Is Folate (Vitamin B9) Safe with Norethindrone?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Women taking norethindrone-based contraceptives should supplement with 400–800 mcg of methylfolate daily. This is especially important for women who may become pregnant after stopping the pill, as folate depletion can persist for months.
Why this interaction occurs
Progestin components, including norethindrone, in combination with estrogen further compound folate depletion by interfering with folate-dependent metabolic pathways. Low folate is associated with neural tube defects, depression, and increased homocysteine levels.
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 8,508 reports mentioning Norethindrone. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Norethindrone + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Folate (Vitamin B9) interactions → · All Norethindrone interactions →
Already checked this one — check your whole list
Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.