Folic Acid overdose

[Cathy1815]

Ok. So, story is, started on Methotrexate 5mg starter dose a couple of weeks ago. Felt a bit rubbish day after, well, knackered in fact. Took 5mg of folic acid daily for the next 6 days. You heard it right 5mgs not mcg. The day before due to take 10mg of MTX, had my bloods done.
Next morning woke up feeling like I had flu. Felt nauseous and headaches. The hospital then phone and said my white blood count was up and also my liver function. Told then wasn't well and they advised to not take the MTX that night but wait and have bloods done the week after. No mention of the folic acid.
By Thursday I was semi consciousness for most of the day and night with excruciating stomach pains, headaches, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't eat or drink, diarrhoea etc. This went on for 3 days. Started to feel a bit better after 5 days but still got bad stomach pains. Headache and dizziness.
My question is: if folic acid is supposed to replace the folic acid that is lost when taking MTX, what happens if you miss a dose of MTX. Where does it go? Is 5mg of folic acid too high or what? What is this poison I am putting in my body? Never again, will I take folic acid or MTX. Just starting to be able to eat and drink a bit. After 2 days I almost called for an ambulance , I thought I was going to die.
I think the folic acid side effects may be worse than the MTX. Do dermatologist really care!!!

[Fred]

Sorry I don't have an answer for you but I'll move this thread to Prescribed Treatments For Psoriasis as it will get found better there and hopefully get you more answers.

The Help using the forum is for help on using the forum so it wouldn't get noticed there by most of our members.

Fred.

[jiml]

Ok. So, story is, started on Methotrexate 5mg starter dose a couple of weeks ago. Felt a bit rubbish day after, well, knackered in fact. Took 5mg of folic acid daily for the next 6 days. You heard it right 5mgs not mcg. The day before due to take 10mg of MTX, had my bloods done.
Next morning woke up feeling like I had flu. Felt nauseous and headaches. The hospital then phone and said my white blood count was up and also my liver function. Told then wasn't well and they advised to not take the MTX that night but wait and have bloods done the week after. No mention of the folic acid.
By Thursday I was semi consciousness for most of the day and night with excruciating stomach pains, headaches, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't eat or drink, diarrhoea etc. This went on for 3 days. Started to feel a bit better after 5 days but still got bad stomach pains. Headache and dizziness.
My question is: if folic acid is supposed to replace the folic acid that is lost when taking MTX, what happens if you miss a dose of MTX. Where does it go? Is 5mg of folic acid too high or what? What is this poison I am putting in my body? Never again, will I take folic acid or MTX. Just starting to be able to eat and drink a bit. After 2 days I almost called for an ambulance , I thought I was going to die.
I think the folic acid side effects may be worse than the MTX. Do dermatologist really care!!!

Hi Cathy and   to the club it's a question that probably only a healthcare professional can answer with any degree of accuracy ....it does seem high to me but I'm not a doctor....the usual dose as I seem to remember from when I was on Methotrexate was between 5 and 10 mg a week, I used to take my Methotrexate on a Monday ( oh how I hated Mondays ) and my 5 mg folic acid on a Friday .....I'm aware that the thinking now is folic acid every day but not the methotrexate day .

But I have no idea if you can overdose on it ..,but from your description it's hard to draw any other conclusion

I see your profile says Fumaderm as your treatment ...is that the next one? If so do come here for great advice on taking that

Jim

[mataribot]

FA helps combat the side effects of MTX - it doesn't prevent anything and it's not necessary. The SE you are describing sound like MTX to me. How often and when are you taking MTX?

[mataribot]

That does seems a bit high, it if you have a history of gastric problems that may be why.

[Bill]

Welcome Cathy,

I agree with matari. It would be a problem with methotrexate, not folic acid. I can buy 5 mg folic acid tablets from a dispensary without a prescription. If they were dangerous I doubt that I could do this. Methotrexate is fantastic for some and terrible for a few. What happened with your Fumaderm treatment?

Cheers,

Bill

[Cathy1815]

Did Fumaderm, too many gastric side effects, did Acitretin and almost went deaf.
I do have some data explains the side effects of too much folic acid and it was spot on my symptoms.
The symptoms didn't start until just before I was due to take my second dose of MTX. That was after I had taken 30mg of Folic Acid over 6 days.

[Cathy1815]

Do know where some of you live but you can't buy 5mg of folic acid over the counter in the Uk.
Jim. We had the Fumaderm conversation a couple of years ago and the the Acitretin last year. You probably come into contact with so many people that you don't remember me, I came on this site again because I thought if anyone could find anything out it would be you u or Fred.

[Bill]

Thank you, Cathy. I bought 100*5mg from the dispensary without prescription. The container has the instruction "Take one tablet daily, or as directed by your doctor.". No verbal warnings were given, nor were there any warnings with the product. I live in Australia, not Mexico. If I thought that folic acid could boost my lymphocyte count I would be hoeing into them. I did read of one fellow who died from complications after taking 12.5 mg of methotrexate (5* 2.5 mg). I am really curious to see what cause is found. Doses around 1 mg per day are not considered harmful for my demographic, and I have been taking 1/4 tablet a day for nearly a year. I think it does bugger all for me.

Best wishes,

Bill

[jiml]

Do know where some of you live but you can't buy 5mg of folic acid over the counter in the Uk.
Jim. We had the Fumaderm conversation a couple of years ago and the the Acitretin last year. You probably come into contact with so many people that you don't remember me, I came on this site again because I thought if anyone could find anything out it would be you u or Fred.

Aaaah thank you Cathy and thank you for thinking we might be able to help  ....now you remind me I recall the conversations    ...I'm getting old and forgetful and often need a jog to remind me   .....I'm sorry that we couldn't really help with the folic acid problem ....but no matter where I looked I couldn't find an answer .
Can I ask if it was a mistake by you taking the high dose, or you were prescribed the 5mg a day dose?

Although like Mataribot and Bill say, it sounds more like a reaction to Methotrexate than folic acid  

Edit

Cathy did your hearing improve after coming off acetretin?