How Much Does Folic Acid Help You? | Arthritis Information

I saw the RD today and asked again if he'd increase my folic acid to help with the side effects I'm having....mouth sores, thining hair, acne and cold sores on my face. He dropped my MTX dose again instead, just like the last time I asked. He said the increased folic acid won't do much, if anything to help. I'm hoping the decrease won't bring my symptoms back but he said just bump it back up if it does.

I know many of you take more than the 10 mg. of leucovorin I take once a week. But my question to all of you is, do you know for a fact that the folic acid is helping you? Did you see an improvement in your side effects at a certain level of folic acid? What dosage helped you? What side effects are helped by the folic acid you take? The RD seems to think that it will do only so much and I'm already at the level where it does some good. So why are so many on higher doses? I could buy more at the store and take it myself if I thought it would help. But I've also heard it can negate some of the good effects of the MTX as well. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here!

I'm off to bed. Thanks for your input.

I started on 1 mg then was increased to 2, now I'm @ 3mg a day. my Rd said this was as high as I could go. it has Really helped with the mouth sores, if I even go back to 2mg I will get a mouth sore. it is really frustrating putting up with all the side effects of these drugs. the worse for me are the sores and terrible gas. don't know if it lessens the effect of the mtx, since I'm now on Remicade and am feeling better.I'm only on 1 mg of folic acid a day and I asked my RD to increase because of thinning hair but he said more would negate the MTX (15 mgs per week) So I added 7500 mcgs of Biotin a day- he was fine with that.I used to be on 1 mg. a day but was changed to the 10 mg. leucovorin once a week when I was having side effects earlier on. I'm wondering if it would be better to go back to taking some every day instead of just one hit a week. I don't know if it helps but I know it doesn't hurtI didn't take it at all for I guess the first two years. Only after I started having some problems with tingling in my legs did he really push me taking it at all. Now we've determined that my low B12 level is the cause of the tingling problems so the folic acid never really helped that at all not that I thought it did.

I let my prescription run out about a month ago and have neglected to get it refilled. I can't tell much difference if any at all. I do have an aggrevating sore in the corner of my mouth right now; but I've had these off and on since I was a really young child. I've never really blamed these on MTX although I know lots of folks associate them with it.

What do you mean you have some cold sores on your face? Do you mean the outside of your lips? I get them there.....have for many years; but face? Is that actually a cold sore? I assume your doctor looked at it, correct? I use a medication you can get OTC called zilactin-L and it works really good if you use it as soon as you feel them coming on. Often if you wait until you can actually see them it takes much longer. Once they get bad there's no turing back. I've been dealing with them for years so I've learned to feel them early. SOme can be really painful so I understand you're need to try to prevent them.

Lovie2008-07-08 13:34:34

I am on 2 mg. I had sores in my mouth until I was increased from 1 mg to 2 mg. I haven't noticed thinning hair more than what I was already experiencing from childbirth/stress but we'll see.

I guess I assumed that it's okay to take 2 mg every day because RD told me to! But MTX hasn't done a thing yet.

Lovie, I've been plagued with cold sores since I was a child but only a few every year. I take acyclovir at that first "tingle" and if I catch it in time it knocks it right out. Since the injectible MTX I get one sore after another unless I take acyclovir every day, sometimes twice a day. I don't want to be on that drug for the rest of my life in addition to the RA drugs. Mostly the sores are on the corner of my mouth or somewhere on my nose. It's really charming when I get one on the tip! LOL The ones on my face that I thought were also cold sores may be the blisters I read about recently. Not sure. But I'm really, REALLY hoping more folic acid will negate the need for the daily acyclovir.

Buckeye, do you mean that upping the dose won't negate the good effects of the MTX? I'm kicking myself that I forgot to ask the RD that particular question. I guess there are differing opinions on that as well as so many other things associated with RA diseases. Has anyone's RD said it won't affect the MTX?

I've just started taking it and mtx last week, so I can't offer anything.Good luck wendy. MTX, with all its potential for problems, is also a miracle drug for many people. I hope you get great results with no problems...ever.
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