Folic Acid dosage for folate deficiency

[iwishiwasonacruise]

My daughter has a folate deficiency. She is 12. She has been prescribed liquid folic acid called FolicA.

On the box is states it's 0.5mg/ml.

The info leaflet inside states take 1ml daily or as directed by your health professional.

Her actual dosage label says to take two 5ml spoonfuls once a day. So 10mls.

I just wanted to check this isn't a massive overdose?

Maybe it's a lot cos she's deficient. It just seems so much more than what the leaflet recommends.

I called the dispensing chemist, but they said "just take the dose that the doctor has prescribed", but it's not unheard of for my doctor surgery to get something wrong!

Does anyone else take folic acid for folate deficiency? I just really want some reassurance that this dosage isn't massive...

I can't speak to the GP until Friday 😭

I had a folate deficiency and was prescribed 5mg daily for 4 months. Obviously this was tablets so I’m not sure how that compares to the liquid format.

Oh just looked at the photo properly and this looks to be the same then, 5mg daily?

Thanks, the liquid is 0.5mg per 1ml, so 10mls would equal 5mg (or 5000mcg).

Thank you for responding.

I suppose the 1ml suggestion on the box is if you're not actually deficient.

Do you mind if I ask how you felt with a deficiency? I took her for a blood test as she is feeling generally crappy, headachey, she has dizzy spells, looks really pale, and just generally feels quite low and anxious. I'm really hoping this will help...

I've no experience with folate deficiency, but in vit D deficiency there's usually a really high dose prescribed for around 6 weeks before moving to a maintenance dose and I'm assuming this is similar?

Is there anyone else at the surgery you can speak to for advice?

I had folic deficiency and had to take 10mg in tablets a day for 4 months prescribed by the doctor.
As I was deficient in Folic and vit D he told me when prescription was finished to buy both and continue taking long term.

Yes you need quite a high dose if deficient I think! I went to the doctors because I was suffering heart palpitations primarily so ended up having a blood test for lots of things and that’s when the folate was picked up. It’s hard to say what my symptoms were because I did feel exhausted etc but I was also a few months postpartum so I expected to feel tired etc! Personally I’m not sure if the supplements have solved the problem for me as I still feel the same, so I’m going to ask for a repeat test to see if it has gone up. My level was very low.

I had to take them daily for three months. There's been no follow up or another blood test. I'm wondering if I should ask?

When I had folate anaemia I had 5mg daily for 3 months and told to then keep taking a higher than normal supplement level indefinitely. I have coeliac disease, and its very common to be folate deficient as the GF products aren't fortified with folate

My dd had 5mg prescribed when she had low folate

I'm currently on 5mg per day for folate deficiency.

Had blood test due to feeling generally crappy, always tired, heart palpitations, muscle tiredness being the main factors.

I've been told to take for 4 months and then get blood test retaken. I'm half way through month 3 and thought I was feeling better, but started to feel crap again this week!

I was on 10 mg for 3 months and it worked a treat .

@CMOTDibbler I had same issue- started GF and my folate went down from 13 to 7.1 in 4 months.- which is a grey area I was told

GP told me to take the high 5mg methyfolate dose 3 times a week

I'm on 5mg for 4 months. Although I didn't feel ill or anything prior to needing them. I just know my levels were slightly below average. Haven't been told to go for another blood test when the 4 months is up so I'm assuming my levels will be normal by that point.

Thanks for all your replies, very helpful and reassuring :)

I've got an appt with the GP on Friday to discussed her results so I'll be interested to see what her levels actually are.

First dose of folic acid just taken 🤞🏼

If you download the NHS app and get set up on there you’ll be able to see her results. It tells you the ‘normal range’ and then what her result was.

I was also prescribed 5mg tablets for 3 months when I was deficient, that got my levels into normal range and I've kept up with a supplement since then (plus try to be more conscious of folate in my diet)

Main symptom for me was dizziness, which was resolved after a few months

It also put my red blood cells out of kilter- too many, too big- only slightly but enough to be too high - apparently this is common too

Thanks, I'm on the NHS app but I can't see how to link her profile to mine. I can see test results that I've had personally, but nothing for my kids. Maybe I'll have to ask in the surgery for them to link us 🤔

@iwishiwasonacruise Ahhh ok, I can’t remember how I did it, I think my kids were just there as linked profiles on mine. Yes ask the surgery to link them!