Is there such thing as too much folic acid?

[arlandonbloom]

I have been taking pre natal vitamins for a long time, and I am more than likely that I am about 6 weeks pregnant. I took a pregnancy test the day of my missed period and it came out negative... I waited about a week and took another one. About 3 minutes after, the test came out negative. So I laid it down and watched tv. About 15 minutes later, there was a faint positive line. So I am taking precaution just in case and waiting a few more days to take another one... But if I am, I am already on pre natals and just curious if there is too much that I could take... The vitamins I've been taking are 800mg. Is that too much? Will that cause any problems to the baby if I am pregnant?

[jemma116]

An excess of folic acid ingested is flushed out or excreted in the urine, without any health problems.   But taking  high doses over a long period of time can result in some problems. Some of the symptoms of folic acid overdose are as follows:
Diarrhea
Insomnia
Digestive problems (such as nausea or gas)
Rash
Zinc deficiency
Numbness in the mouth or tongue
Fatigue
Inability to concentrate
Psychotic behavior
Bitter taste in the mouth
Irritability, excitability, or hyperactivity
Reduced appetie
Depression
Seizures
Allergic reactions like swelling on face, throat, lips or tongue.

Too much folic acid in the blood stream can also give inaccurate readings of Vitamin B12 levels.  Vitamin B12 is another vitamin that is water soluble and excreted if too much is taken.

You should take the recommend dosage of folic acid as directed by your doctor.

Best wishes.

[specialmom]

Wait a bit longer and try another test.  In all truthfulness, when pregnant, that positive shows up pretty quickly.  I hope you are if you have been trying!!  

I don't think there is such a thing as 'too much'.  I'd go to the drug store and just take a generic 'prenatal' vitamin rather than folic acid on its own though.  Then you are sure to get the recommended amount.  My ob/gyn was iffy if pill form gets absorbed so it is a good idea to eat a diet of things that have folic acid in it such as spinach (a nice spinach salad), green veg, grape fruit, etc.  good luck

[thatquietgirl]

If you read the instructions on a pregnancy test, it says to ignore anything that is outside of the instructed wait time.  You can get a faint positive line outside that time that's a false positive.