Drug & supplement interaction

Folic Acid + Memantine

Memantine brand name: Ebixa.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Folic Acid and Memantine in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Folic Acid and Memantine

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Memantine and Folic Acid in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Folic Acid safety at a glance

Folic Acid overall Generally safe Generally safe at recommended doses for most adults.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally and appropriately. Folic acid 300-400 mcg is commonly used during pregnancy for prevention of neural tube defects. Miscarriage rates and negati... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally and appropriately. Folic acid 300-400 mcg is commonly used during pregnancy for prevention of neural tube defects. Miscarriage rates and negati... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Memantine and Folic Acid? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Memantine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Memantine is filed under 2 classifications — nmda antagonists, oral drugs. Folic Acid has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being 5-fluorouracil (moderate), capecitabine (xeloda) (moderate) and methotrexate (trexall, others) (moderate) — and none of Memantine’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Folic Acid Does Interact With Other Medications

Folic Acid has 40 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Memantine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Folic Acid

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Folic Acid. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Folic Acid and Memantine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Confusion Worth acting on Additional detail

    Folic Acid

    “Orally, folic acid 15 mg daily can sometimes cause altered sleep patterns, vivid dreaming, irritability, excitability, hyperactivity, confusion, and impaired judgment (15). Large doses of folic acid can also precipitate or exacerbate neuropathy in people deficient in vitamin B12.”

    Folic Acid · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.

    3 sources cited
    1. 15. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
    2. 6243. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (2000). Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000. Available at: http://b
    3. 13068. Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, et al. Dietary folate and vitamin B12 intake and cognitive decline among community-dwelling older persons. Arch Neurol 2005;62:641-5. PubMed

    Memantine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Memantine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    Folic Acid

    “Orally, folic acid 15 mg daily can sometimes cause exacerbation of seizure frequency and psychotic behavior (15).”

    Folic Acid · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in epilepsy.

    1 source cited
    1. 15. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.

    Memantine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Memantine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Folic Acid

    Recorded for Folic Acid in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Confusion above.

    Memantine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Memantine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Folic Acid

    “Liver dysfunction, with jaundice and very high liver enzymes, occurred in a 30-year-old pregnant patient with severe nausea and vomiting taking a folic acid supplement (Folic acid, Nature Made) 400 mcg daily.”

    Folic Acid · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 91309. Matsubara S, Imai K, Murayama K, Higashizawa T. Severe liver dysfunction during nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: folic acid supplement as a suggested culprit. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2012;32(7):701-2. PubMed

    Memantine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Memantine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Folic Acid but not commonly for Memantine: trouble sleeping, an allergic reaction, a severe allergic reaction and stomach pain.

Effects for Memantine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Folic Acid come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Folic Acid in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally and appropriately. Folic acid 300-400 mcg is commonly used during pregnancy for prevention of neural tube defects. Miscarriage rates and negative impacts on fetal growth have not been shown to increase with peri-conception supplemental folic acid intakes of 4 mg per day. However, other research shows that taking more than 5 mg per day during pregnancy may reduce development of cognitive, emotional, and motor skills in infants. Also, the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of folic acid for pregnant or lactating women is 800 mcg daily for those 14-18 years of age and 1000 mcg daily for those 19 years and older.

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Safe

When L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-MTHF), the reduced form of folate, is used orally and appropriately, short-term. L-5-MTHF has been used with apparent safety at a dose of 416 mcg daily for 16 weeks during lactation. Compared to folic acid, this form seems to further increase the folate concentration of red blood cells, but not breast milk.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Memantine Is Prescribed For, and What Folic Acid Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Memantine is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Folic Acid is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Memantine is prescribed for: Memantine treats moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. It is available as tablets, extended-release capsules, and an oral solution — all approved for this same use. It does not cure Alzheimer's disease and is not shown to prevent or slow the underlying loss of brain cells. It is used to help manage symptoms of moderate to severe disease.

Folic Acid has been studied for:

  • Dementia studied, not established Folic Acid has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Folic Acid for dementia

    It is unclear if oral folic acid is beneficial for the prevention or treatment of dementia.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Memantine on your own; if you are taking Folic Acid for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Folic Acid or Memantine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Folic Acid or Memantine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Memantine

This page covers Folic Acid only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Memantine page lists 18 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Threonine (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate) and Glucomannan (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

Open the Memantine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Folic Acid as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 92 real supplement products containing Folic Acid, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Folic Acid. Even though Folic Acid itself has no known interaction with Memantine, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Folic Acid and Memantine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Folic Acid
Top 25%

#195 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Memantine
Top 25%

#599 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Folic Acid reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Folic Acid and Memantine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Folic Acid

What is Folic Acid?

  • Preventing neural tube birth defects
  • Treating or preventing folate deficiency
  • Supporting pregnancy health
  • Certain types of anemia
  • Heart and blood vessel health

Folic acid is the man-made form of vitamin B9 and is one of the most well-studied supplements, especially for preventing serious birth defects when taken before and during early pregnancy. It is widely available, inexpensive, and generally safe at recommended doses, but you should still check with your pharmacist or doctor about the right amount for you.

Synthetic vitamin (not a plant part); natural folate is found in many foods · Tablets, capsules, softgels, multivitamins, prenatal vitamins, fortified foods

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Folic Acid is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Folic Acid record says about it on its own.

Folic Acid: dosing

People being treated for a deficiency may need higher amounts under medical supervision. Do not guess at high doses on your own — check with a healthcare professional, especially if you have anemia or are over 50.

From our Folic Acid monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Folic Acid monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Memantine

What Is Memantine Used For?

Brand name: Ebixa

Memantine treats moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. It is available as tablets, extended-release capsules, and an oral solution — all approved for this same use.

It does not cure Alzheimer's disease and is not shown to prevent or slow the underlying loss of brain cells. It is used to help manage symptoms of moderate to severe disease.

See full Memantine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Folic Acid

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Folic Acid — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
40Moderate
0Minor
2,789No known interaction
Moderate

40 interactions

No interaction 2,789 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Folic Acid References

The 56 references that drive our Folic Acid monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
  2. Duhra P. Treatment of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with methotrexate therapy for psoriasis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1993;28:466-9. PubMed
  3. Morgan SL, Baggott JE, Vaughn WH, et al. Supplementation with folic acid during methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1994;121:833-41. PubMed
  4. Froscher W, Maier V, Laage M, et al. Folate deficiency, anticonvulsant drugs, and psychiatric morbidity. Clin Neuropharmacol 1995;18:165-82. PubMed
  5. Lewis DP, Van Dyke DC, Willhite LA, et al. Phenytoin-folic acid interaction. Ann Pharmacother 1995;29:726-35. PubMed
  6. Berg MJ, Stumbo PJ, Chenard CA, et al. Folic acid improves phenytoin pharmacokinetics. J Am Diet Assoc 1995;95:352-6. PubMed
  7. Berg MJ, Fincham RW, Ebert BE, et al. Phenytoin pharmacokinetics: Before and after folic acid administration. Epilepsia 1992;33:712-20. PubMed
  8. Shafer RB, Nuttall FQ. Calcium and folic acid absorption in patients taking anticonvulsant drugs. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1975;41:1125-9. PubMed
  9. Leeb BF, Witzmann G, Ogris E, et al. Folic acid and cyanocobalamin levels in serum and erythrocytes during low-dose methotrexate therapy of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1995;13:459-63.
  10. Morgan SL, Baggott JE, Lee JY, Alarcón GS. Folic acid supplementation prevents deficient blood folate levels and hyperhomocysteinemia during longterm, low dose methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: implications for cardiovascular disease preventi
  11. Dijkmans BA. Folate supplementation and methotrexate. Br J Rheumatol 1995;34:1172-4. PubMed
  12. Segal S, Kaminski S. Drug-nutrient interactions. American Druggist 1996 Jul;42-8.
  13. Lambie DG, Johnson RH. Drugs and folate metabolism. Drugs 1985;30:145-55. PubMed
  14. Amer College of Rheumatology ad hoc committee on clinical guidelines. Guidelines for monitoring drug therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1996;39:723-31. DOI
  15. Suitor CW, Bailey LB. Dietary folate equivalents: interpretation and application. J Am Diet Assoc 2000;100:88-94. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Folic Acid and Memantine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Folic Acid with Memantine?
We do not list a known interaction between Folic Acid and Memantine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Folic Acid and Memantine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Folic Acid and Memantine used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Folic Acid in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Memantine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Folic Acid and Memantine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Memantine is filed under 2 classifications, and Folic Acid has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Memantine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Folic Acid interact with any other medications?
Yes. Folic Acid has 40 documented drug interactions in our database — Memantine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Memantine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Memantine has documented interactions with 18 supplements in our database — Folic Acid is not one of them. The Memantine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Memantine and Folic Acid?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.