5mg Folic Acid per day - is this normal

[DinosaursArentMakeBelieve]

Hi,

First time pregnancy and I'm nearly 18wks at the moment.

Have been on Pregnacare since week 4 and a few weeks ago was prescribed additional daily 5mg of Folic Acid as well as Vit D and Aspirin by midwife (NHS in U.K.).

Went to pharmacist to re-prescribe and she questioned the folic dosage saying it's over 12 times the regular dose for pregnant women and is only normally given to women whose baby is at additional risk of Neural Tube Defects - there is no reason to believe mine would be...?

Was told that too much folic acid can cause autism so now I'm completely freaking out...

Is this a normal dosage, need to know whether to stop taking it and I can't speak to my doctor til Monday?

Who told you too much folic acid can cause autism? Because that sounds like utter bollocks. We don't know what causes autism so you can stop worrying about that.

I had to take a high dose of folate in pregnancy due to a previous deficiency. My dd is almost 4yo now and absolutely fine.

Have you had blood tests that have show low levels of folate?

Why are you prescribed aspirin? Do you know?

Sounds like a chat with your doctor is needed but I wouldn't panic.

Are you overweight? A higher dose of folic acid is now advised if that's the case.

Who told you too much folic causes autism?! The pharmacist?

Ffs, what a fucking stupid midwife. I'd report her.

I was on 5mg folic acid, aspirin and vit D whilst pregnant with my ds as I'd had previous miscarriages. He's almost 5 and absolutely fine.

Why have you been prescribed aspirin? Do you have a clotting disorder?

Sorry not the midwife, the pharmacist!

Hi thanks for coming back so quickly. Yes, pharmacist had said there's a link to autism and too much folic acid! Seemed silly to me but the more I thought about it the more I panicked that I was making a mistake.

All my blood tests have came back perfect, no problems at all. My BMI is 28 so I am overweight, I was told by the midwife it was standard now but none of my other friends were given this so weight may well be a factor!

Was given Aspirin as I was told by midwife it helps prevent blood clots which can lead to miscarriage?

Various people needs additional folic acid. Do you have epilepsy? Are you on any other medications? Do you have a family history of spina bifida? Is your BMI over 30? Do you have coeliac disease or any other malabsorption disorder?

The aspirin is usually prescribed for people at higher risk of pre-eclampsia and have 2 or more risk factors. First pregnancy is one. The others include diabetes, age over 40, autoimmune disorders, high BMI, kidney disease, chronic hypertension.

Best advice is that if you don't understand why your midwife has advised you to take something and what the potential risks and benefits are make another appointment and talk to her about it.

Thanks very much everyone! Only recently joined and you guys are great!

There is folic acid in food for goodness sake!

There is a suggestion of a link between autism and excessive folate levels but a) it's a possible link, not a definite cause and b) the amount you were taking wouldn't come close to "excessive" in those terms. You'd have to have been chugging a whole bunch of the tablets every day throughout your pregnancy to have anything to even think about worrying about.

V irresponsible of the pharmacist, very irresponsible indeed. Don't worry!

Is there a need to start the high dose folic acid at 18 weeks?

I was told you really need to be taking it 3 months prior to conception. The spine is formed by something like 6 weeks.

I'd double check with your midwife about it all.

Did the midwife know you're already taking Pregnacare?

My midwife told me the aspirin and folic acid were standard for high BMI. I started taking the 5mg before my first pregnancy and they advised to keep going so I've been on it for 4 years.

I took high dose folic acid and low dose aspirin as I have an autoimmune disease and previous miscarriages.

I have only ever been asked whether the aspirin was recommended by a GP as it is available without prescription, the folic acid is prescribed and no pharmacist has ever questioned it.

Was it a qualified pharmacist or a just dispensing assistant? I've never heard of folic Acid being linked with autism either. Seems a bit unprofessional to say that

I take the higher dose due to being born with a mild form of spina bifida.

The midwife also mentioned that the higher dose is also given to ladies with a BMI over 30?

I'm on the 5mg dose due to BMI / autoimmune disease, previous mc's and my age. I would imagine it's the BMI if you have no other issues as midwife said its standard for anyone classed as "overweight"

My consultant told me to tell her 3-6 months before I plan a pregnancy so she can prescribe high dose folic acid, I'm T1 Diabetic. I don't think they'd do that if it was likely to cause problems, that pharmacist obviously doesn't know much about it. As long as your doctor prescribes it you're fine. That said, if you're not sure there's no harm in asking about it next time you see your midwife or doctor.

Folic acid is probably dangerous, if you take huge dosages, long-term. However, Folic acid can help to prevent birth abnormalities of the brain and backbone called neural tube problems.

Therefore, I think that, you should consult with our doctor then use it.