Very low motivation b12/ folate deficiencies

[cobain_justinsane]

Has anyone experienced very low motivation and apathy related to low b12 levels?

My levels are low 200's and I'm quite depressed and have 0 motivation to do anything.

I'm hoping these resolve when I start supplementing methylb12 but my anxiety and negative/worst case scenario thinking are keeping me from starting supplementation.

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks

 

[caledonia]

Low motivation is due to low dopamine (one of the neurotransmitters). There are various paths to having low dopamine. It could be genetic or environmental or both.

Low methylation and toxic metals could both contribute. (Note that toxic metals also cause low methylation.) If you have metals, you may have to chelate them separately, such as with the Cutler protocol, to make progress.

For methylation treatment, the main thing is to "Start Low and Go Slow" and to have niacin on hand before starting in case you get overmethylated. See the methylation links in my signature below.

 

[helen1]

Low B12 and folate are well known to contribute to depression and sometimes anxiety.

 

[PeterPositive]

Has anyone experienced very low motivation and apathy related to low b12 levels?

My levels are low 200's and I'm quite depressed and have 0 motivation to do anything.

I would start with the B12 at least for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.
You have indeed a pretty low serum B12 and that's the last sign of a deficiency. You might have been running low on B12 for years without knowing, well... besides symptoms telling you

Folate is also very important and plays a role in depression. If I were you I would add a lowish dose B complex in the mix. All B vitamins work together and the lack of one might block the work of others. Also there are other Bs that help with depression (e.g. B3, B6 etc...)

Good luck

 

[Critterina]

My low motivation and apathy issues were due to low testosterone. If the B12 doesn't help, testosterone is a possible culprit.

 

[Hip]

Has anyone experienced very low motivation and apathy related to low b12 levels?

I experienced very low motivation when my ME/CFS was more severe. What helped me a lot at that time was low doses of the drug pramipexole (half of an 0.18 mg tablet). This drug has been used to treat low motivation in Parkinson's.

 

[AndyPandy]

Has anyone experienced very low motivation and apathy related to low b12 levels?

My levels are low 200's and I'm quite depressed and have 0 motivation to do anything.

I'm hoping these resolve when I start supplementing methylb12 but my anxiety and negative/worst case scenario thinking are keeping me from starting supplementation.

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks

Hi there! After months of procrastinating and exploring worst case scenarios, I started methylation treatment yesterday. I am sharing my experiences in another thread.

I definately recommend reading the documents from Caledonia and having niacin, potassium and magnesium handy. They are giving me a sense of comfort in case things don't go well.

I am trying HydroxoB12 rather than MethylB12. This was recommended by my doctor as likely more tolerable for me.

Best wishes, Andy.

 

[caledonia]

Has anyone experienced very low motivation and apathy related to low b12 levels?

My levels are low 200's and I'm quite depressed and have 0 motivation to do anything.

I'm hoping these resolve when I start supplementing methylb12 but my anxiety and negative/worst case scenario thinking are keeping me from starting supplementation.

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks

Sorry, I didn't notice your B12 results first time around. The B12 blood test can be inaccurate, but in your case, that is a low result, so you're definitely low in B12.

Like someone else suggested, start with a low amount of B12 and see how it goes. If you're lucky, your problem might just be a B12 deficiency, or there could be several other things going on, in which case, you should look into methylation treatment.

If it works, it should be helpful for both your depression and anxiety.

Note that certain medications and conditions deplete B12. So if you're on any other meds, do a google search for "the name of the medicine" and "depletes" and see what comes up. For example, acid blockers are notorious for blocking B12. So if you're taking Nexium, search on "Nexium depletes". SSRIs deplete B vitamins in general. Pernicious anemia is another possibility.

I have some good articles on B12 from Chris Kresser linked in my signature below.