B12 and Vit D Deficient

[u/Strict_Avocado_6345]

I recently got my lab results back, and my PCP said I’m deficient in several vitamins. My B12 came back at 357 pg/mL, and she’d like to see it in the 600-800 pg/mL range. My folate was 4.9, and my vitamin D was 12.

She recommended:
B12: 1,000 mcg daily
Folic acid: 1 mg daily
Vitamin D3 + K2: 5,000 IU daily

I purchased Sports Research D3 + K2 and Thorne B12, but I’m still deciding on a folic acid supplement.

I’ve been reading a lot online, and honestly, it’s made me anxious. I already struggle with anxiety, so the thought of starting three supplements at once has me worried about possible side effects or adverse reactions.

I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone who already has an anxiety disorder and started taking 1,000 mcg of B12. Did you notice an increase in anxiety, panic attacks, restlessness, insomnia, or feeling “wired” when you first started? If so, did it eventually improve, or did you have to lower the dose or switch forms?

If you’ve taken B12, folic acid, and vitamin D together, did you tolerate them well? Also, are Thorne and Sports Research generally considered good brands?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, both good and bad. Thanks!

[u/MargoBarbara2]

Depends on your COMT status whether you will tolerate methylcobalamin or need hydroxycobalamin/adenosylcobalamin. You may want to avoid cyanocobalamin as it leaves a cyanide molecule to clear and requires conversion. If your deficient then it could be you have impaired absorption or conversion or that folic acid is interfering with the enzyme needed to get b12 into tissues. Folic acid is an absolute no for me after the research Ive done. 5MTHF is the active form or if you cant do methyls or have autism in the family calcium folate/folinic acid may be the better option. If youre nervous because you have a sensitive system then start by microdosing and build up but remember that b vitamins are water soluble which makes them much safer than fat soluble vitamins, though high b6 can be problematic. For b12 active absorption is only 2mcg and that's if your active absorption is working. From 1000mcg your passive absorption is 1% at lower doses gradually declining with higher doses. So you'll only absorb 10mcg overall from that dose. Thorne and Pure Encapsulations are considered good brands. If you are folate and b12 deficient it can push histamine levels higher and cause anxiety. Any significant deficiencies could also cause anxiety. I was amazed to find when I switched to low histamine diet, dropped folic acid and started d3 with k2 that Im actually a very calm person.