“Folate deficiency?”
How much folate should a take for a folate deficiency, 4.2 nmol/L? This is probably caused by the fact I have been on omeperazole for 12 years.
Male | 46 years old
Complaint duration: 2 months
Medications: Esomeperazole
Conditions: Chronic gastritis
2 Answers
This is actually a normal folate level. But often long-term use of PPIs, like omeprazole, can result in low levels of Folate and Vitamin B levels. This does not mean that you should stop your omeprazole, but that supplementing your diet with a Folate/B vitamin can be helpful. You get Folate and B vitamins primarily from meat/meat products. So the amount you require depends on your diet, that is if you are vegetarian/vegan/etc.
Honestly hard to know as it depends on how your body does with absorbing. Usually being on something like omeprazole does not cause a folate deficiency but can in some. I would start with 1mg of folic acid daily and have your levels rechecked after a few months. If it’s not increasing well I would also consider getting your MTHFR gene checked as some people with mutations need a special type of folic acid for their bodies to absorb well.
