Folic acid vs methylfolate?

[folicfrolic]

Posting for traffic. I'm TTC in my mid thirties. I'm a bit concerned about the higher risk for birth defects as I get older and I don't anticipate getting pregnant straight away due to potential fertility issues. I started to take a folic acid and vit d supplement, but then read that lots of women can't actually absorb folic acid in the synthetic form (unknown to them). Reading some more about this, I decided to switch to methylfolate (natural form of folic and more readily absorbed) and a separate vit d tablet. Problem is, I feel like shit on the methylfolate! I'm incredibly dizzy and nauseous. I would prefer to switch back to the folic acid, but I'm worried in case my body is not absorbing it (I had no side effects from it, so maybe that means I wasn't?)

Does anyone have experience with this? I know I may be overly anxious but I'm just concerned about taking something for three months before ttc and then later having a baby with complications because it wasn't even absorbed.

Thanks if you can help.

I had to take a high dose of folate due to pregnancy issues, so I took 5mthf - is that what you’re taking? I had no issues with the higher dose either.

Prior to this, I was just taking the usual pregnancy tablets and my folate levels were fine!

I am on medication that can cause birth defects so with my both my pregnancies I was prescribed 5mg of folic acid to take for 3 months prior to TTC and during the pregnancy. Both my babies were absolutely perfect.

I'm just on the normal recommended amount. I was on 400mcg folic acid and currently on 400mcg folate. So a relatively small amount for such side effects!

Thank you for the anecdotes, they do help my anxiety a bit if I decide to switch back to folic.

I forgot to say there is no current indication that I have a higher risk of defects aside from my age, though I am on citalopram (my doctor has approved me staying on it if I get pregnant as I'm a mess without it).