There is a problem with too much folic acid - some people feel very ill. For example, there are a number of reports on the forum of people prescribed 5 milligram tablets and being unwell. Reduce to 200 or 400 (typical supermarket product dosages) and they are OK.
B6 can also cause many problems including peripheral neuropathy if taken in excess. But the form of B6 also appears to be important.
Hi Nackapan. Quick Question if I may? If you have a folate deficiency, or low folate. How long after b12 SI do you take the folate supplement...? A week...?
Thank you Nackapan. Great help. Lost faith in my doctor re. monitoring bloods or having a clue what to do with levels / PA (and Long Covid in my case). So been trying to follow advice on here and Gez Medinger’s Long Covid u-tube et al.
But I see I’ll have to go back to asking them. I paid for bloods when I saw an endocrinologist privately in December. But can’t afford such things now. So all trial and error and going by how I feel.
If you really require B12 for life, by injection, you can't overdose on it. If you can manage with oral B12 the same principle applies.
As far as folate goes, then 'little and often' is the watchword. We don't store folate so we need a ready supply, and it's abundant in green leafy stuff. Excess is best avoided.
Ferritin & iron: Ferritin is a storage protein for iron, but it is also an acute phase reactant, so it will go up in inflammatory conditions regardless of the iron status. It's a useful test for iron status but not infallible, that's why we have a range of other indicators too. Don't be tempted to take iron in excess; it's toxic.
A full blood count will give you a good indicator of the general state of your blood. If the MCV (&MCH) start to rise, there's probably something causing megaloblastic change in the bone marrow. If the MCV (& MCH) start to fall, then it's likely to be an iron issue.
Iron deficiency is generally a symptom of 'something else' and that's where your doctor comes in!
Thanks Flipper. As I say to Nackapan, no-one in my local clinic has any knowledge of B12 deficiency or Long Covid. They’ve been kind and patronising and let me take care of myself. Sadly, I can’t do regular bloods.
My GP would regularly test folate, ferritin, vitamin D, thyroid TSH and FT4, but not B12. "No point" she said - as always over measurable amount because of injection frequency.
Since Covid, many changes in an overstretched health service - three excellent GPs left to work in rapid diagnosis in hospitals and no continuity now. One retired GP returned to help out the practice. Access difficult. Monitoring unlikely. Probably the same story everywhere.
Luckily I have stabilised and am also more aware now of what might be a sign, and still seeing an Oral Medicine consultant at hospital, who has been keeping an eye on ferritin level. GP wanted it above 60 ug/L - he preferred 80 ug/L, which was a bit of an effort. Keeps it above level at which symptoms might occur.
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