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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

High dose folic acid 5mgs

67 replies

Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 17:40

Hi
I'm so worried, please help. I am having the worst panic attacks and feel so worried I feel sick with worry. Please help me feel reassured.
I sadly had 2 miscarriages 2 years ago, I'm 38. My consultant advised having high dose 5mgs at least 1 month before and 3 months whilst pregnant. I haven't got pregnant so continued taking the high dose folic acid for when I am pregnant but now I worry I've taken for too long. The consultant said I didn't need to take for that long but I have incase I got pregnant. So worried plse help xx

OP posts:
cheesecrackerz · 15/07/2021 17:41

Why don't you ask for a blood test to check your level?

thecapitalsunited · 15/07/2021 17:45

I ended up taking high dose folic acid for about three and a half years before I fell pregnant. My gp seemed happy to keep prescribing it and my thinking was that since I was using contraception I should continue taking it. No harm appears to have come to me. As far as I know folic acid is one you just pee out if your body has enough, it doesn’t build up as such.

Is there anything in particular you are worried about?

Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 17:55

I will do thanks x

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Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 17:56

Thanks, was yours 5mg's? Were you taking it for a diff medical need? X

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thecapitalsunited · 15/07/2021 18:06

Yes, 5mg. I was taking it because I have a high BMI and it’s associated with increased neural tube defects. The advice was the same as yours, at least one month before conception and three months afterwards although my midwife has advised that I continue taking it until the end of pregnancy. In fact, she said I was the only person she knew who had bothered to read the advice! She certainly wasn’t worried that I’d been taking it for as long as I had.

Chelyanne · 15/07/2021 18:16

It's a water-soluble vitamin and excess will leave the body via the urine. So very unlikely to cause any problems but if you are worried have a word with the GP.

I'm on 5mg + what's in my pregnancy multivitamins as advised by my consultants, I'm 35wk and all is well.

Blxo94 · 15/07/2021 18:17

Hi there,

I take 5mg folic acid and have been for a while. I just found out I'm pregnant again. I have to take 5mg folic acid due to having two anencephalic babies ( neural tube defect) PLEASE take your folic acid! It's so important. You don't want to risk having a baby with a neural tube defect. It's devastating! If you have been prescribed it. It's for a reason xx

Moominmiss · 15/07/2021 18:22

I took, and am still taking 5mg folic acid all throughout the 16 months we were ttc, and now at 31 weeks I’m still taking it!

It was recommended to me by my consultant.

Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 18:36

Thank you for your message. How long were you taking high dose 5mg folic acid before getting pregnant. Was yours as a precaution for miscarriages too? X

OP posts:
Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 18:38

Sorry to hear re previous problems. How long were you taking before getting pregnant? My consultant said it's choice to take high dose but he said I only need it 1 month pre conceiving but how do I know when I will get pregnant so I took high dose for 1 year but not pregnant yet sadly x

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Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 18:40

Thanks. Was yours as a miscarriage precaution too? It seems my consultant said just 1 month pre conceiving. I took for 1 year as kept trying to get pregnant. He said some consultants don't agree with it as not NICE guidelines re miscarriage so now I'm confused x

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Moominmiss · 15/07/2021 18:51

I had recurrent (4) miscarriages during my time ttc. Plus my bmi was on the cusp of being high so precautionary for that too.

So far I’ve been taking the higher dose folic acid for around 23 months.

SingingInTheShithouse · 15/07/2021 18:56

Ask the doctor to check your B12 levels too. Get a copy of your results as it's not uncommon fir GPS to misinterpret the results too. They don't pay enough attention to that by far & it's very important in pregnancy too & if low causes miscarriage & more. It also works with folate/folic acid, so if low or even sub optimal, you need both

Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 19:38

Sorry to hear your losses too. I take pregnacare with 400 micrograms of folic acid in too. Do you as well? Are you advised to take folic acid until end of pregnancy? X

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Original poster
Rrrr123 · 15/07/2021 19:39

Thanks. My concern is that consultant said take at least 1 month pre pregnancy, I took for 1 year and not pregnant and I looked up to much folic acid cab cause a toxic build up so I'm so worried x

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Blxo94 · 15/07/2021 20:05

I don't understand why you were told only 1 month before conception? It's actually meant to be 3 months plus. So it has time to build up into your system and then continue to take them. I'm taken 5mg folic acid and I'm taking pregnancy vitamins that have the normal dosage of folic acid too so I'm having more than 5mg. Whatever your body doesn't need you will pee out. It's not toxic to you as your body gets rid of what's not needing. My advice to you personally based on my history with neural tube defects would be take higher folic acid 3 months before conception and take it throughout ☺️x

thecapitalsunited · 15/07/2021 20:16

You have it on prescription though right? So a doctor knows that you have been taking it and are continuing to take it. They wouldn’t allow you to continue if they thought it was dangerous. I’m sure the consultant knows that conception can take time.

Try not to scare yourself with Google. I know we are not American but their CDC says there are no confirmed health risks for having unmetabolised folic acid in your system. That just means it is in your bloodstream and your kidneys haven’t got around to filtering it out via your urine yet. www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/faqs/faqs-safety.html

SingingInTheShithouse · 15/07/2021 20:23

I take very high dose folate, which is folic acid in its useable form, bodies normally convert it, mine doesn't. I have it with my B12 injections as I have pernicious anaemia. It's all under medical supervision & there is no risk with it, honestly relax.

I can't stress enough asking about your B12 levels though,

Original poster
Rrrr123 · 16/07/2021 09:26

Sorry to hear and thanks. My concern is as we were trying to conceive, I took high dose folic acid for 1 year and now so worried I shouldn't have done as doc says only take for 3 months prior but I haven't conceived so carried on taking it x

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Charlotte2020 · 16/07/2021 09:29

I was taking 5mg throughout my pregnancy due to a medical condition. Baby will be fine Smile

Original poster
Rrrr123 · 16/07/2021 09:31

Thanks. My huge concern is that I've taken it for a year though, when I saw consultant he said to prevent miscarriage you should only have taken it for max of 1 month pre conceiving and for 3 months whilst pregnant but I have got confused and thought it would be good to take all the time I'm trying to conceive and he said it can cause you problems such as cancer growth, dementia and heart attacks so now I'm so frightened and wish I could turn the clock back. It's also really worrying me as he said not all consultants agree with high dose folic acid for pre conception. I'm so scared Ive made a huge error

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Original poster
Rrrr123 · 16/07/2021 10:20

Thanks. I'm not pregnant now. I'm just so concerned I took for miscarriage worries for 1 year, not a medical reason like a disease and everyone else's wasn't for miscarriage. Do you mind me asking how long did you take high dose folic acid for pre conceiving? X

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thecapitalsunited · 16/07/2021 11:55

Don’t worry you haven’t made an error. No one would have continued to prescribe it if there was a problem. There are no proven links to any health problems. The consultant will know that you can’t time conception to match with exactly three months worth of folic acid before.

You will just pee out any excess. It doesn’t accumulate in the bloodstream or in the body like some vitamins do.

According to www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/6998#gref no overdoses have ever been reported and it takes 100mg/kg to cause problems in rates. That’s a vastly higher rate than you are taking. The only thing it can do is mask symptoms of B12 deficiency. Please try not to worry. You won’t have done yourself any harm.

Original poster
Rrrr123 · 16/07/2021 11:56

My GP just kept prescribing it but it was via the consultant so they weren't sure what it was for prob. I'm just so so worried as I've taken it for a year with the pregnacare vits too with 400 I so I've taken 5.4 for the year x

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Original poster
Rrrr123 · 16/07/2021 12:10

Thanks. How long had you been taking it before getting pregnant? X

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