• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Instantaneous effect from Methylfolate/B12?

boo85

Senior Member
Messages
178
Does anyone else other than me experience near instantaneous effects from taking methylfolate and/or B12?

I can be feeling the absolute worst, like I'm on death's door: cape-like prickling, nausea, depression, headache. Yet, when I stumble through my haze and take some methylfolate or B12, within 1 hour I feel a lot better, and within a few hours I feel somewhat normal.

Why is this? What does it mean? Does this happen to anyone else? Such rapid healing and mood/body changes?

It's kind of scary how my mood can change so easily all because of one supplement...
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
That's good news. Probably it indicates you need it, maybe you're deficient in those nutrients, an typically when you need one you need the other too.

Good find.

B12 and folate for me make a lot of difference too for mood, energy, pain... even digestion!
 

boo85

Senior Member
Messages
178
B12 makes the biggest difference for me. Does it work with either one for you, or do you need both?

Hi Critterina,

Well, in 2013 I took B12 without taking ANY folate, let alone methylfolate and I had a terrible time with it. I would shake in my sleep, wake up without feeling my arms (I suspect that could have been rapid healing which caused low potassium though - weak arms is a classic low potassium sign.) TERRIBLE anxiety bordering on manic. Just an all 'round bad time.

Then I took a long break and it was only when I started taking about 1/4 - 1/2 of my B12 dose in equivalent methylfolate that I was able to take B12 in "high" amounts, such as 250 - 500 mcg. May not seem like much, but that was progress for me. I think methylfolate was one of the keys to being able to take B12.
 

boo85

Senior Member
Messages
178
That's good news. Probably it indicates you need it, maybe you're deficient in those nutrients, an typically when you need one you need the other too.

Good find.

B12 and folate for me make a lot of difference too for mood, energy, pain... even digestion!

How much methylfolate and B12 did you start with?

How much are you taking now? Thanks!
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
How much methylfolate and B12 did you start with?
How much are you taking now? Thanks!
I started methylfolate when I was already taking B12, almost 2 year after. Before that I was taking regular folic acid, quite a bad choice for my MTHFR 677 double mutation(!)... but I had no clue :(

Anyways I started with a regular 400mcg dose and didn't have side effects. I later switched to a sublingual form and found it too stimulating, with some anxiety etc... so I went back to Metafolin.

Now I am taking ~2500mcg + 10mg Methly-B12 + 8mg Ado-B12. I am still fine tuning the B12 and probably will increase the folate to see if helps.

Cheers
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
Does anyone else other than me experience near instantaneous effects from taking methylfolate and/or B12?

I can be feeling the absolute worst, like I'm on death's door: cape-like prickling, nausea, depression, headache. Yet, when I stumble through my haze and take some methylfolate or B12, within 1 hour I feel a lot better, and within a few hours I feel somewhat normal.

Why is this? What does it mean? Does this happen to anyone else? Such rapid healing and mood/body changes?

It's kind of scary how my mood can change so easily all because of one supplement...

My first dose sublingual started enough in 10 minutes that I knew my life was changed. I did an N=1000 symptom development questionnaire with an MeCbl sample. 75% of the people with our symptoms responded within 1 hour. Yes, it is fast, and the things that start changing right away are often the first to go away. I thought it was great as it allows one to steer to stay on the healing button.
 

whodathunkit

Senior Member
Messages
1,160
My first mB12 shot was a revelation. Similar to Freddd, I sensed it was a life-changer. The effects aren't as dramatic now, but if I forget my mB12 for a while, I feel it. Getting another shot always makes me better quickly.
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
Must it be taken with

p5p b6
methyfolate
mb12

all together

is b12 useless by itself ?

I would suppose that would depend upon your objectives in taking it. Often if taken alone, not much happens, past the first few days as the body immediately runs out of the next lowest cofactor. And as poor digestion and absorption are very common, that amounts to just about everything if done one at a time. It's like shooting the side of a barn with a bb gun. That above trio is what is given for raised homocysteine. It's much more effective if taken with more of the necessary cofactors.
 
Messages
9
article not found

Is it as simple as buying some supplements and taking them

by the way I do not have mercury poisoning , which many people here seem to have
 

garyfritz

Senior Member
Messages
599
I take methyl B12, adenosyl B12, methyl folate several times a day, and that keeps my symptoms under control. If I have problems (like in the middle of the night), I can usually take some more B12 and feel near-instant relief. Within 2-5 minutes I'll feel an "aaahhhhh" reaction as my muscles relax and the tension drains out of my body.

So yes, it can have immediate effect.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I have noticed no real difference taking MB12 or methylfolate except that because I am now taking potassium, that is helping with my heart palpitations.

I feel cheated that there has been no life altering change, no real relief of any symptoms.
 

garyfritz

Senior Member
Messages
599
@minkeygirl, do you take methyl B12, adenosyl B12, AND methyl folate? And probably l-carnitine fumarate too?

They might work for you in isolation, or they might not. For me, methyl B12 alone worked miracles for six months. Now I need the methyl, adenosyl, and methyl folate to get everything working right. Not sure I need the LCF yet. If you tried methyl B12 and methyl folate separately, that might not have worked for you.

It probably depends on your SNP's. Your particular genetic requirements might not respond to methyl B12.
 
Messages
70
Absolutely. I'd say one of my biggest problems is not pain, or fatigue, but motivation. I can't seem to do things that I claim to want to do and that are oh-so-straightforward. It's more than mere fatigue, it feels like a weird sort of depression? Listlessness more than anguish or anhedonia. Procrastination and escapism ensue. B12 and methylfolate have both on occasions 'switched me on' and suddenly my todo list is a no-brainer and I'm up and doing things without any thought.

as the body immediately runs out of the next lowest cofactor.

Story of my life.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
@garyfritz I am currently taking 1000 mcg MB12, (got another 1000 mcg going now), 1/4 of an 8 mg AD12, LCF and 1200 mcgs methylfolate. I believe I have the mutations that B12 will help per my NP (I can't remember what they are off the top of my head).

I take the B12's and the LCF first thing when I wake then then 800 mcg methyfolate an hour later and another 800 mcg pm.
 

garyfritz

Senior Member
Messages
599
Sounds very very familiar, @forbius. I escaped my anhedonia (don't you envy people who've never even heard of that word!?) once I came out of my post-divorce depression, but motivation, focus, procrastination, etc have **ALWAYS** been major challenges for me. I believe they are hallmarks of non-hyper ADD. Get a good ADD book (I liked "Driven to Distraction") and see if you recognize yourself in the descriptions.

B12 didn't help my ADD but it helped other things hugely. Wish I could figure out how to "switch myself on" !
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
I have noticed no real difference taking MB12 or methylfolate except that because I am now taking potassium, that is helping with my heart palpitations.

I feel cheated that there has been no life altering change, no real relief of any symptoms.

Hi Minkeygirl,

You have hardly started. Things have to be done in a specific way for them to work. I have post somewhere "the 95% reasons B12 and folate therapies don't work. There are more than a dozen reasons they may not be working. A first step is to go through the symptoms list and color code the symptoms for current symptoms, past symptoms and worst current symptoms, 3 different colors. Then lets look at it when you post. Leave the symptoms you don't have in black and add in another color all the symptoms you have that are not on the lists. Then lets look at them and see the ideas that pop up. While I call it the Deadlock Quartet for the main 4 items there are another 10 or more other items deadlocking response.