Patient leaflet - Folic Acid tablets 5 mg
1. What Folic Acid Tablets are and what they are used for
Folic acid belongs to the vitamin B group.
Folic Acid Tablets are useful for:
- The treatment and prevention of certain types of anaemia, including pernicious anaemia • The treatment and prevention of folic acid deficiency (for example caused by the administration of phenytoin for epilepsy).
2. What you need to know before you take Folic Acid Tablets
Do not take Folic Acid Tablets if you:
- Are allergic to folic acid or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6) • Are suffering a malignant (cancerous) disease (unless you have anaemia due to a deficiency of folic acid)
- Have an untreated vitamin B12 deficiency such as in certain anaemias and lifelong vegetarians • Have Addison's disease and low vitamin B12 levels in your blood
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Folic Acid Tablets if you:
- Suffer from pernicious anaemia (a disorder preventing the absorption of vitamin B12) or could be suffering from a lack of vitamin B12
- Have a tumour. Care needs to be taken in patients with certain tumours • Are undergoing haemodialysis due to kidney failure
- Are receiving a coronary stent (a tube that is inserted in the artery that leads to the heart, in order to stop blockages)
Other medicines and Folic Acid Tablets
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
In particular tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following:
- Phenytoin, phenobarbital and primidone (used to control epileptic fits) • Methotrexate used to treat Crohn's disease, psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis • Triamterene, a diuretic (or 'water tablet')
- Nitrous oxide, a gas and air mixture used to put you to sleep for an operation or to relieve pain while you are awake
- Lithium for mental health problems
- Aspirin for pain relief or to thin your blood.
- Ethanol
- Fluorouracil, a drug used to treat certain tumours
Some antibiotics (trimethoprim and sulphonamides, sometimes combined as co-trimoxazole)
reduce the effect of folic acid. All antibiotics can interfere with folic acid blood test results • Some indigestion remedies (edible clay and antacids containing aluminium or magnesium).
Allow at least a two hour gap between taking your Folic Acid Tablets and indigestion remedies
- Preparations containing zinc such as vitamins or food supplements (this may be important in pregnancy)
- Sulfasalazine, used to treat the inflammatory bowel conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
- Colestyramine, used to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
This medicine can be taken in pregnancy to treat anaemia.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
These tablets should not affect your driving or ability to use machinery, however if you are affected do not drive or operate machinery as your alertness may be impaired.
Folic Acid Tablets contain sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.
3. How to take Folic Acid Tablets
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended doses are as follows:
Anaemia
Adults and children over 1 year:
One tablet a day for the treatment of anaemia or one tablet every one to seven days for the prevention of anaemia (depending on diet and underlying disease).
Children less than 1 year of age:
500 micrograms per kilogram of body weight daily.
If you are suffering with malabsorption, up to 15mg (3 tablets) a day may be prescribed.
If you take more Folic Acid Tablets than you should
This medicine is to be taken when prescribed by the doctor. If you take too many tablets by mistake contact your nearest hospital casualty department or tell your doctor immediately. Take your tablet pack with you.
If you forget to take Folic Acid Tablets
If you have forgotten to take a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Take your next dose at the normal time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. If you have trouble remembering to take the tablets, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
If you stop taking Folic Acid Tablets
Do not stop taking Folic Acid Tablets without consulting your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
You may develop an allergic reaction or a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic reaction) (rare - may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people). If you experience any of the following, seek medical help immediately:
- Itchy/red skin, rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, shock (cold sweaty skin, weak pulse, dry mouth, dilated pupils, dizziness, weakness and/or fainting).
Other side effects
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- Loss of appetite (anorexia)
- Feeling sick
- Bloating of the stomach
- Flatulence (wind).
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
- Worsening of the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Folic acid should never be used to treat anaemia without a full investigation of the cause.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Folic Acid Tablets
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store in a cool dry place. Protect from light.
Do not use this medicine if you notice visible signs of deterioration.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Folic Acid Tablets contain
The active substance is folic acid. Each tablet contains 5mg of folic acid.
The other ingredients are: dicalcium phosphate, starch, sodium lauryl sulphate and magnesium stearate.
What Folic Acid Tablets look like and contents of the pack
Folic Acid Tablets are biconvex, yellow tablets.
Folic Acid Tablets are available in packs of 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Ennogen IP Ltd
Unit G4, Riverside Industrial Estate,
Riverside Way, Dartford, DA1 5BS, UK
This leaflet was last revised in May 2026.
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