Possible Interaction: Antidepressive Agents and Folic Acid

“BACKGROUND Though encouraging evidence exists for the use of folic acid as an augmenting agent to antidepressants , evidence regarding its optimal dosage is lacking.”

“Encouraging evidence exists for the use of omega-3 fatty acids, SAMe, folic acid and l-tryptophan adjuvantly with antidepressants to enhance response and improve efficacy.”

“Supplementation with folic acid has been shown to enhance anti-depressant drug treatment and there is preliminary evidence that supplementation with certain micronutrients may help improve depressive symptoms in older patients.”

“Objective(s): Folic acid , a micronutrient supporting the natural defense system, may elevate antidepressant responses , although the lymphocyte serotonergic system has not been explored in folate-supplemented depressed patients.”

“DiscussionIf folic acid is shown to improve the efficacy of antidepressants , then it will provide a safe, simple and cheap way of improving the treatment of depression in primary and secondary care.”

“Antidepressant effects have been reported when antidepressants are augmented with folic acid , folinic acid, or the centrally active L-methylfolate (known formally as (6(S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate [MTHF]), particularly in depressed patients with folate deficiency whose major depressive episodes have failed to respond to antidepressants.”

“Supplementing antidepressant medication with folic acid enhances the therapeutic effect.”

“Low folate levels are furthermore linked to a poor response to antidepressants, and treatment with folic acid is shown to improve response to antidepressants.”

“The addition of folic acid seemed to decrease the deleterious and depressant effects of radiation therapy on the bone marrow, decrease the necessity for as frequent transfusions, shorten the period of hospitalization and seemed to have some beneficial influence on the course of the disease during radiation therapy.”