FEED

Folic acid 5 mg

Feed (Folic acid) is a form of the water-soluble vitamin B9.Folic acid is necessary for formation of a number of coenzymes in many metabolic systems, particularly for purine and pyrimidine synthesis; required for nucleoprotein synthesis and maintenance in erythropoiesis; stimulates WBC and platelet production in folate deficiency anemia

Indications

• Megaloblastic anaemia
• Folic acid deficiency
• Anaemias of pregnancy
• Nutritional anaemia
• Alcoholism

Dosage

Oral : 5mg 1 to 4 times daily; depending up on the severity of deficiency.
Maintenance dosage : Half of the therapeutic dosage.
Children : 2.5 to 5mg 1 to 2 times daily.

Contraindications

Addisonian pernicious anaemia (vitamin B12 deficiency), malignant disease. Known hypersensitivity to folic acid or any of the excipients.

Precautions

• Should not be used in the treatment of pernicious anaemia until adequate amounts of hydroxycobalamin have been administered parenterally. Caution has been expressed concerning the continuous use of high doses 5 mg per day. Such dose levels have no value except in malabsorption, when regular doses with folic acid tablets BP would be justified. The treatment of the megaloblastic anaemias of malignant disease should be approached individually and folic acid tablets are likely to be the most suitable agent.
• Folic Acid Tablets contain lactose. Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.
• Folic Acid Tablets contain sucrose. Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency should not take this medicine.

Side effects

High doses of folic acid might cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, rash, sleep disorders, irritability, confusion, nausea, stomach upset, behavior changes, skin reactions, seizures, gas, excitability

Drug interaction

• Fosphenytoin (cerebyx) Taking folic acid along with fosphenytoin (cerebyx) might decrease the effectiveness of fosphenytoin (cerebyx) for preventing seizures.
• Methotrexate (mtx, rheumatrex) Taking folic acid pills along with methotrexate might decrease the effectiveness of methotrexate (mtx, rheumatrex).
• phenobarbital (luminal) Taking folic acid can decrease how well phenobarbital (luminal) works for preventing seizures.
• phenytoin (dilantin) Taking folic acid along with phenytoin (dilantin) might decrease the effectiveness of phenytoin (dilantin) and increase the possibility of seizures.
• primidone (mysoline) Taking folic acid can along with primidone (mysoline) might decrease how well primidone works for preventing seizures.
• pyrimethamine (daraprim) folic acid might decrease the effectiveness of pyrimethamine (daraprim) for treating parasite infections.