Too much folic acid?? - Vitamins & Supplements Message Board

debbie2862 · 04-27-2006, 03:44 PM

I went to see a maternal/fetal specialist who prescribed me a pill to take in addition to a regular prenatal vitamin. It is Folgard and has 2.2 mg of folic acid. The regular prenatal I'm taking has 1 mg.

I've read that your body excretes unneeded folic acid but then I also read that it is not recommended to take above 1 mg per day and the prescribing info from the pharmacy talked about them causing drowsiness and other worse side effects.

I'm worried that this doctor is prescribing this as a 'play it safe' kind of thing and that it isn't really necessary. I'm very pill phobic and don't want to take anything unless I absolutely have to.

Does anyone have any info on folic acid and when is it too much?

cookiepls · 04-27-2006, 04:59 PM

I'm not familiar with Folgard but Folic Acid itself has no side effects. Not even in higher doses than the RDA. Have you been diagnosed with anemia?

debbie2862 · 04-27-2006, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookiepls

I'm not familiar with Folgard but Folic Acid itself has no side effects. Not even in higher doses than the RDA. Have you been diagnosed with anemia?

No I have a gene mutation that can prevent my body from processing folic acid properly. Not a big deal under normal circumstances and I don't have a deficiency of anything at this point but I am trying to get pregnant so the doc said I should take extra.

I wonder why the RX literature says that it could cause drowsiness. That's really weird. It also talks about numbness and tingling and inability to grasp objects (?) Very strange.

6foot3 · 04-27-2006, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debbie2862

I wonder why the RX literature says that it could cause drowsiness. That's really weird. It also talks about numbness and tingling and inability to grasp objects (?) Very strange.

I have studied vitamins for yrs and iv'e never read of high dose Folic Acid causing drowsiness so i wouldn't worry about that. The other symptoms of neurological (numbness,tingling et.) is a symptom of B-6 toxicity Pyridoxine. Most of the B family do not have toxicity except B-6 and PABA so you should be fine........

debbie2862 · 04-27-2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6foot3

I have studied vitamins for yrs and iv'e never read of high dose Folic Acid causing drowsiness so i wouldn't worry about that. The other symptoms of neurological (numbness,tingling et.) is a symptom of B-6 toxicity Pyridoxine. Most of the B family do not have toxicity except B-6 and PABA so you should be fine........

Folgard also has 25 mg of B-6 (and 1 mg of B-12). I would be taking this in addition to a regular prenatal vitamin which contains 50 mg Pyridoxine (not sure how that translates into B-6). At what level does B-6 toxicity come into play? And if you get toxicity, what are the results?