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Folinic acid made me feel poisoned and terrible - any idea why?

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
I am a bit anaemic and have low blood iron, so to boost it I took folinic acid, 800 microgrmmes a day (Kirkman brand).

It made me feel absolutely awful, like I was poisoned. It built up gradually over a few days and after I stopped taking it, about 3 weeks later, the effect gradually wore off over about 3 days, then I went back to normal. I tried it twice, and got the same effect again, so I am sure it was the folinic acid doing this.

Does anyone have any idea why it would do this?
Folinic acid is just the activated form of folic acid, right? I haven't got that wrong???
 

Francelle

Senior Member
Messages
444
Location
Victoria, Australia
Sorry to hear that you had this awful reaction Athene.......how different we all are! For me Folinic Acid in the early months of me having M.E. had an incredibly positive effect. I put it down as being one of the most useful supplements that I have used. I used it a second time more recently, albeit in a different form, but there was no apparent difference either way.

I hope you get some useful responses as to why this may have happened to you!
 

Waverunner

Senior Member
Messages
1,079
Athene, if I remember correctly you have high IgE's. I don't know if this has anything to do with your reaction to folinic acid but my IgE's are high too and I don't tolerate folinic acid as well.
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
I am a bit anaemic and have low blood iron, so to boost it I took folinic acid, 800 microgrmmes a day (Kirkman brand).

It made me feel absolutely awful, like I was poisoned. It built up gradually over a few days and after I stopped taking it, about 3 weeks later, the effect gradually wore off over about 3 days, then I went back to normal. I tried it twice, and got the same effect again, so I am sure it was the folinic acid doing this.

Does anyone have any idea why it would do this?
Folinic acid is just the activated form of folic acid, right? I haven't got that wrong???

Hi Athene,

Folic and folinic acid both casued by terrible problems in the form of paradoxical folate deficiency which appears to have a genetic basis. Getting rid of both of those in all forms and going entirely to Metafolin with some large doses to start with to reverse and overcome the problem. It builds up. Over on the methylation menu thaere are a number of threads discussing this very subject. Both folic and folinic acid are basically removed from the active b12 protocol for thoise sensitive to them. Will you answer a small questionaire when it's done on what symptoms you had from these events?

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?11522-Active-B12-Protocol-Basics
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Thanks for this Freddd!! It's good to see you active again on PR.

Please drop me a line when the questionnaire is ready.
 
Messages
43
Location
southwest USA
I too have a pretty bad reaction to folinic acid. Mainly it tends to build up as I continue the dose over a period of several days (usually I have gone with just a small portion of the pill, say 1/16th or so). I get terrible fatigue, difficulty with sleeping, malaise, etc.
I have no problem with methylfolate, and have been able to continue on the methylation protocol for several years now, with the current dose of methylfolate at 500mcg, or just over1/2 of a folapro pill. I have tried repeatedly to experiment with small folinic doses, and finally just quit, as I tend to function pretty well and don't want to knock myself out so that I can't go to work. I don't know if I have the MTHFS problem, but I do know I have heterozygous MTHFR mutations.
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
I too have a pretty bad reaction to folinic acid. Mainly it tends to build up as I continue the dose over a period of several days (usually I have gone with just a small portion of the pill, say 1/16th or so). I get terrible fatigue, difficulty with sleeping, malaise, etc.
I have no problem with methylfolate, and have been able to continue on the methylation protocol for several years now, with the current dose of methylfolate at 500mcg, or just over1/2 of a folapro pill. I have tried repeatedly to experiment with small folinic doses, and finally just quit, as I tend to function pretty well and don't want to knock myself out so that I can't go to work. I don't know if I have the MTHFS problem, but I do know I have heterozygous MTHFR mutations.


Hi Dunningblue,

Welcome to the paradoxical folate deficiency club, folinic acid division.
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
If so many people have these MTHFR mutations, shouldn't at the very least ALL PRE-NATAL VITAMINS contain Metafolin? Folic acid is essential in the first months of a baby's developement and if the mother can not convert folic acid, isn't the regular folic acid in pre-natal vitamins useless?

If so many people have these mutations, seriously, shouldn't all people be tested? And a lot of diseases prevented? What about children with these mutations? Could a simple test for this mutation prevent many chronic illnesses from ever developing?

Integrative Docs are probably testing frequently, I don't think regular MD's are going to run this test or even known about it most likely.

Also, do you think the MTHFR mutation is something that has developed in recent years? Has it always been around?

What do you think is causing the b12 deficieny in so many people? Even "red meat" eaters. Is this another mutation?

Sorry for so many questions, I'm just wondering why so many people seem to need these supplements, and as you know you've seen such dramatic turn around in individuals.....but I don't understand why we wouldn't be getting enough B12 in out diet to maintain health unless a person is a vegetarian.....but still, apparently it isnt. Hmm...

Hi TheMoonIsBlue,

What do you think is causing the b12 deficieny in so many people? Even "red meat" eaters

I would hazard several possibilities. First, cyanocbl and hydoxycbl are no impediment to a person developing many b12 deficiency symptoms while taking them. These are found in many "enriched" foods and in most vitamins. Then there is cyancbl in animal feed. In at least 1 series of tests the level of b12 in beef liver has gone down 95% in 50 years. Folic acid is not convertable to methylfolate for at least 20% of people. Several studies I have read mentioned very casualy that folate deficiency "off course leads to b12 deficiency". Lack of methylfolate allows b12 to be flushed much more rapidly from the body. The b12 balance is so fragile that anything like this would knock it over. Maybe the paradoxical folate deficiency-folic acid folks are the 20% of population that can't convert. In that case everybody taking vitamins with folic acid, eating cereals with folic acid and so on would all end up b12 deficient. Then there is the percentage of people over 50. With gastric atrophy increasing by age 50 and progressive inability to digest the proteins and free up the b12 for absorbtion and the 50+ segment of the popualation growing, more people with b12 deficiency result.

What is concerning me is the increasing number of pre-teens and teens showing up with these problems. In 10 more years we will see people showing up with Parkinson's in their 30s.

I have no idea if the mutation is getting more common.

However, we are now having our second generation of hi tech conception babies. The babies concieved in that way are now requiring technology to conceive their children. That's a one generation increase in genes that would never have been passed on 50 years ago. As b12 and floate deficiencies impair fertility and reprocuctive success maybe that is a link.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
DOne. I have tried to describe it in as much detail as possible, but it is very hard to put into words exactly how awful it felt.
Kissed by a dementor is the closest, I think!! You need to read Harry Potter to understand that reference....
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
DOne. I have tried to describe it in as much detail as possible, but it is very hard to put into words exactly how awful it felt.
Kissed by a dementor is the closest, I think!! You need to read Harry Potter to understand that reference....

Hi Athene,

And felt the death eaters breath down your neck too?