Folic acid is indicated for the treatment of-

• Folic acid deficiency
• Megaloblastic anemia
• Anemias of nutritional origins, pregnancy, infancy, or childhood

Folic Acid Deficiency

Anemia

• In adults and children (regardless of age), the usual therapeutic dosage is up to 1 mg daily. Resistant cases may necessitate higher doses.
• When clinical symptoms have subsided and the blood picture has returned to normal, a daily maintenance level of 0.1 mg for infants and up to 0.3 mg for children under the age of four, 0.4 mg for adults and children four and older, and 0.8 mg for pregnant and lactating women, but never less than 0.1 mg/day, should be used. Patients should be closely monitored, and the maintenance level should be adjusted if a relapse appears to be imminent.
• The maintenance level may need to be increased in the presence of alcoholism, hemolytic anemia, anticonvulsant therapy, or chronic infection.

Folic acid is toxicity free in man. In rare cases, allergic reactions like rash might appear.

Rash

• Folic acid alone is ineffective  for the treatment of  pernicious anemia and other megaloblastic anemias caused by a lack of vitamin B12.
• There is a risk in giving folic acid to patients who have undiagnosed anemia because it can mask the diagnosis of pernicious anemia by alleviating the hematologic manifestations while allowing the neurologic complications to progress. This can cause severe nervous system damage if the correct diagnosis is not made. Adequate vitamin B12 levels may help to prevent, slow, or reverse the neurologic changes caused by pernicious anemia.