Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that helps your body produce and maintain new cells, and also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Folic acid is used to treat folic acid deficiency and certain types of anemia (lack of red blood cells) caused by folic acid deficiency. Folic acid is sometimes used with other medications to treat pernicious anemia. Folic acid used alone will not treat pernicious anemia and other anemias not related to Vitamin B12 deficiency. Take all of your medications as directed.
You should not use this medication if you have ever had an allergic reaction to folic acid.
Before you take folic acid, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis), an infection, if you are an alcoholic, or if you have any type of anemia that has not been diagnosed by a doctor and confirmed with laboratory testing.
Talk to your doctor about taking folic acid during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Folic acid is sometimes used in combination with other medications to treat pernicious anemia.