Deplin - what to expect, time frame, side effects?

Started on deplin 2 weeks ago. Also added 3000 IU of vitamin D. Not sure which has made me feel better but have been on wellbutrin for a long time and have only recently felt much better. Will keep you posted.

Hi Alia,

I started Deplin 30 days ago and have been so, so much better. I take 15mg in conjunction with Wellbutrin and have had no side effects. I have been one of the lucky ones, it kicked in for me within a few days. I base my recovery on how much I exercise. Before I went into a downward spiral due to a super stressful home situation, I was exercising 5 days a week. I was feeling very, very bad mentally. I went on Wellbutrin (which I love) and started going back to the gym once or twice a week, it was still a little tough to get going. Then on Deplin, I have been back four days out of the five... YAY!!! Deplin has saved my sanity, I am so grateful that my Doc recommended it, she's a lifesaver!!

Best of luck...I hope it's working for you.

Post Edited (Sweatfairy) : 11/14/2011 9:23:11 PM (GMT-7)

Initially, thank you Karen for your acceptance and kind words.

Deplin worked for me in just 3 days. Suffered major depressive diorder for 18 years. Tried Paxil, Effexor, Celexa. Now Zoloft 150 mg a day for the past 5 years - did not do much. My doc casually mentioned Deplin last visit - gave me some samples. I was SEVERLY depressed. He said, "you got nothing to lose, and it won't hurt you". Still taking Zoloft - Started taking 15 mg of Deplin 2 times a day - the change is AMAZING! I simply cannot believe it. Deplin saved my life, literally. Thank You GOD !

The conversion of folic acid into methyltetrahydrofolate (Deplin) can be hindered by genetics, and /or the presence of heavy metals. These heavy metals can furthermore interfere with the conversion of the Deplin into tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). If you find that Deplin is helpful, you might want to get yourself checked for an excess of lead, mercury, aluminum, manganese, b i s m u t h or cadmium.

There are also certain prescription drugs that interfere with folate. Among them are Metformin (diabetes), methyltrexate (cancer or autoimmunity), warfarin /coumadin (blood thinning) and many of the anti-epileptic drugs. (For a more complete list see www.metanx.com/healthcare-professionals/package-insert/). Folate can have some excititory properties, and so people with epilepsy should be careful.

Some people have noticed that they feel better if they avoid the folic acid found in most multi-vitamins and in many products made from enriched flour. If you aren't converting folic acid into the methyltetrahydrofolate, the folic acid can actually interfere with your use of methytetrahydrofolate (Deplin). When you start reading about the difference between folic acid and folate, it can get quite confusing. For many years people interchanged the words folic acid with folate, as if there were no difference. You will still see articles where the two are mixed up.

A friend was given methyltrexate, which interferes with the conversion of folic acid into folate. She started to experience a deep depression, along with canker sores. Almost as soon as she added methyltetrahydrofolate, the depression and canker sores dissipated. She doesn't have prescription coverage, so she used one of the over-the-counter equivalents to Deplin. (In her case, this was 9 pills per day of Optimized folate by Life Extension.) It was a bit cheaper than the Deplin for her needs. The large number of pills wasn't fun, but at least the pills could be conveniently spread throughout the day. (Usually, when a doctor prescribes methyltrexate, they also prescribe leucovorin, which is formyl-folate. Her doctor had told her to just take folic acid instead of the prescription leucovorin because it would be cheaper for her. In my opinion, that was a mistake.)

I take methotrexate for my RA and am to take OTC folic acid, which has worked out fine.

Another friend finds that she must take 15 mg of Deplin per day. She has been taking high dose niacin for quite a while. Niacin and niacinamide will use up methyl groups. Dr. Lynch says that if you get a bad reaction to the methyl-folate, take 50 mg of niacinamide to quickly stop the reaction. If you get too much methyl-folate, you might feel wired / agitated. Before taking methyl-folate, he checks how his body is feeling that day. That is how he determines how much to take, at least for himself. www.mthfr.net