Folic acid - prolonged use effects

[whomoon]

We’ve been TTC for 20 months and so I have been taking folic acid for about 2 years now.

Does anyone know if there are actually known effects from prolonged use of folic acid?

I wouldn’t say I am concerned, but more interested if there are any possible effects. As it’s such a long time to take it without having a pregnancy.

thank you x

Hey I don't believe there to be any affects. My partner takes a multi vitamin, run of the mill kind of one from a Supermarket. It contains folic acid. So assumingly, anyone can take folic acid with no side affects. However, if anyone else knows different please let me know too!

I know that I’m deficient in it and the NHS range says anything over 3.8 ug/L is ok and it has no upper range.

As a side note, I was under the endocrinologist for my thyroid problems and PCOS and they put me on Metformin (common type 2 diabetes drug) not because of that though - apparently a side effect is increased fertility. We had a few months getting all my levels right (B12, Calcium, Folic Acid and thyroid) while I was taking the Metformin and I then fell pregnant crazy fast because my body was now “optimal”. Get all your bloods checked and then research the optimal (not just acceptable) levels.

That is we weren’t allowed to try for those few months but once they said yes go for it then it was super fast

If you take too much it can be harmful but you’re not taking too much, just taking it for a long time. Taking too high a dose is starting to be believed to be linked to some issues like asthma in your child.

Ah thank you! This this the logic I couldn’t work out for some reason. It’s the amount that could be harmful, not the length of time.
like the other pp, taking regular vitamins aren’t harmful, which this is.

thanks for the replies and getting my thought process in order!

Thanks for the advice! Bloods have all come back fine for me, so just following government advice on folic acid, plus adding in B12 and VitD based on own decision.

and congratulations on your pregnancy! Glad it worked for you

There have been some studies to suggest that prolonged use could lead to tongue tie.

From my own anecdotal evidence, I took folic acid for almost 3 years TTC my first and he has a tongue tie. Took it for 6 months for second and she doesn't.

It's not proven and could be correlation not causation.

That said, I'd prob stop now until you're pregnant.