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Folic acid, folate, L-methylfolate, and Deplin (vitamin B9)


Crocus

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I guess if you just want to post about Deplin, and have no interest in ever tapering or reducing AD's.........perhaps a introduction isn't necessary.   

 

I didn't have "Genesight"  just the single test for the MTHFR gene mutation.   

 

Weren't they all on AD's too though?   The study participants.  That was my point.......the article was very pro AD's.  Most of us here are not.

 

I do just as well on a non Deplin,  much, much lower dose, than what that article recommends,  of just plain old L- methylfolate and my spinach.

 

I don't think Alto is saying anything dangerous there.  We expect folks to do some of their own research, and make their own decisions, and draw their own conclusions.

 

You might consider reading through this whole topic from the beginning too, if you have not yet.  Alto's post may make more sense to you in that context.

 

Best to you.  I just thought that after posting 6 times about Deplin you might consider an introduction is all.  No offense meant.

 

Best,

mmt

 

 

Edited by manymoretodays

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022, and again finally 5/25/24.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

You can just go back to the Main/Home page and go to the Introductions and Updates Forum.

Then to:  Please start a topic about yourself in this forum.

 

Start a new topic there with a brief history.

I'll look for it tomorrow and give you a link to do a signature too.  That's the portion you might see below others' posts.  You can't see the signatures from phone devices but can create them there.

 

No worries either if it's getting late for you, you can do it when fresh in the daytime.

I am fading fast myself at this hour.

 

Welcome to survivingantidepressants SteveT.

 

Glad to have you aboard.

 

mmt

Edited by manymoretodays

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022, and again finally 5/25/24.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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Here you go SteveT.  Your new introduction is here.

Just click that link and you are on your way there.

 

Goodnight.

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022, and again finally 5/25/24.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • 3 years later...

Is anyone familiar with a withdrawal syndrome following cessation of 15 mg L-methylfolate? I should probably post an update in my own thread, but after seeming like I was making progress for a while, I stopped L-methylfolate cold turkey and am now having massive backsliding with rumination and obsessiveness prominent. I searched and reviewed this thread and didn't see anything.

Current Meds/Taper: Lithium 450 mg - only drug. Tapered from 450 mg on 2/4, dropping 50 mg every 2 weeks to 300. Started having extreme insomnia after 2 weeks at 300 mg. Updosed to 350 mg on 3/24 and then back to 450 mg on 4/7. Will resume taper at 5-10%/month or slower when the time comes.

Current supplements: Magnesium - Dr Best Chelated 100 mg PM, probiotic.

Recent meds/tapers:

Seroquel: 9/7/2020 - 25 mg up to 100 mg then tapered off rapidly to 0 mg (took for 2 weeks total)

Lithium: 9/4/2020 - 900 mg, 11/20 - 750 mg, 12/15 - 600 mg, 12/21 - 750 mg, 2/11/21 - 600 mg, 3/15/21 - 450 mg

Lamictal: 9/7/2020 - 25 mg, 9/17 - 50 mg; 10/1 - 100 mg; 10/13 - 200 mg, 10/23 - 300 mg, 11/6 - 400 mg, 1/15/21 - 200 mg, 4/15/21 - 100 mg, 5/13/21 - 75 mg, 5/27/21 - 62.5 mg, 6/8/21 - 50 mg, 6/22/21 - 37.5 mg, 6/28/21 - 12.5 mg, 7/7/21 - 0 mg

Past meds: 2001-2010 - lithium and/or other mood stabilizers, ssris and benzos; 2011 - 2018 - lithium and adderall; 2018 - tapered lithium 900 mg to 0 mg in about 6 months, stopped Nov 2018 (no identified withdrawal symptoms), started fluoxetine @ 20 mg spring 2018 through May 2019,  then tapered in two steps: May - 10 mg, Nov - 0 mg; Dec 2019 - ssri withdrawal starts, hell begins

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Hi there lithiumnomore,

Did you then supplement with leafy greens or anything when you CTed off methyfolate?

 

L-methylfolate isn't a psychoactive drug like the AD's, AP's, and benzo's and other drugs we deal with here.

 

If your body needs this type of folate, then it needs it.  So why not stay on it?

 

Did you read through the 4 pages here?

 

I would get back on some form of folate, if it were me, and this was the only change made in this time frame......that might  account for your increase in obsessiveness and rumination.

 

Were you on Deplin or something else?

Had you ever been tested for a deficiency in folic acid uptake and metabolism?

 

Interesting.  Seems like a no-brainer to me.  Maybe I missed something......let me know.

 

(and I have also replied in your Introduction topic now too)

 

Thanks, best.

L,P, H, and G,

mmt

Edited by manymoretodays
clarity

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022, and again finally 5/25/24.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 3/13/2014 at 7:49 AM, btdt said:

Toxicity

There is no health risk associated with folate intake from food. However, there is risk of toxicity from folic acid found in dietary supplements and fortified foods. Folic acid is used to treat a folate deficiency. However, a folate deficiency is virtually indistinguishable from a vitamin B12 deficiency. Large doses of folic acid given to an individual who has a vitamin B12 deficiency and not a folate deficiency can cause irreversible neurological damages. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has established a tolerable upper intake level for folate. For children 1 to 3 years the limit is 300 mcg daily, for children 4 to 8 the limit is 400 mcg daily, for children 9 to 13, the limit is 600 mcg daily, for adolescents 14 to 18 the limit is 600 mcg and for those 19 and older the limit is 1,000 mcg per day. Intakes above recommended limits increase the risk of adverse health effects.

Signs and Symptoms

Having too much folic acid in the body can result in a variety of signs and symptoms. Less serious side effects include digestive problems, nausea, loss of appetite, bloating, gas, a bitter or unpleasant taste in the mouth, sleep disturbances, depression, excessive excitement, irritability and a zinc deficiency. More severe signs include psychotic behavior, numbness or tingling, mouth pain, weakness, trouble concentrating, confusion, fatigue and even seizures. An allergic reaction to folic acid may cause wheezing, swelling of the face and throat or a skin rash."

 

 

 

Hi guys, would like some thoughts on the below.

 

Last year, I experienced a major wave in symptoms that started suddenly in the last week of April. The only thing I had changed in my diet that week was adding a supplement of folic acid + vitamin B-12. The reason I added it was that I had slightly elevated liver enzymes. I started taking the supplement right around the time my wave came on. I stopped within 8-10 days just in case, but I didn't believe that a mere supplement could start this sort of wave, and I also had regular waves of nerve pain that would start randomly, so the onset of wave for no reason wasn't so far fetched to me.

 

The wave lasted a very long time, and was finally ebbing recently, or so it seemed. Symptom rating out of ten by month since the onset: Timeline:

 

27-28th April 2023: first take supplement 

 

Late April 2023: start moderate exercise and added a folic acid supplement, right around the time of the onset of the wave.

May 2023: 8/10

June 2023: 8/10

July 2023: 7/10

Aug 2023: 7/10

Sept 2023: 6/10

Oct 2023: 7/10

Nov 2023: 5.5/10

Dec 2023: 5/10

Jan 2024: 4.5/10

 

Because back in late April I had also started exercising, I thought it could be that rather than the supplement... and hence I never really gave the supplements much thought after that. 

 

In February I was down to 3 or 4 out of ten symptom intensity. I started taking the supplement again around the 7th Feb I think. I was feeling pretty well until the 14th Feb, no change. Then 

 

15th Feb symptom intensity was up to 5/10 (nothing insane, similar to December levels so it didn't worry me)

16th Feb the same, again wasn't concerned

17th feb 4/10

18th feb 5/10, 

19th feb 6/10, worst since December, I started feeling concerned

20th Feb 6/10 again, realised something was up

21st feb: stopped the supplement, 5/10

 symptoms have been 6/10 every day since then. 

 

Having now read the post above from the first page of the topic I am wondering if it is possible that a week / ten days of taking a mere supplement would start a wave of symptoms that would last for months like the one going since May 2023?

 

my symptoms are mostly neurological and autonomic in nature: heart rate is normal... but I have pins and needles in my brain and feet + dizziness and sweaty hands. Pins and needles in my brain are made much worse by putting my head under water...

 

In a way I struggle to believe this is possible a wave from this would last this long (I would expect this sort of flare up to last maybe a few weeks max), but then you never know... and the timing of both waves is suspicious.

 

I would be devastated at the idea of wasting another year of this just for having taken a few supplement pills last week... Either way I won't touch these again but still I feel concerned I may have ruined my year so stupidly. 

 

Nov 2019: put on amitriptyline 100mg for insomnia. Worked great, sleep back to normal by March 2020

Jan 2020: Amitriptyline down to 50mg. Some withdrawal for two weeks.

April-May 2020: tapered off amitriptyline a first time over 6 weeks. withdrawal.

June 2020: reinstated amitriptyline 50mg a first time. Things improved progressively for 6 months. Backto normal in November

December 2020: new attempt at tapering amitriptyline (from 50mg), slower this time

February 2021: 30mg amitriptyline... withdrawal starts

March 2021: reinstatement 35mg amitriptyline, then 50mg late march.

April 2021: increased dosage to 75mg; Kindling started, HORRIFIC.

July 2021: reinstatement clearly made things worse so I decide to taper slowly again, at 2.5mg per month

March-April 2022: I hit 45mg amitriptyline dosage, withdrawal has drastically improved, symptom intensity down to 2 or 3 out of ten. Able to exercise, drink etc no issues. I pause the taper. I have stayed on 45mg of amitriptyline ever since.

May 2022: New wave of withdrawal, lasts until January 2023 (nerve pain in my skull)

May 2023: New wave, this time anxiety and pins and needles in my head, much like the kindling reaction in 2021. Not sure what caused it. Wave still ongoing.

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Note: the supplements also had 1000% of daily dose of B12, so maybe it was that, but mostly I am trying to figure out if there have been cases of these types of supplements putting people otherwise relatively stable in waves lasting a year...

Nov 2019: put on amitriptyline 100mg for insomnia. Worked great, sleep back to normal by March 2020

Jan 2020: Amitriptyline down to 50mg. Some withdrawal for two weeks.

April-May 2020: tapered off amitriptyline a first time over 6 weeks. withdrawal.

June 2020: reinstated amitriptyline 50mg a first time. Things improved progressively for 6 months. Backto normal in November

December 2020: new attempt at tapering amitriptyline (from 50mg), slower this time

February 2021: 30mg amitriptyline... withdrawal starts

March 2021: reinstatement 35mg amitriptyline, then 50mg late march.

April 2021: increased dosage to 75mg; Kindling started, HORRIFIC.

July 2021: reinstatement clearly made things worse so I decide to taper slowly again, at 2.5mg per month

March-April 2022: I hit 45mg amitriptyline dosage, withdrawal has drastically improved, symptom intensity down to 2 or 3 out of ten. Able to exercise, drink etc no issues. I pause the taper. I have stayed on 45mg of amitriptyline ever since.

May 2022: New wave of withdrawal, lasts until January 2023 (nerve pain in my skull)

May 2023: New wave, this time anxiety and pins and needles in my head, much like the kindling reaction in 2021. Not sure what caused it. Wave still ongoing.

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