Low folate

[Gwelos]

My folate has been low since December 2017. My b12 within range.I have been supplementing but not consistently since then until May of this year.

My results below.

My question is .. I was taking 400 mcg of methylcobaamin and methyl folate in drops for 4 months but just stopped taking them 1 week before being retested. Would that give a false result. I still have symptoms. Tip of tongue burning, fatigue, depression. I have Hashi’s and results from July

Tsh 0.51mlU/L 0.27-4.2

T4 16.1 pmol/L 12-22

T3 4.9 pmol/L 3.1-6.8

I was on 5 of Thybon in the am and md and Eltroxin 100 x 6 days and 50 x 1 day

I felt I was over medicated feeling very hot not able to sleep and a bit wired. I reduced back to 5 Thybon in the am and 100 eltroxin daily.

April 2021

B12 520 197-771 pg/ML

Folate 2.8 ng/ML 3.9-26.8

August 2021

B 12. 608 197-771 pg/ML

Folate 11.7 ng/ML 3.9-26.8

Any help appreciated

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Day before test split dose of T3 into 2 or 3 smaller doses, taking at approx 8 hour intervals, with last dose 8-12 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Is this how you do your tests?

As you have Hashimoto’s essential to regularly retest vitamin D and ferritin levels too

Have you had coeliac blood test done

Are you on absolutely strictly gluten free diet

And/or dairy free diet

You didn’t need to stop folate or B12 week before test

It’s just vitamin B complex need to stop

Rather than just taking folate

supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) may be beneficial.

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Thorne Basic B is a recommended option that contains folate, but is large capsule. You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule

IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

[Gwelos in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon, yes that’s how I do my bloods. My Vit D and ferritin are good and I’ve been tested for coeliac and negative. I avoid dairy but not 100% gluten free I’m about 95%!. How long after thyroid meds can I take b vitamin

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Gwelos]

Gluten free diet needs to be absolutely strictly gluten free to be effective

Any supplements at least 2 hours away from levothyroxine

Vitamin D, magnesium or iron at least 4 hours away

[JAmanda]

The folate result should be ok after stopping for a week. You’ll only really know though if it has stayed high at the next test .

In my experience I found that getting my thyroid levels high in range meant I could stop taking folate and other supplements and everything seems good. I know on this site people say you have to get your vitamins high to get the thyroid meds to work but for me I felt I had to force my thyroid levels up to get my vitamins up (and cholesterol down). But I guess it’s chicken and egg.

[Gwelos in reply to JAmanda]

Thanks for your reply JAmanda. How did you force your thyroid levels up, I seem to be constantly tweaking the dose and rechecking. What are your levels and what thyroid meds do you take?

[JAmanda in reply to Gwelos]

Forcing my levels up was about increasing the lio repeatedly. On 100 Levo and 32.5 lio I was at 15.7 and 6.3 in the usual Medichecks ranges. So high on T3 and lower in t4. I’ve since added in another 25 Levo just to make it a 4:1 ratio like ndt (not sure why though).

[Gwelos in reply to JAmanda]

My understanding is that the more lio you take the lower your t4 will be which is what you want. Your t3 seems a bit on the high side.

[JAmanda in reply to Gwelos]

Lio doesn’t affect my t4 one way or another. It only affects my T3 level. Before I started taking T3 when I was just on 100 Levo my t4 was in the 15s just the same. It’s just my T3 was in the 3s and I was full of pain and muscle tightness. I have no idea why docs reduce Levo when adding in lio.