Re: Excess Folic acid

[Guest guest]

Dear and Group,

I have been taking Methrotrexate 7 1/2 mg. and Remicade each for about three

months and also have been taking 3, 800 mcg. Folic acid. I read Folic acid

keeps the MTX from working. I haven't been getting any good results and

wonder if all the excess Folic acid could have caused the MTX from working?

I have terrible hand ,wrist and shoulder pain and usually have to take 200

mg. celebrex 2x a day plus10mg Prednisone.

Due to stomach problems GERD I take Prilosec 2 a day and Calcium with Vit D

1,500 mg

Would or someone know about my concern about the Folic acid? I take it

to keep my hair from falling out)

Sincerely,

Bunny

[Guest guest]

Bunny,

Despite decades of use of methotrexate in the treatment of RA, the reason it

works for RA is unknown. Whether folic acid (or folinic acid) interferes

significantly with the action of MTX in the treatment of RA is still being

debated.

Some physicians recommend no folic acid. Others recommend from 1 mg to 5 mg

every day. Still others recommend folic acid every day but the day the MTX

is taken. Another option is to take folic acid only once a week 24 hours

after the MTX.

For those who advocate taking folic acid with MTX in the treatment of RA

(and I think this is the majority position), the reasoning is that folic

acid reduces the toxicity of MTX without a major impact on efficacy.

You are at a very low dose of MTX and you are taking Remicade, prednisone,

and Celebrex, too, so I'm not sure the folic acid is the main problem.

What did your rheumatologist say about it? I would be sure to discuss this

with him/her.

" Low-Dose Methotrexate: A Mainstay in the Treatment of Rheumatoid

Arthritis " :

http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/full/57/2/163

" Folate supplementation and methotrexate treatment in rheumatoid arthritis:

a review " :

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/43/3/267

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Re: [ ] Excess Folic acid

> Dear and Group,

>

> I have been taking Methrotrexate 7 1/2 mg. and Remicade each for about

> three

> months and also have been taking 3, 800 mcg. Folic acid. I read Folic

> acid

> keeps the MTX from working. I haven't been getting any good results and

> wonder if all the excess Folic acid could have caused the MTX from

> working?

> I have terrible hand ,wrist and shoulder pain and usually have to take 200

> mg. celebrex 2x a day plus10mg Prednisone.

>

> Due to stomach problems GERD I take Prilosec 2 a day and Calcium with Vit

> D

> 1,500 mg

>

> Would or someone know about my concern about the Folic acid? I take

> it

> to keep my hair from falling out)

>

> Sincerely,

> Bunny

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I don't post too often to the group, but was reading this post and it caught

my attention. Are you supposed to take that much folic acid? I was having

trouble with the mtx too and my dr had me increase my folic acid to 1200mcg a

day. It seems that 3800mcg is a lot! I am not sure about the folic acid

affecting the strength of the mtx, but I suppose that it certainly could. Good

luck with that. Peggy

monica pullern <Eightbunny@...> wrote:

Dear and Group,

I have been taking Methrotrexate 7 1/2 mg. and Remicade each for about three

months and also have been taking 3, 800 mcg. Folic acid. I read Folic acid

keeps the MTX from working. I haven't been getting any good results and

wonder if all the excess Folic acid could have caused the MTX from working?

I have terrible hand ,wrist and shoulder pain and usually have to take 200

mg. celebrex 2x a day plus10mg Prednisone.

Due to stomach problems GERD I take Prilosec 2 a day and Calcium with Vit D

1,500 mg

Would or someone know about my concern about the Folic acid? I take it

to keep my hair from falling out)

Sincerely,

Bunny

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