Is a Folate level of 5 low?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

Blood test says it's normal, range is 2.9 to 50 ug/L. To me that seems on the lwo side and maybe I'd be less tired if it was more in the middle?

I am exhausted and hair falling out, I'm dizzy every day now, and have increase in tingles and feelings of water pouring over my head/ thighs I've been putting down to diabetic neuropathy. I just feel rubbish.

There's always debate with these things because while it is in range, there is a lot of room for improvement and is still fairly low.

How's your Vitamin D, B12, ferritin?

Vit D is always low, year on year. B12 quite good - last few have been 400 - 500, I take a sublingual tablet on and off.

I feel like shit and am uneasy and alarmed when I read that my symptoms could be neurological and irreversible if it's a deficiency that's fallen through the net. And not just fibromyalgia/ chronic fatigue that it's been shrugged off as.

I feel like this is my personal soapbox, but do have your ferritin level checked if you haven't already (you don't mention it here). The "normal" range for that is ludicrous (something like 12 - 150 for women), but it's generally accepted that it needs to be over 40 to avoid symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, and hair loss. Mine was around 8 and I lost so much hair. The good news is if that your ferritin is low, it's really easily rectified using OTC iron pills.

Ferritin is 52 ug/L, so over 40 which is good then? There's no range given, it says N/A.

Something listed under it called transferrin saturation index is 22% and the range for that is 20 - 40. Have no idea what this is, off to Google.

I always have very low ferritin levels - sometimes dropping as low as 4 - due to very heavy periods. I have Crohn's and IBD patients are supposed to keep a ferritin level over 100 if possible. I have lost a lot of hair, I'm always tired and my skin is awful but my ferritin hovers around 25-35 these days (now I'm on the pill to stop my periods). My bloods are taken every 6 weeks due to my IV meds I have but despite my ferritin levels affecting me, they won't let me have another iron infusion. I can't take OTC iron because of my Crohn's. I'm a bit stuck really! I'm hoping to persuade my consultant to let me have another infusion next time I see him.

If you think your folate levels are affecting you adversely, can you go back to the GP? Would taking folic acid tablets help at all? You can buy that over the counter too.

Ugh, it's really hard for so many of us with debilitating and upsetting symptoms but no clear cut culprit.

I'm going to have to try to have another conversation with another GP, who will no doubt order some more tests that say I'm fine.

Your ferritin level, while not dangerously low, can actually cause hair loss too. I've heard of people losing their hair around 50.

I don't know how low your vit D is, but too low D (it was below 20, should be up over 50 apparently -- whatever that means!) made me feel absolutely dire: exhausted, dizzy to the point of falling over, waking in the night with pins and needles in my arms which hurt. It might be worth getting some D from a pharmacy/health shop and taking it for a month just in case that helps. It would be maddening if it were something that simple and you worried about much worse possibilities.

The Vitamin D Council even say over 100 now. :)

Can anyone help me with vitamin results. My results are 72.5 nmol/l notes said optimal levels seen in autumn. Does this mean I will be low by spring?
Is it low? The test doesn't flag as abnormal but I think looking online it's low?

Please can anyone advise?