What is the right way to take the FOLIC ACID?

[maria garcia]

I have a questIon, my daughter takes folic Acid everyday including the day she takes Her MTX. I was on FB reading comments in the Vasculitis page and I read that on the day you take MTX you are not soppose to take folic acid. I googled it and I also read some articles. Please advise.

[Yvonnea]

HI Marcia,
I was told not to take folic acid the day I took MTX. So far I have no side effects. '
Hope your daughter is keeping well.
Yvonne

[pwc51]

My understanding is that it should not be taken on the day of MTX. After that regimes seem to vary - I have always been on one 5mg tablet, 3 days after MTX but I know others are on small amounts every day.

[Thakator]

Hi - - Different strokes for differrent docs, I guess - - mine (a rheumie) put me on a prescription for folic acid at the same time she put me on MTX. Said the MTX did something to it, but of course I forget what that was. (Too much else in the health arena to remember.) 22.5 mg MTX and only 1mg/day of the folic acid, but seven days a week of it regardless of when I took the MTX. Ron

[mishb]

Wow, they are all different
Mine is a 5mg tablet on the fourth day after taking MTX (therefore, once a week)

[me2]

there is no one way to do it wrong.

[freakyschizogirl]

My local Rheumy started me on Methotrexate on Mondays (M for Monday...) and Folic Acid on a Friday (F for Friday - he was a very clever man...) And this is how i took folic acid for the year i was on it.

[Dirty Don]

there is no one way to do it wrong.

Correctamundo! Listen to your docs and your body...and hope a lot too!! LOL

[Dryhill]

Like pwc51 I was told to take 5mg Folic Acid three days after taking MTX, mind you we do have the same Rheumy so it is not surprising we do the same. Freakyschizogirl I love your doctors instructions, I am alkways getting in a mess over the Folic Acid.

Jim

[NicShaf]

I just started MTX, and I take folic acid every day exect the day I take my MTX...I haven't read enough yet, but my doctor said that MTX works by reducing the folic acid in your body? I need to read more on it to understand exactly what that means and how it works.

[mishb]

My local Rheumy started me on Methotrexate on Mondays (M for Monday...) and Folic Acid on a Friday (F for Friday - he was a very clever man...) And this is how i took folic acid for the year i was on it.

Mine said exactly the same thing and the pharmacist was very impressed with the way she figured it out.
Now it looks like she wasn't so clever afterall and that others, on the other side of the globe, do the same thing. :sneaky:

[vdub]

I took my folic acid on every day except the day I took the mtx. Did it that way for about 17 months.....

[gurinbasra]

I believe the key is not to take Folic Acid on the same day you take Methotrexate. I used to take 5mg of folic acid/week on any day except for the day of Mtx, but my dr now is having me take 1mg/day except Mtx day - which I've been doing for 2 years now. From what I remember, Folic acid protects your liver and so taking it the same day as Mtx makes it less effective - it would interfere with it working in the liver

[Lightwarrior]

I take 1 mg a day even on the day I take my mtx

[maria garcia]

Her doctor send her a prescription to take folic acid everday now what im reading is the folic acid is soppose to me taken w MTX. I see most of you dont take the folic acid on the same day as MTX which I already read in an article. Im just wondering if this would give my daughter more side effect. She has been doing great so far no side effect but maybe it bcse of the folic. Ido want to make sure She is doing it the best way to get the best results of the medicine.

[Chris G]

Her doctor send her a prescription to take folic acid everday now what im reading is the folic acid is soppose to me taken w MTX. I see most of you dont take the folic acid on the same day as MTX which I already read in an article. Im just wondering if this would give my daughter more side effect. She has been doing great so far no side effect but maybe it bcse of the folic. Ido want to make sure She is doing it the best way to get the best results of the medicine.

When mtx is used as a cancer treatment, the reason it works is BECAUSE it sucks the folic acid from the body (the cancerous cells I suppose). When mtx is used for WG, the folic acid depletion is not what helps us weggies. For us, mtx simply suppresses our immune systems. Taking folic acid will not interfere with the mechanism of action in our case. If it did, the docs would not have us take it at all.

So, as a couple of people said, for us, there's no wrong way to take folic acid. Just be sure to take it.

I was instructed to take it 7 days a week. Personally, later on, I found it helpful to take MORE folic acid on my mtx dosing day, and the day after. And my doc said that was fine too.

[JanW]

Take it every day including my MTX and have for exactly two years. Never had any side effects from either.

[Kami]

I take 20mg Mxt on Tuesdays with dinner and I take 1 mg folic EVERY day at lunch. All is well. I did find when I was forgetting to take the folic acid that I did get sores in my mouth, I remember to always take it now! :)

[drz]

I was told folic acid can cause constipation so I should add something to try prevent that. Do others take something else too to avoid this side effect?

[vdub]

It wasn't mentioned to me when I started taking mtx, but I have been on a steady diet of codeine for the past 22 months, so I take laxatives for that. Certainly doesn't hurt to take some if you have that particular side-effect.

[Kami]

I have not experienced that problem, thankfully.