Levothyroxine, b12 intra muscular injections and folic acid ?

[lcunliffegizmo123]

Hi everyone ,would just like to ask if anyone taking levothyroxine and have pernicious anaemia actually take folic acid ? I am in a dilemma as I am currently on every other day b12 injections for the last 3 weeks, I am on ferrous fumerate / iron and am being told on another website I should really be taking 5 mg folic acid because of the frequent b12 injections,but my gp has not prescribed this.does anyone know if I can take folic acidas also had a hemithyroidectomy last year /thyroid cancer.

[Clutter]

lcunliffegizmo123, Wasn't your folate tested at the same time as B12? You only need 5mg folic acid if you are folate deficient. It won't hurt to supplement a B Complex vitamin while you're having B12 injections.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to Clutter]

yes my folate was tested weeks ago but since having loading doses I feel the b12 is being depleted rather quickly and others say I need to have folic acid , I will see my gp again and ask for another blood test ,but thankyou so much for your reply x

[shaws Administrator]

I'm sorry I don't know how best to respond to your question.

I have P.A. diagnosed about 20+ years ago, by chance only, and have never taken Folic Acid and have quarterly B12 injections. Since becoming hypo I also take sublingual B12 methylcobalamin.

My mother also had P.A. and after about 20 years was told by her GP her bloods were fine now, she needed no more B12 injections but to continue with folic acid!!!! How you trust doctors. The result of that decision by the GP was a death knell for my mother who then went onto develop stomach cancer all because she and we (me and my sister) had no knowledge of what was round the corner and would never, ever, have imagined a doctor would have made such a decision. Even when my mother began to have severe problems which were never investigated she was just given prescriptions for different antacids.

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to shaws]

Yes so sorry to hear that about your mum, it is so sad that we cannot trust our gps, I have fought like hell to get more B12 injections as 3 monthly injections and even 2 monthly injections were not enough, by the time I got my gp to refer me to a neurologist it was too late as now diagnosed with Sub acute degeneration of the cord through insufficient B12 , as for the loading doses I have been having for the last 3 weeks,but people on the websites are telling me I should be taking folic acid as the b12 lowers folate and works better with the B12 ,as I feel the loading doses are being drained to an extent, but thankyou for your reply xx

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[Clutter in reply to lcunliffegizmo123]

lcunliffegizmo123, You might want to join the Pernicious Anaemia Society on HU healthunlocked.com/pasoc

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter, I am a member of pas. it was they who gave me the bjh guidelines to give to my gp.

[shaws Administrator in reply to lcunliffegizmo123]

I am very sorry you've now got damage. How does that happen in this modern day and age? It's a question we cannot answer. I assume you are also a member of the P.A. site on healthunlocked.

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to shaws]

Yes ,I am a member of the PAS ,I really think it is due to a lack of knowledge in the nhs system, my gp didn't have a cxlue and still think he doesn't. I had to take the bsh guidelines in to him for him to act on this, I was experiencing pins and needles in my arms and feet hands etc, memory problems and still he wouldn't give me loading doses ,I had to wait 4 weeks to see neuro ,but too late .

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to lcunliffegizmo123]

It was actually the PAS that gave me a link to the bsh guidelines ,thank god for them !

[waveylines]

Am no expert in B12 but I do know they're a knowledgeable lot on the PA so frankly I would probably go with them -that is only my humble non medical opinion. Have you rang their helpline and spoken to their nurse? If not that might be another helpful option.

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to waveylines]

Thankyou for that, I did leave a message last week,no one has got back to me as yet, but its great to get so much input as feel a little lost with it all as I have had to research everything myself .

[olgabb]

Please don't take folic acid, take folate instead. The body cant process synthetic folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. I have Hashimoto hypothyroid, anemia. I take that iron as well. They did stomach biopsies and came back I have atrophic gastritis autoimmune. Have they tested you for that?

[greygoose in reply to olgabb]

Totally agree!

lcunliffegizmo123, if it were me, I would get a B complex with methylfolate and take one of those a day. That will keep all the Bs balanced.

[lcunliffegizmo123 in reply to olgabb]

Hi , thankyou for replying, it has been a nightmare to say the least, I do take ferrous fumerate and am intrinsic factor positive like yourself, did your gp prescribe you Folate then ? my gp doesn't seem to know too much about what I should be taking. and seems totally lost with all my symptoms !!