Karin,
Thanks for posting all this!
I've had been talking metafolin for a few years but only the Solgar 800 mcg tablets. I recently ran out of it and I've noticed a huge difference in my mental clarity. When I started reading this thread and saw references to different forms of folic acid, I had to do some research.
Found this out:
Metafolin:Metafolin® ((6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, calcium salt or L-methylfolate) is the pure stable crystalline form of the naturally-occurring predominant form of folate.
Folates are water-soluble B-vitamins, which play a key role in central metabolic pathways. Folates are, for example, needed for cell division or cell repair. Metafolin® is L-methylfolate, the body's preferred form of folate. Metafolin® is directly usable by the human organism, directly involved in lowering homocysteine blood levels, and the only form of folate able to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Metafolin® - invented by nature, optimized by Merck & Cie, Switzerland.
DeplinDeplin® works through a natural process in the brain to regulate all three monoamine neurotransmitters associated with mood by providing the increased dietary requirements for folate. L-methylfolate is needed by depressed patients with suboptimal folate to regulate the synthesis of monoamines (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) and known as a trimonoamine modulator (TMM). By managing trimonoamine neurotransmitter synthesis, L-methylfolate, when taken with antidepressants, improves benefits.
Folic acid is a man-made product that needs to be broken down by the body through a lengthy 4-step process. Folate that comes from your diet (e.g green vegetables) needs to undergo a 3-step transformation. Deplin® is able to be used immediately upon absorption.
Over one half of the general population is compromised in its ability to break down folic acid into L-methylfolate (MTHFR C->T polymorphs) and is even higher in people who suffer from depression.12, 13 Deplin® is unaffected by this common impairment in the body's ability to break down folic acid. One Deplin® 7.5mg tablet is bioequivalent to taking sixty-six 800 mcg folic acid pills. Deplin® (L-methylfolate) is an orally administered medical food for use only under medical supervision for the dietary management of suboptimal folate levels in depressed patients.
LeucovorinLeucovorin is a reduced form of folic acid, which is readily converted to other reduced folic acid derivatives (e.g., tetrahydrofolate). Because it does not require reduction by dihydrofolate reductase as does folic acid, leucovorin is not affected by blockage of this enzyme by folic acid antagonists (dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors). This allows purine and thymidine synthesis, and thus DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, to occur.
When researching this drug, I became aware that it is mostly used in conjunction with cancer treatment. I've attached a publication that may not seem applicable but it popped up in the Mednar search engine. Two things caught my attention: 1) Garth Nicolson is one of the authors and 2) the post cancer treatment fatigue has many similarities to ME/CFS.
I'm not sure if all forms of Leucovorin are in short supply but it has become apparent that oncologists are scrambling - demand is greater than the available supply.
From:
http://www.crdnetwork.org/blog/tag/leucovorin/PARENT COMMENTS ON REUTERS REPORT – U.S. cancer drugs shortage has doctors scrambling
June 8, 2011 by nboice
We were forwarded this editorial by one of our Advisory Board Members, and a parent of identical twins suffering from a rare disease with no current cure. This family has been spending months getting treatments by a physician who also treats children with cancer. Our board member was outraged by this article, especially after spending time with many families with children diagnosed with various cancers. Cancer is unique to each individual and therefore IS a rare disease.
The problem this parent states is that this IS all about $$$ and not about saving lives, that the system is really BROKEN. We need to support these families because they are part of our rare disease community!! What do you think? Read below, pass it on. Let’s take a stand on this!!! If treatments exist, they need to in the hands of physicians and helping save lives – isn’t that what it should really be about?
