have researched everything thoroughly so please forgive my myriad questions: I'm not questioning you, just trying to build an accurate picture!

What, other than advice, makes you think you need more folate? Is it blood tests or symptoms? What are they? (Just checking that you really do need it and how critically).

What sort of dose in mg/day do you think you can get away with to keep your symptoms at bay? Or what are you trying that isn't effective enough and by how much (anecdotally - a bit/a lot/it makes no difference and I'm desperate)?

Did you know that folate from food is twice as available as the best methylfolate supplements and better than that still of folic acid? (0.6 and 0.5 of the availability from food, respectively - if you need me to I should be able to dig out the paper for it - it is in my past posts on here). It is surprising what you can get from food alone, even with digestion and absorption problems.

I know you have problems with of oral supplements generally but wonder if you have tried any alternatives to folic acid - methylfolate or folinic acid? If one of your problems is methylation then methylfolate can make a huge difference - but gives you a bad headache if you don't need it. I have no personal experience of folinic acid but know of people for whom this is the only option (it's expensive).

Are you certain it's the oral supplement and not the folate itself that you are reacting to? A friend just can't tolerate folate at all. Are you fine if it is from your food?

I take it that you always make sure you take it with plenty of food? It is known to make lots of people feel rubbish/sick if not.

I know you have tried the Solgar ones.... Have you tried putting them under your tongue and absorbing them that way? They do slowly dissolve and I don't find the taste unpleasant. Because you can absorb it into your blood stream you don't need to take as much to get the same response.

It's possible to buy tiny capsules that you can take apart and mix the contents into your food and it's then no more than eating bread or breakfast cereals and I doubt if your guts could tell. Be aware of the nocebo effect!

I have no problem with you injecting folic acid if you have to and don't see any problem with it being SC rather than IM (or IV), any more than B12, despite the licensing, but just wonder why you don't just do it IM and be done with it? You can use a similar needle, just a bit longer, as the only bit of a jab that might hurt is going into the skin so it doesn't really matter how far in it goes once you've broached the surface.

Looking forward to hearing what you have tried, etc!

[helvella]

Are there any injectable folic acid products licensed in the UK?

I just checked a couple of official sources and could not find any.

[wedgewood in reply to helvella]

You can get them from German online pharmacies .Hevert make 5mg ampoules. Ref no 04375429 -for I.M. or Intravenous injections . €6.99 for a packet of 10 . NOT FOR SUBCUTANEOUS injection .I would say that they are not licensed in UK.,

[ACritical in reply to wedgewood]

That’s the one I looked at and was wondering if I could use that one and use my shorter needles and do no harm. It was question to explore the possibility, nothing more. Thank you all for your replies. A few new avenues to explore or leave well alone!

[SigNi]

Hi - I have folate deficiency along with B12. I don’t absorb it properly through food & was prescribed a multi b injection which included b12, folic acid, & b6 - for 4 weeks. It could be administered intramuscular or subcutaneously. My husband helped me with the injections at home and we chose IM. I now do my own and do b12, folic acid & others as needed. My original prescribed injections also included lidocaine, so I have begun to include this as well as needed for comfort. I don’t have a medical background, just my experience. Hope this helps.

[ACritical121 in reply to SigNi]

Thanks for replying. Where do you source your folic acid ampoules for injecting from? Does it mention you can use them subcutaneously? I am just researching incase there is a need to do this in future.

[SigNi]

Hi - I am in Germany. I use Shop Apotheke, but others here are familiar with sites that ship outside Germany. I currently use Hevert 5mg ampules intramuscularly. The directions indicate IM or IV use. I’m not a medical expert, but was told by the nurse at my GPs office that subcutaneous was also possible. I see references to this online as well, but can’t vouch for it. I go IM to get the most benefit, but honestly if the needle is too short, I guess it becomes subcutaneous by default. I hope this helps.

[ACritical in reply to SigNi]

Thank you, SigNi.I came to that conclusion after asking around. I inject Hevert Hydroxocobalamin injections subcutaneously as it shows on the box , However it does not say this on Hevert Folic Acid/Folsaure ampoules, I wondered why it doesn’t say this?

[SigNi]

My guess is that it is geared toward clinical use which would be IM or IV. So they don't waste time/funding on SC protocols. But there's medical references all over the internet ref subcutaneous Folic Acid. Perhaps you could find a product online that is geared for SC and compare ingredients? Again - not an expert, but I'm honestly past limiting myself to "expert" advice - I do my additional research and try things out within reason. It's how I've developed my "B-Complex" regimen. I'm low in everything and many deficiencies cause neuro and other damage. I'm clearly not absorbing properly and it's taken months to get in for an endoscopy to see if we can find some reasons. I'm not willing to wait to stop the damage. I wish you luck in sorting out what you need. : )

[SigNi]

I just found this - a folic acid injection approved for SC. Perhaps you could compare the ingredients? Good luck! drugs.com/pro/folic-acid-in...