Please help me RE Folic Acid

[Bonifacio]

We are about to start TTC and need to start taking folic acid. British websites say I should take 0.4mg per day. The only dose I can get in the coutry I live in is 5 mg and the box says its a daily tablet thats over ten times more than the nhs website says I should. Should I take the 5mg tablet? Just want to know what other people would do?

[DawnAS]

Hey B,

I've just read that the recommendation is 400mg in this Country. They're the one-a-day ones that I take from Superdrug in the pre-natal section. I can't imagine that 500mg would be too much of an issue but you may want to just check it with your GP.

xxx

[Bonifacio]

I thought it was 400 mcg thats where I am confused. I am emailing NHS direct

[FlirtyThirty]

Hi Bonifacio!

Thought these might help:
www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001080.html

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/a rticle.aspx?articleId=913#

Also, don't know where you are in the Philippines, but these guys may be abole to help:
optimalhealthph.blogspot.com/2007/09/iron-folic.html

Flirty x

[DawnAS]

Sorry B, it is 400 mcg - I was misreading it this time!!

[suncream]

As long as you're not anaemic (esp with a condition called pernicious anaemia) then it would be better to take 5mg rather than none at all. That's the dose recommended for mums who've had babies born with spina bifida/cleft lip & palate, & there's no evidence that the higher dose causes any problems - I think your body just gets rid of what it doesn't need.

[Bonifacio]

Thanks guys, the NHS were useless and didn't give me an answer so I guess i'll have to go to the docs here though maybe if I look at the full pregnancy health tablets they might have a little less in.

[Bonifacio]

Hmm, I found a multi vit today that contains folic acid, So what do you think my multi vit containging the following:
Folic Acid - 800MCG
Ferrous Sulphate - 525mg (iron apparently)
Vit B1 - 6mg
Vit B2 - 6mg
Nicotinamide -30mg (that looks like nicotine)
Vit B6 - 5mg
Vit B12 - 25mg
Calcium Pantothenate - 10mg
Vit C 500mg

OR

5MG of Folic acid on its own

I compared the multi vit to the pregnacare one that is sold in UK and the one here has MUCH higher doeses on everything except Vit B6, also the pregnacare also has about 5 extra vits/minerals in.

Please tell me what you think, I want to avoid going to docs at all costs its such a pain here!!

Thankyou!!

[DawnAS]

There were some tablets called "Sanatogen ProNatal" in Boots at the weekend that I looked at, but was surprised to see that the Folic Acid was 700MCG but also that there was 100% of recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E.

Has anyone taken these? I bought some (still hoping that I'm PG) but then read on a website that you shouldn't have too much Vitamin E because it can cause abnormalities in the child. Is this right? Surely Sanatogen wouldn't put it in the tablets if this was the case would they?!

xxx

[Bonifacio]

Just dound this Dawn, maybe its helpful to you?

Vitamin E
Mother: Healing post birth, fights stretch marks and anemia
Baby: Blood cell formation, heart, fights jaundice
Sources: Wheat germ, nuts, avocado, green leafy vegetables, eggs
Daily Recommendations: 15 milligrams

[DawnAS]

Thanks B, that's put my mind at rest!

They cost me a fortune (I got the ones with Omega 3) so didn't want to just not use them!!

xx