Should I cut back on folic acid? | Arthritis Information

So RD has me on 2mg daily of folic acid. It was 1 mg but was increased because I got mouth sores when I first started on oral MTX. That was in March/April. Now it's November and I'm on .8 injectible, because I'm not seeing any results. I am going to ask RD too, but has anyone who had poor response from MTX seen it improve my cutting back on folic acid? I guess I could go back to 1 mg a day to see what happens?

Thanks!

My RD once told me that for every mg. of folic acid, the effectivness of mtx is decreased by 5 mg. I wouldn't cut back without checking with your RD though.Hmm....interesting...thanks for the info. I will see...I know when I complained to my RD about mouth sores and hair loss he was NOT willing to increase my folic acid from 1 mg. He said anything higher negates the MTX. I have seen a lot of other people taking higher doses on this board however.

Instead I swish my mouth with warm salt water for the sores and use biotin supplement for my hair. Both work very nicely.
I've wondered why they give folic acid when giving MTX. Is it to somehow decrease the toxic side effects? I remember when I took it for the first time as a child the doc never gave me folic acid but I believe they were just beginning to use MTX for JRA back then. (it was like 1988 after all) I wouldn't make any changes unless the doc told you to though.

By the way, wanttobeRAfree, your inbox is full.