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Folic Acid is a brand name for Folic Acid. The medicine, its uses, side effects and dosage are the same regardless of brand.
Used for: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Folic acid is effective in the treatment of megaloblastic anemias due to a deficiency of folic acid (as may be seen in tropical or nontropical sprue) and in anemias of nutritional origin, pregnancy, infancy, or childhood.
Verbatim from this product's FDA label. Tap a section to expand.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Oral administration is preferred. Although most patients with malabsorption cannot absorb food folates, they are able to absorb folic acid given orally. , patients receiving parenteral or enteral alimentation). 1 mg should not be used unless anemia due to vitamin B 12 deficiency has been ruled out or is being adequately treated with a cobalamin.
Daily doses greater than 1 mg do not enhance the hematologic effect, and most of the excess is excreted unchanged in the urine. The usual therapeutic dosage in adults and children (regard less of age) is up to 1 mg daily. Resistant cases may require larger doses.
1 mg/day. Patients should be kept under close supervision and adjustment of the maintenance level made if relapse appears imminent. In the presence of alcoholism, hemolytic anemia, anticonvulsant therapy, or chronic infection, the maintenance level may need to be increased.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Allergic sensitization has been reported following both oral and parenteral administration of folic acid. Folic acid is relatively nontoxic in man. Rare instances of allergic responses to folic acid preparations have been reported and have included erythema, skin rash, itching, general malaise, and respiratory difficulty due to bronchospasm.
One patient experienced symptoms suggesting anaphylaxis following injection of the drug. Gastrointestinal side effects, including anorexia, nausea, abdominal distention, flatulence, and a bitter or bad taste, have been reported in patients receiving 15 mg folic acid daily for 1 month.
Other side effects reported in patients receiving 15 mg daily include altered sleep patterns, difficulty in concentrating, irritability, overactivity, excitement, mental depression, confusion, and impaired judgment. Decreased vitamin B 12 serum levels may occur in patients receiving prolonged folic acid therapy.
In an uncontrolled study, orally administered folic acid was reported to increase the incidence of seizures in some epileptic patients receiving phenobarbital, primidone, or diphenylhydantoin. Another investigator reported decreased diphenylhydantoin serum levels in folate-deficient patients receiving diphenylhydantoin who were treated with 5 mg or 15 mg of folic acid daily.
WARNING
Administration of folic acid alone is improper therapy for pernicious anemia and other megaloblastic anemias in which vitamin B 12 is deficient.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Folic acid is contraindicated in patients who have shown previous intolerance to the drug.
Not medical advice. Always read the patient information leaflet and follow your prescriber or pharmacist.
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