Folate deficiency.

[danid26]

Hi all!

So, I have been feeling awful for months since having my DD 11 months ago, it's turns out my folate levels have been low. 1.5 to be precise. I have been prescribed folic acid 5mg, but I honestly just feel SO ill. I feel sick, dizzy, confused, my cognitive skills are not all there, my memory has gone and my heart is always going 10 to the dozen, I'm totally exhausted! How long did it take you too feel even slightly better? Thank you so much for any response, im really fed up xx

I was deficient in folate. I don’t know the level. Doctor told me I was deficient and put me on 10mg of folate a day for 4 months. He told me to buy folate after the 4 months to keep me topped up. I just have 5mg now.
It took me a couple of months to notice a difference one of the first things was my sore tongue got better.

Thank you so much for your response, I just feel so ill all of the time and I am SO fed up! I've been like this for around 11 months, and they've only just found it, so I'm just really sick of feeling this way! Xxx

Hello! Just found out 2 days ago my folate is very low. Getting prescription tomorrow. Sounds daft but I’m pleased they are low as I’ve been exhausted for weeks, probably months. My legs ache constantly and I am generally really slow (pure brain fog). I was worried about it so at least this is the reason.

I totally sympathise. Unfortunately I think I've been like this since birth and it's just not been checked 🤦‍♀️ so I feel I'm now having some cognitive issues, and it's really scary! 💕

I'm very sensitive to folate deficiency, lost friends because they thought I was a day drunk (wasn't - turned out to be severe lack of folic acid causing extreme insomnia, confusion, slurring etc). Hospital bloods also came back and it turns out it also causes a rarer form of asthma that triggers when folate is low. I took pregnancy pills for a few weeks, made sure to rehaul my whole diet and a month on it really really improved. My asthma disappeared and I'm no longer a slurry confused mess, however never got those friends back :(

I have to maintain the levels though, so it;s been months but as long as I'm careful with my diet and take folic acid it's managable.

Just to mention again if anyone is gluten free it's easy to become folate deficient unless you eat an absolute ton of green leafy veg - as most GF products such as GF bread and cereals rarely add B vitamins unlike normal bread etc. it was the first thing doctor asked me- I take high dose methyllfolate twice a week - mine was just below the minimum ok band and coincided with a previous blood test 4 months before when I wasn't gluten free

@YouJustDoYou I'm so sorry this happened! That sounds horrific. I can completely sympathise. I actually was just house bound for about 11 months because I couldn't deal with my symptoms. I'm praying I feel better soon. I'm so sick of this! Xx

@Crikeyalmighty it's so weird, I'm not GF Vegan or vegetarian! I thought I ate a pretty well balanced diet, but I guess not! 🩷 it has been ever since I was around 7 months pregnant, and for some reason they never tested my foalte. I'm just praying it's not permanent 🥺

How are you feeling now op? I've come looking for these threads because I've just been told I'm folic deficient. I've got to start taking 5mg a day and go for another blood test in two weeks.
I honestly feel so rough and getting worse by the day. I'm so sick of moaning to family about how crap I feel and they don't seem to understand.
For two years I've felt like I was getting dementia. My legs are heavy, fatigue is out of control, heart palpitations and pins and needles in my hands and feet.
I've been for bloods before and all was coming back okay until recently.
I'm so so sick of feeling so rough and it's really affecting my life

@brendafromacrosstheroad I'm so sorry to see your having a hard time of it. It's really tough going, My folate levels came back at 1 and I truly felt terrible also, I have now been on the same dosage as you for almost 4 months, and I definitely feel better than I did. Still not 100% to be honest, but I was told by the GP its a very slow process. I've also been trying to pack a lot of folate rich foods into my diet but I know when your in the thick of it you just want something to make you feel better now!! I truly hope you start to feel an improvement soon. Sending hugs 💐

How are you feeling now? I have just found out my folate is low. It happens a lot but this is the worst I've ever felt. All same symptoms as ypu. I have been on tablets for a week so far (been given 4 month course 5mg daily) had enough. Scaring me thinking can low folate reallt cause this many issues :(

My folate is 5 - at the low end of normal & struggling with fatigue massively. No HC professional seems bothered. I'm also gluten free- do I just take folic acid?

@Lilxa89 Hey! I'm sorry your feeling so crap it is truly horrible!!! I finished my four month course, went for another blood test and it came back just above the normal range. Had another one a couple of weeks ago due to the same ongoing symptoms, and it was back at 2! 🤦‍♀️so unfortunately, I cannot seem to shed any light on what's going on! Xx

Ruby 🩷 it may be worth if your gluten free getting them to do an Intrinsic factor test on you! You may be loosing your folate due to an intolerance to gluten! I work in a GP surgery and this was the first thing they told me to request! Xx

Sp sorry to hear you're still going through all this :(. What symptoms are you still having st the moment? I also suffer with gastro issues from hh and mild esophagitis and anxiety so I'm constantly questioning what's what :( aswell as having AS and fibro on top also. It's too much xx

Both myself and adult DS have been told we've got low folate and having to take supplement for now.
my dr said there's a national epidemic of people with low folate at the moment and they don't know why!

I put my symptoms down to peri-menopause. My son's symptoms were frequently fainting or feeling faint and lethargic.

I thought folic acid was a supplement put into cereals but apparently a bowl of cereal and lots of green veg isn't enough anymore!

@McMcMc I had this too and came on post covid back in 2022 - in my case it coincided with eating gluten free- and that's because gluten free food usually doesn't have it added in as does normal wheat based products

I'm really interested where it was said that low folate can cause asthma type symptoms. I was told my folate levels were low earlier this year and back in August I woke up one day with asthma like symptoms. I'm still taking vits b & d every day and do suddenly feel a bit better - my breathing is better. Weird !!

That's interesting as I've been unwell since I had covid in the summer - so much so we were querying long covid. They've changed my asthma medication as my lungs just aren't recovering this time compared to when I had it previously. I think ds has only had Covid once though and not recently. Someone suggested I go gluten free recently to trial and see if that alleviated my symptoms - but maybe it's all the low folate

Hpw are you now

@brendafromacrosstheroad how are ypu now have things improved

Hi! I still to this day cannot seem to maintain a healthy folate level, and i have no idea why! As for the some of physical changes, it turns out I was having some pretty horrible panick attacks (and I had no idea!)