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Drug Details
Folic Acid 2.5mg/5ml Oral Solution
- Presentation
Oral Solution. A clear, yellow, solution with a strawberry flavour and odour. - Description
Folic Acid 2.5mg/5ml Excipients: Methyl hydroxybenzoate (E218) Ethyl hydroxybenzoate (E214) Propyl hydroxybenzoate (E216) - Indications
- Folate deficient megaloblastic anaemia
- Folate deficient megaloblastic anaemia in infant
- Treatment of folate deficiency in malabsorption syndromes (parenteral administration of folic acid may need to be considered if oral treatment is not effective)
- Tropical sprue. Tropical sprue responds to folate supplements in the early stages of the disease but cobalamin status must also be checked, particularly later.
- Coeliac disease. The necessity of supplementation with folate ceases once a gluten free diet is introduced.
- Non-tropical sprue. In congenital folate malabsorption, oral treatment may not be effective and parental folate may therefore be required.
- Megaloblastic anaemia in pregnancy
- Megaloblastic anaemia associated with alcoholism
- Megaloblastic anaemia associated with anti-convulsant therapy
- Folic acid deficiency/megaloblastic anaemia associated with haemolytic anaemia e.g. Sickle Cell Anaemia
- Adult Dosage
For oral administration only.
Children (persons aged 12 years and younger):
May be given 5 mg to 15 mg daily, in divided doses, according to the severity of the deficiency state.
Adults:
Initial dose of 10 mg to 20 mg daily, in divided doses, for 14 days or until a haemopotoietic response has been obtained.
Maintenance dose is 2.5 mg to 10 mg daily.
Prophylactic dose in pregnancy 0.5 mg (1ml) daily.
- Child Dosage
Children (persons aged 12 years and younger):
May be given 5 mg to 15 mg daily, in divided doses, according to the severity of the deficiency state.
- Elderly Dosage
As for adults.
- Contra Indications
Known hypersensitivity to folic acid.
Known hypersensitivity to hydroxybenzoate esters.
Patients with folate dependent tumours.
Patients with malignant disease, unless megaloblastic anaemia due to folic acid deficiency.
- Special Precautions
If folic acid is used indiscriminately, there is a danger that patients with pernicious anaemia and other B12 deficiency states, despite a haematological remission, may develop irreparable neurological lesions. Therefore a full clinical diagnosis should be made before initiating treatment.
Folic acid is removed by haemodialysis.
Contains methyl- ethyl- and propyl- p-hydroxybenzoates; may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).
Contains 0.75 mmol (or 17.4mg) sodium per 20 ml dose, and is therefore essentially 'sodium-free'.
Contains phenylalanine. May be harmful for people with phenylketonuria
- Interactions
Folic acid has been observed to reduce plasma levels of anticonvulsants, particularly phenytoin and primidone and therefore patients should be carefully monitored by the physician and the anticonvulsant drug dose adjusted as necessary.
- Adverse Drug Reactions
Allergic reactions to folic acid have been reported.
Mild gastro-intestinal upsets are rare but may occur.