Folic acid supplements with AEDs?

[bandmom]

Do most of the women here taking an AED also take a folic acid supplement? My daughter was prescribed folic acid with her AED from the beginning (at age 14) and I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to be on a large dose of folic acid, 10 times the recommended amount, when the only reason for it was to prevent birth defects and she wasn't even sexually active at the time. So she went off the folic acid for a while. She does take it again now, but a fourth of the amount she was taking (1000 mcg vs 4000 mcg).

I can understand the importance of folic acid supplements for women of childbearing age taking an AED, but today I saw a segment on Dr. Oz where they said a large amount of folic acid in supplement form can mask a B12 deficiency in a blood test. Being vegetarians I sometimes wonder if we could have B12 deficiency, but now thinking that maybe a blood test wouldn't show deficiency in daughter's case. Maybe she should start B12 supplements (as well as Vitamin D since AEDs can cause that deficiency too). Curious if anyone else has any thoughts/concerns about folic acid.

 

[Nakamova]

I take both a B12 supplement and a folic acid one. Plus a cal/mag/D. Because of AEDs, my blood tests always come out in the below normal range for WBC and RBC, so I supplement with B12 to be on the safe side.

Folic acid isn't considered as dangerous any more by epilepsy specialists. See:

Supplementation with folic acid appears safe even up to doses as high as 15 mg/day. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has directed that oral tablets of folic acid not exceed 1 mg because of concerns brought forward more than 30 years ago that folic acid in large amounts might counteract the antiseizure effects of AEDs and increase the seizure frequency in some children 20. Although that concern is no longer held by epileptologists, the dosage restriction persists.

Still, to be on the safe side, she might want to check in with both her neurologist and her regular doc about any supplements and their dosages.

 

[bandmom]

Thank you for the info, Nakamova. Will definitely have her ask the doctor about B12 and D supplements next time she sees him, and not too worried about her continuing with the folic acid now.

 

[RunningGirl85]

Like Nakamova I am taking several supplements (actually the same ones! ) because the meds deplete them I read somewhere that it is even recommended for men on AEDs to supplement with folic acid... I can't remember the reasoning but it's supposed to have benefits for even those who aren't going to get pregnant.

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[valeriedl]

I take 1mg of Folic acid. The neuro knows that I'm not having children, I had a Hysterectomy about a year ago but I'm still on it.

Check with your dr about taking the other meds. I started taking B12, without asking my neuro, because I heard it helped with kepprage. I started having seizures like crazy when I was taking it. I stopped taking it then went back to having the ammount of seizures that I normally had.

 

[AngelwithDentedHalo]

Folic acid is in my multivitamins and I don't have a problem with it. I was prescribed it intitially to help with digestion and stuff like that after my first surgery. I was also anemic

 

[jyearta]

When 3 diff. neur. told me to add over the counter folic acid (which I did) I had seizures each time.

I now have this compounded, with no problems.

 

[Andrew]

Folic Acid (vitamin B9) may interfere with certain anti-epileptic drugs:

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/about/positionstatements/folicacid

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/news/concerns-raised-over-policy-add-folic-acid-flour

**DO NOT ALTER ANY MEDICATION WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR'S CONSENT**

 

[bandmom]

Daughter went in today for a video eeg and forgot to mention her 1 mg of folic acid she takes each day. Do you think it's important to tell them so they can add it to her meds? I want to make sure she has a seizure during the eeg just like she's been having recently at home, so maybe we need to be sure she doesn't change anything she's been doing, like taking folic acid, just in case it makes a difference.