Prevention and treatment of conditions caused by folic acid deficiency, ie megaloblastic and haemolytic anemia. Folic acid doses 4 mg to 5 mg are recommended for use at least 3 months before the planned pregnancy in women who have given birth to a child with a neural tube defect.
Composition:
1 tabl contains 5 or 15 mg of folic acid.
Action:
Folic acid belongs to the group of B vitamins. Folic acid is a coenzyme in many processes, it participates, among others, in in the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine compounds, in the catabolism of histidine. Deficiency of folic acid causes a disorder of nucleic acid synthesis, most evident in the hematopoietic system (megaloblastosis, granulocytopoetic disorder and thrombocytopoiesis). It plays an important role in the prevention of neural tube defects, but this mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Research indicates the important role of folic acid in the metabolism of DNA and RNA and in the homocysteine-methionine metabolic cycle. Folic acid is absorbed in the duodenum and proximal segment of the small intestine, it is metabolized and stored in the liver. It binds to plasma proteins and permeates all tissues. It is excreted in the faeces (approximately 20%) and to a minimal extent in the urine. T0,5 is 3-3.5 hours.
Contraindications:
Hypersensitivity to the components of the preparation.
Precautions:
Use with caution in patients with epilepsy, brain tissue injury or spinal cord injury. In the treatment of pernicious anemia, folic acid should be used with the appropriate dose of vitamin B12; Folic acid monotherapy may cause neurological disorders and exacerbate the development of subacute complex spinal cord degeneration caused by pernicious anemia. The preparation contains lactose, therefore it should not be used in patients with rare hereditary galactose intolerance, lactase deficiency (Lapp type) or malabsorption of glucose-galactose.
Pregnancy and lactation:
Deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy may be the cause of fetal development disorders. Administration of folic acid in early pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Folic acid is excreted in human milk.
Side effects:
Allergic reactions (skin rash, redness of the skin, bronchospasm, fever), gastrointestinal disturbances (nausea, bloating, diarrhea) were very rarely observed. Long-term use may lead to a decrease in vitamin B concentration12.
Dosage:
Oral usually 4-15 mg per day. In megaloblastic anemia, adults: 5 mg a day for 4 months (in malabsorption the daily dose is up to 15 mg); in haemolytic anemia 5 mg daily or weekly, depending on the diet and the severity of haemolysis.
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