Folate Level

[EiCa]

I have been on B12 shots since August 2021 and am seeing good results with my MMA and homocysteine coming down. Symptom wise, I am seeing very subtle differences but trending in a positive direction. My doctor ordered a folate test. My level is 6.1 with 5.9 being the low end. The last time it was checked (before B12 shots started) it was 6.7. Do I need to start supplementing folate? I have not been doing so because I get very little sleep and B vitamins stimulate me so much. I am sleeping 2-4 hours a night, fragmented sleep. I know the B vitamins need each other but I also need sleep!

Thanks for any thoughts...

Eileen

[Nackapan]

In a multivit there is usually 200mcg of folic acid .I take this

Alternatively you could try 400mcg recommended for all women of childbearing age daily .

Or just eat more folate rich foods .

We all vary

It didn't take much yo higher my level to be mid range.

I personally wouldn't do more than this.

Then see what it's like on your next bloods.

My daughter has found she needs 400mcg folic acid daily otherwise it drops quickly.

She eats more greens than me. ??

So its finding maintenence diet / supplement that suits you.

Folate, vit D ferritin / iron often accompany low absorption problems.

Its relatively early days. Glad to hear you are moving in the right direction.

T c

Reading back you are far more knowledgeable than me . Ths is just our experiences and my daughter case is complex too and been going on over 10 years before ant diagnosis of what severely low b12 undiagnosed has left her with.

My mother needs b12 injections too. So a genetic disposition surly??

As for me I'm recovering but am deemed complex?? Only because the face of b12 deficiency as many faces mimicking other better know diseases. To date nothing fjsr found.

[EiCa in reply to Nackapan]

Thanks for the encouragement, Nackapan. I think I was hoping someone would say that my folic acid level is adequate that I didn't need to worry about supplementing, but I know it will just keep dropping. I recently found some blood work of my husbands and his folic acid was 23 but the report said "under 4 ng/L", was folate deficient. Nevertheless, it is falling over time. I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and take a small dose and hope it works. I have been told I would tolerate folinic acid better than folic acid. I do not tolerate the methyl form at all.

[EiCa in reply to Nackapan]

BTW, Nackapan, I have several genetic mutatiions that affect the methylation and metabolism of B vitamins. You are right in guessing that. Thanks. Have a good day. Eileen

[wedgewood]

I suggest that instead of supplementing with tablets , just eat a good amount of green leafy vegetables , and all vegetables and fruits with a good content of folate ( that’s the name for vitamin B9/ folic acid , when it’s in food ) You can overdose on folic acid in tablets , but not when you take folate . Also you then get the benefit of all the other nutrients that are in those food-stuffs . Look up in the internet which foods contain the highest folate content , and pick the ones that you like best . I’m sure that you would tolerate VitaminB9 better in food than tablets , given your reaction to B vitamins . Best wishes .

[EiCa in reply to wedgewood]

Hi,

Thanks, Wedgewood. I appreciate your reply. One of the reasons I am so low in folate is that I have gastroparesis, Barrett's esophagus, SIBO and IBS-C, so eating leafy greens has been out of the question for quite some time. I would LOVE to be able to get the nutrients I need from food, but unfortunately my digestive system does not accept them. Though I eat as many calories as my digestive system and food sensitivities allow, I have malnutrition and malabsorption problems...have been working with these conditions for more than 8 years now. I recently have tried to eat a few leaves of romaine lettuce and the pain last two days. I know the foods higher in folate and I try to eat what I can from those foods, but it is clearly not adequate. It may seem that my deficiencies are diet-related but back when I ate a very healthy and broad diet my B12 was low, so maybe I have pernicious anemia, even though tests have not confirmed that. I got a very bad case of post-infectious IBS from traveling to Mexico in 2012 and have never recovered. I don't do well with supplements so I use them sparingly as the need becomes apparent.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Folate levels differ from B12 levels in that they are much more responsive to dietary intake because folate isn't stored somewhere to release - this means that it can vary significantly depending on when your last meal was. If your levels are in range and you feel okay then supplementation is unlikely to be needed.

[MoKayD]

I found that B vitamins caused my sleep to be disturbed but I think the real culprit behind my sleep problems was a deficiency in other nutrients. I now take calcium/magnesium supplements before I go to bed. These nutrients have been a game changer for me. I now sleep 7 or 8 hours a night. I also like to drink a cup of ginger tea in the evening. This is a comforting ritual that also helps control my cortisol levels. I think my cortisol levels rise in the middle of the night which causes me to wake up at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. I hope one of these tricks help you with your sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep is awful.