Too much folic acid?

P

putput

Registered User
I have recently found out that I am pregnant after months and months of trying! :)

I went to see the ob yesterday and she gave me 5mg of folic acid even though I told her that I have been taking Materna which already contains 1mg of folic acid for the past 8 months. I'm worried and nervous about this as all the research I have done suggests that 1mg is the upper limit and more is taken by women who have already had a spina fida child which is not the case with me. In total, she suggests I take 6mg even though she has told me that 400mg is sufficient to prevent abnormalities.

Does anyone know if it is ok to take this much as I am not getting a proper explanation from the ob as to why I should be taking this much.

I hope somebody can help to put my mind at ease

Thank you!
 
Hi,

On top of Materna, I was taking separate folic acid supplements. My OB/gyne said it's ok and just told me that once I finish off the bottle of folic acid supplements, that I wouldn't need to take any more, to just use Materna. I did remember reading somewhere there is no risk of us having excess folic acid as any excess easily gets flushed out of our system and is not retained in the body.

Good luck (and congratulations!) on your pregnancy.
 
Thank you so much for helping to put my mind at ease!

I want to be doing all the right things but can get really confused by all the contradictory information you read!

Thank you!
 
Hi Rani,

The ob told me to continue taking Materna as well as the 5mg which means that I'm taking 6mg rather than 1mg which i keep reading to be the upper limit.
 
Aaagh! I'm really confused. I don't mind taking more if the ob could at least explain why I am taking 6 x more the recommended upper limit dose!
 
From http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/folic-acid.php

The recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for folate is 400 mcg per day for adults, 600 mcg per day for pregnant women, and 500 mcg for nursing women.
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Folic acid (folate, vitamin B9) overdose, toxicity, side effects

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Toxicity from excessive folic acid intake does not normally occur, as folic acid is water soluble and regularly excreted by the body. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the daily intake of folic acid in adults should not exceed 1,000 mcg. Very high doses of this vitamin offer no additional therapeutic value. Very high doses (above 15,000 mcg) can cause stomach problems, sleep problems, skin reactions, and seizures. Further, high doses of folic acid are known to reduce or interfere with the effectiveness of methotrexate (an anticancer drug used in chemotherapy). Zinc, estrogen, anticonvulsant drugs, barbiturates, and sulfasalazine may not be absorbed as effectively when combined with folic acid.
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Hope this helps, putput.
 
Hi Buckeroo,

This does help, thank you.

I am starting to feel like this was a money making exercise by my ob as she wasn't really able to justify why she was giving me this much in the first place. Oh well!

I may make an appointment with a different ob as I hate the idea of taking something if it's not going to add any value!

Appreciate the info, Buckeroo. Thank you!
 
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