bandmom
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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.
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.