Treatment

Treatment for vitamin deficiency anemia includes supplements and changes in diet.

Folate deficiency anemia treatment

Treatment involves eating a healthy diet and taking folic acid supplements as prescribed by your doctor. In most cases, folic acid supplements are taken orally.

Once your body's level of folate increases to normal, you may be able to stop taking the supplements. But if the cause of your folate deficiency can't be corrected, you may need to take folic acid supplements indefinitely.

Sometimes folate deficiency and B-12 deficiency occur at the same time. Treatment of the folate deficiency without treatment of the vitamin B-12 deficiency may make your symptoms worse.

Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia treatment

If you have pernicious anemia, injections of vitamin B-12 are recommended for treatment. If you and your doctor consider your taking vitamin B-12 supplements orally, you'll need careful monitoring by your doctor.

If you have vitamin B-12 deficiency due to other causes, such as vitamin B-12 not being absorbed because of gastric bypass surgery, vitamin B-12 injections also are usually recommended.

At first, you may receive the shots as often as every other day. Eventually, you'll need injections just once a month, which may continue for life, depending on your situation.

For milder cases of vitamin B-12 deficiency, treatment may involve changes to your diet and vitamin B-12 supplements in pill form or as a nasal spray.

Vitamin C deficiency anemia treatment

Treatment for anemia related to vitamin C deficiency is with vitamin C tablets. Additionally, you increase your intake of foods and beverages that contain vitamin C.