What is leucovorin?
Leucovorin is a form of folic acid. Folic acid helps your body produce and maintain new cells, and also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Folic acid is present in many foods such as dried beans, peas, oranges, spinach, and others.
Leucovorin is used to reduce the side effects of large doses or accidental overdose of medications that can reduce the effects of folic acid in the body. This includes methotrexate (Rheumatrex), pyrimethamine (Daraprim), trimethoprim (Trimpex, Proloprim), and others.
Leucovorin may also be used to treat anemia (lack of red blood cells) caused by chemotherapy.
Leucovorin may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about leucovorin?
Do not take leucovorin if you have anemia that is caused by a lack of vitamin B12.
Before taking leucovorin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney, liver, or lung disease.
Before taking leucovorin, tell your doctor if you are using fluorouracil (Adrucil), phenytoin (Dilantin), fosphenytoin (Cerebyx), ethotoin (Peganone), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), or primidone (Mysoline).
When treating an accidental overdose, leucovorin should be started as soon as possible for best effect.
To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested often. This will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with leucovorin.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking leucovorin?
Do not take leucovorin if you have anemia that is caused by a lack of vitamin B12.
Before taking leucovorin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
kidney disease;
liver disease; or
lung disease.
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to take leucovorin, or you may need to use an injection form of leucovorin (given through a needle placed into a vein).
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether leucovorin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not take this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.