Hey everyone, this is probably a really silly question but i was just round a friends and she had a pack of folic acid i said oh im on them ( she was on them for low something cant remember what) and she said i sort of dont want to come of them as ive lost loads of weight with them as it said on google they are a fat burner was wondering if anyone knew if that is true? Im just a tad worried as ive always been really thin and struggled to gain weight but ive always noticed since having my RA ive struggled more and felt ive lost weight i always put it down to my mxt so im now thinking is that true and if so could they be the reason i feel ive lost weight and struggling even more to gain a bit. A silly question i know but i thought someone on here may know 😊
Folic acid: Hey everyone, this is probably a really... - NRAS
Folic acid
Not had that experience ...took 5mg FA 6 days a week for 7 years & had no loss/gain at all!
I’m normal weight for my height.
I did lose a ton of weight on Leflunomide.....it completely removed my appetite...have you noticed you are never hungry?
My friend hasnt got RA shes taking them at the mind for something else but shes on a diet to lose weight and said since shes been on the folic acid shes lost loads of weight so googled it and said its a fat burner so as you can imagine it worried but as ive always felt anyway since being on mxt ive lost alot of weight. I still get hungry all time like i used to but dont enjoy half as much as i did or dont eat as well as i used to ( i dont statve myself) even tho im really thin i used to have an amazing appetite i was always eating Never gained much weight but never noticed i lost any weight where as now i have 0 appetite and just dont enjoy most foods like i used too
Speak to your Rheumy nurse if you have no appetite...my Rheumy took me off Lfl when I lost 15kg in 3 months....but it took a year to put it back on.
I suspect maybe your friend has been a bit strict with that diet she’s on& it’s absolutely nothing to do with FA. I’m sure people would’ve mentioned here if they had lost weight when they were taking it.
Oh how I wish this was true. I’ve put on 3 stone since diagnosis and take folic acid 6 days a week .🥺some people have tummy problems with folic acid but most are just fine.
I wish i would gain weight on it haha i just feel like i keep losing it. I get tummy problems with my mxt
This hasn’t happened to me either, I’ve been taking folic acid for20+ years. The only way you will know if you are losing weight is if you regularly weigh yourself to see if you are consistently losing weight, if you are then I would see your GP to get checked out.
Yeah i said to my friend ive never been told they make you lose weight and my doctors know im slim, im on the lower dosage of hydroxy because im so slim. Ive been keeping an eye on my weight i do mention it alot but may just mention it again next time and ask them to keep an eye on it aswell. It doesnt say on anything i was given that they burn fat it just worried me a bit
i use to be a very active person and i have taken folic acid since i got diognozed but i again have probobly gained 3 stone as well use to walk 15 miles a day on delivery .
I dont think so, but check with your rheumatology folks.
Can’t say that’s something I’ve noticed. It’s prescribed for pregnant women in early pregnant to prevent certain birth defects, so I would be surprised. Probably best to double check with a pharmacist or doctor.
I don't know as they gave the stuff to me when pregnant many years ago and it made me so queasy and sick it was put on notes not to be prescribed again. Is it making her queasy/sick so she doesn't want to eat.
No she said shes been eating quite alot and still having her sweet treats but is losing weight since being on them. Iv never been told they burn your fat it just worried me a bit when she said it as shes on the same 5mg as me
Maybe she's anaemic Emma, has iron/red blood cell deficiency? Folic acid is usually the first thing GP's prescribe for that, see if it works. I think as she's trying to lose weight she's probably focussed on a tidbit she's read, or a less medically based site, (what do we always say about Dr Google?). Any excess folate to what we need is wee'd out. It's right that B vitamins help us process proteins, carbs & fats & that good metabolism means that our body uses them for energy rather than storing them as fat. These vitamins she can get herself though, not by supplementing with folic acid, so sensible eating, her better diet, is more likely the reason she's losing weight. Once her anaemia is tackled she may find out for herself that the diet regime is paying dividends not the folic acid once she's off them, or that she's replacing them with foods which contain B vitamins.
I wouldn’t worry but if you need reassurance on anything it's always best to talk to your Rheumy or Nurse, especially so if your appetite is being affected & it's making you anxious.
Yes i told her not to google things she always do it haha it just worried me a bit as i said to her i had never been told they are a weight loss helper ive been on them years and doctors have never said anything and they know how slim i am. Its more my mxt that takes my appetite and has made me drop a bit of weight i reckon, i start a new tablet this week so next time i see the nurse i may ask if the mxt dosage can be dropped and see if it helps i was hoping i would be taken off it with the new tablet but they Said they cant consider it for a long time
I think if you've discussed with them how slim you are they'd have mentioned if there was any possible connection with folic acid of losing weight. I really think that your friend has set the seed & it's now playing on your mind & of either it's the MTX which is affecting your appetite. I've always had a healthy appetite & like you could eat anything without putting weight on though MTX has always affected my appetite the following day. I just graze & have things like avocado, gherkins & olives, weirdly that all I fancy. I figure one day makes no difference for the good MTX had done for me. So I think you’re right & it's the MTX. You never know with starting another med you'll hopefully be better controlled & you may be able to ask if you can reduce your MTX dose. I take it you're injecting? If not do ask if it's possible, most people find that it's helpful if they have had similar problems on tablets.
I take folic acid every day to try and keep my red cells healthy, I was seemingly low on my last blood test, my haematologist told me it wouldn’t do any harm to keep taking them.
I suspect that she will have a low folate level if she is taking folic acid. She may have a condition that causes this that means she has a low body weight?
Crikey, i gained a stone in the first six months of mtx with folic acid, weekly . I seemed to crave cakes and chocolates on my MTX day so would eat them non stop....thankfully, i m over this now and eat fruit instead.
I ll ask my Weight Watchers group if Folic is known for slimming benefits.. though when i take it I do feel "content " and happy to sit and read.
A quick google search found articles claiming that Folic acid both helps you lose weight and put on weight. None of these articles look like very trust worthy sources. If you are concerned please speak to your rheumatology team or a pharmacist.
No such thing as a silly question!
I would like to say "I wish!". I've been taking it for over a year, 6 days a week and not lost an ounce.
I was shocked when she said it as id never heard it before It just got me a bit worries with me taking them for 6 days and im already slim like i say my doctors have never said anything like that to me so id be shocked if they did make you lose weight
Hi all,
I had taken FA for years mainly cause I was on arava but the generic brand and Plaquenil and 5 mg. of prednisone the ra doc at that time said to take it. Last few years I am with a new doctor. She said I did not need it... not on arava or methotrexate. Was on plaqunil and biologic been on and off prednisone.
Any how have been on many different biologics in the last couple of years due to the fact that I developed psoriasis and we were trying to get something that worked for both. Just recently I had another biopsy again for skin ..... now saying it’s eczema 🙁
Was on Cimzia , I got off of the pred and plaquenil then since she said I did not need FA I went off that. Any how had a blood test done back in December , my blood counts were high in liver and wbc very low platelets low also.
So right now I am not on Cimzia to see if blood counts come back. Waiting on another blood test to be done soon. Cimzia did help the ra but my skin a mess!
So sorry for blabbing on, questions
Do you all think FA would help and is any one on Cimzia?
Doctor says Cimzia should not affect my counts like that .
Thanks!
I've been on methotrexate and folic acid for some ten years and that has not caused weight loss.
It might be the RA itself that causes the weight loss. When I initially had active RA, I lost quite a bit of weight. Only after the RA was controlled by the methotrexate did I get back to my normal weight.
I looked at the NHS website and a possible side effect of Folic Acid supplements can be loss of appetite. nhs.uk/medicines/folic-acid/
However, methotrexate reduces the amount of "folate" in your body and you have to take the supplement to counteract this and avoid the bad effects of LOW folate. That being so, a dose of folic acid that might be excessive and cause appetite loss on its own may not have the same effect if you are on methotrexate,
Best ask your doctor if you have real problems.
Hi Emma88,
No evidence to suggest folic acid is connected to weight loss, if so it’s not working for me. Think about it, with diets, obesity and slimming pills etc sales would be through the roof. If you take Methatrexate carry on as normal and do not take folic acid the day you take your meds.
Folic acid
Leflunomide and folic acid
MTX and folic acid 
