Folic Acid
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Folic Acid
| Wed, 03-02-2005 - 11:48am |
I got endometriosys operation thru laparoscopy and saved my ovaries. I'm still single and just broke up w/ my bf so unluckily not active in sex. I want to get pregnant someday and I'm 33 years old. I'm taking folic acid once daily w/c is 1mg but my friend said folic acid just need to be taken when having sexual intercourse. All I know it is just a simple vitamins and to help women get easily pregnant someday. I am confuse.. so need the right answer..If I should continue taking Folic Acid or not?

Hi marielle2005, welcome!
folic acid is vitamin B9 The Drug Advisor http://www2.eckerd.com/content.asp?content=pharmacy%2Fdrugadvisor&cookie%5Ftest=1 Says this about folic acid:
”FOLIC ACID (Folate, Vitamin B9) is a B-complex vitamin that occurs naturally in such foods as yeast, liver, kidneys, and leafy, green vegetables. Folic acid is essential to the development of healthy blood cells, nerve cells, and proteins in the body. As a nutritional supplement folic acid treats or prevents folic acid deficiency and certain types of anemia. It helps treat tropical sprue, a condition sometimes seen in people who travel to tropical climates, in which food nutrients are not properly absorbed. There is also increasing evidence that some birth defects (neural tube defects or spina bifida) are related to lack of folic acid. These may be prevented if the mother has enough folic acid before and during her pregnancy. Generic folic acid tablets are available. Some multivitamin products for use as dietary supplements contain small amounts of folic acid.”
I don’t think folic acid increases your chances of conceiving it helps prevent birth defects if you do conceive. Unless there is another reason for you to be taking folic acid as long as you are trying to avoid pregnancy and using an effective method of contraception I think it’s too early to be taking B9 for a healthy baby. When you begin actively trying to conceive or even seriously thinking about it would be time enough to begin taking folic acid. You can overdose on B9 so be sure to ask your doctor about the correct dose for you. Let us know how you’re doing. Thanks for posting.
Good luck,
Jill