Folate Deficiency.

[Peter Charlton]

I finally found a GP at my practice who is pro-active unlike all the other GPs who like to fob me off with "Anxiety" and the like, so she arranged a simple blood test to which I just received a call to say I was deficient in Folate.

I do see such can account for many of my symptoms, brain fog and confusion due to low blood oxygen levels, fatigue, pins and needles in my feet, tachycardia.

I also see that anti-acids and the PPI I was proscribed can lower stomach acid and so inhibit the stomachs ability to absorb B12 which I shouldn't be deficient in as I eat enough meat and dairy products, and have B tablets.

Is Folate, B9 also inhibited by heartburn medicines?

If so, if anyone has run into this, what did you do to alleviate heartburn?

[Bluebonnet08]

Interesting - I was just reading about this on one of the CFS forums.  The poster said she had the MTHFR mutation and that is why her doctor thought she was deficient.  She now takes L-Methyfolate and B-12 shots and she said it has helped a lot with her symptoms.  I would be interested to hear if it helps you as well.  

PPIs can definitely effect stomach acid and your ability to absorb nutrients.  They are linked to a lot of things including kidney disease, cognitive decline.. I used to take them for awhile, but stopped.  My heartburn was being caused by a birth control pill, so it eventually subsided.  Maybe probiotics could help?  

 

[Peter Charlton]

7 hours ago, Bluebonnet08 said:

Interesting - I was just reading about this on one of the CFS forums.  The poster said she had the MTHFR mutation and that is why her doctor thought she was deficient.  She now takes L-Methyfolate and B-12 shots and she said it has helped a lot with her symptoms.  I would be interested to hear if it helps you as well.  

PPIs can definitely effect stomach acid and your ability to absorb nutrients.  They are linked to a lot of things including kidney disease, cognitive decline.. I used to take them for awhile, but stopped.  My heartburn was being caused by a birth control pill, so it eventually subsided.  Maybe probiotics could help?  

 

"Cognitive decline"?, that would explain a lot! The lack of Folic B9 causes the red blood cells to be less efficient at carrying around oxygen, which might help explain why with good lungs, my oxygen sats are so low, adding Rennies to that makes my outlook look bleak.

I might ask my doctor if Folate can be injected, looking at the amount of green vegetables one has to eat a day for your daily B9 allowance wouldn't give me much time to do anything else in life!

Do probiotics work?, I tried them in the past and considered them snake oil, maybe such things are only effective if there is something wrong with you so you have a deficiency that they fulfill?

[WinterSown]

On 3/8/2018 at 5:27 PM, Peter Charlton said:

"Cognitive decline"?, that would explain a lot! The lack of Folic B9 causes the red blood cells to be less efficient at carrying around oxygen, which might help explain why with good lungs, my oxygen sats are so low, adding Rennies to that makes my outlook look bleak.

I might ask my doctor if Folate can be injected, looking at the amount of green vegetables one has to eat a day for your daily B9 allowance wouldn't give me much time to do anything else in life!

Do probiotics work?, I tried them in the past and considered them snake oil, maybe such things are only effective if there is something wrong with you so you have a deficiency that they fulfill?

Last summer my cardiologist had me drinking kefir with every meal and in between as well. It was to recharge my gut bacteria and help with some of my digestive problems. I packed on a few pounds, it's not low calorie, but after a few weeks I was overall feeling better. He now has me off all supplements and I have to get my nutrients only from the foods I eat and drink. I hope you can feel better soon. This is a really good article about Folate, quite content rich. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/folate