Generic name
Folic acid: adverse event reports filed with FDA
24,051 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Vitamin B12. Also reported as Folic Acid Tab, Folic Acid Tablets, Folic Acid 1mg Tablet.
- 24,051
- reports as suspect product
- 0.1% of all reports · about 1,069 a year
- 2,285
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 3,339 in the 12 months before
- 96.5%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 95.6% across the class
- 23.9%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 5,750 reports · not verified by FDA
24,051 adverse event reports received by FDA list folic acid, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to June 2026. A further 224,751 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 2,285 reports listed it, down 32% from 3,339 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 1,069 reports a year and 0.1% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 90.8% of the reports for the vitamin B12 class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are pain (38.3%), systemic lupus erythematosus (36.5%) and drug ineffective (36.3%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 2,113 different terms appear across these reports. Pain is recorded in 38.3% of these reports, a larger share than in the median vitamin B12 drug (23.3%).
96.5% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (95.6% across the class); 23.9% record death among the outcomes and 38.3% record hospitalisation, as reported. 63% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (28.4%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Folic acid reports recording the termmedian drug in vitamin b12
- Painpain, site not specified38.3%9,209
- Systemic lupus erythematosuslupus, an autoimmune disease36.5%8,782
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected36.3%8,728
- Alopeciahair loss35.8%8,618
- Pemphigus35.5%8,531
- Rheumatoid arthritisrheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory joint disease35.4%8,515
- Abdominal discomfortstomach discomfort34.9%8,398
- Fatiguetiredness34.2%8,231
- Glossodynia32.4%7,789
- Swellingswelling28.9%6,939
- Hand deformity28.3%6,797
- Rashskin rash26.9%6,471
- Arthropathy26.6%6,404
- Wound26%6,261
- Contraindicated product administered25.7%6,190
- Maternal exposure during pregnancythe mother took the medicine during pregnancy25.6%6,153
- Joint swellinga swollen joint24.5%5,893
- Synovitis23.9%5,745
- Drug intolerancethe medicine was not tolerated23.7%5,704
- Infusion related reactiona reaction during or soon after an infusion23.4%5,628
- Pericarditisinflammation of the sac around the heart23.1%5,547
- Arthralgiajoint pain22.5%5,409
- Discomfortdiscomfort22%5,300
- Hepatic enzyme increasedraised liver enzymes22%5,297
- Hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction21.9%5,264
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label21.5%5,178
- Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse19.6%4,714
- Duodenal ulcer perforation19%4,581
- Helicobacter infection18.6%4,483
Top 30 of 2,113 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 2 drugs in the vitamin b12 class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 26,500 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 7.8% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 9,045 | 37.6% |
| Vitamin supplementation | 410 | 1.7% |
| Foetal exposure during pregnancy | 355 | 1.5% |
| Supplementation therapy | 170 | 0.7% |
| Prophylaxis | 164 | 0.7% |
| Psoriasis | 161 | 0.7% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 24,051 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Folic acid reports |
|---|---|---|
| Methotrexate | 15,309 | 63.7% |
| Prednisone | 13,762 | 57.2% |
| Enbrel | 11,311 | 47% |
| Orencia | 11,231 | 46.7% |
| Sulfasalazine | 11,205 | 46.6% |
| Humira | 11,009 | 45.8% |
| Cimzia | 10,943 | 45.5% |
| Actemra | 10,758 | 44.7% |
| Arava | 10,540 | 43.8% |
| Desoximetasone | 10,432 | 43.4% |
Other products listed in reports where Folic acid is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Folic acid | Vitamin B12 | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 24,051 | 26,500 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 90.8% | 0.1% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 2,285 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 96.5% | 95.6% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 239 | 228 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 383 | 396 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 14.1% | 15.4% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Pain 38.3% | median 23.3% | 2.9% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the vitamin b12 class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyanocobalamin | generic | 2,449 | 186 | 87.8% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Folic acid reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Folic acid?
24,051 reports list Folic acid as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 2,285 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 224,751 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Folic acid reports?
pain (38.3%), systemic lupus erythematosus (36.5%), drug ineffective (36.3%), alopecia (35.8%) and pemphigus (35.5%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Folic acid was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
96.5% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 23.9% of reports include death and 38.3% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
other health professional (63%), physician (18.7%) and consumer or non-health professional (14.1%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Folic acid rising?
2,285 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 32% from 3,339 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Folic acid was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Folic acid?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Folic acid as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (224,751) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.