Table. 15 mg: megaloblastic anemia. Table. 5 mg: Prophylaxis and treatment of conditions caused by folic acid deficiency (megaloblastic anemia). Planned pregnancy in women who have given birth to a child with a neural tube defect.
Composition:
1 tabl contains 5 mg or 15 mg of folic acid. The preparation contains lactose.
Action:
Folic acid belongs to the group of B vitamins. It is metabolized in the body to the active form - tetrahydrofolic acid, which participates, among others, in in the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine compounds, DNA synthesis and amino acid metabolism. It also plays an important role in tissues in which numerous cell divisions occur, especially in the hematopoietic system, the gastrointestinal epithelium and fetal tissues. It is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous and hematopoietic system. Its deficiency disrupts the synthesis of nucleic acids of hematopoietic proliferative cells, which may lead to megaloblastic anemia with leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Taking folic acid in the period preceding pregnancy and in its initial period reduces the risk of the neural tube defects in the offspring (including spina bifida). It is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract reaching the maximum plasma concentration after 2-3 hours. It binds to plasma proteins and permeates all tissues. T0,5 is 3-3.5 h. Approx. 20% of the dose is excreted from the body in the faeces, approx. 2-5 μg daily is excreted through the kidneys, some of the administered folic acid is consumed by intestinal bacteria.
Contraindications:
Hypersensitivity to folic acid or other components of the preparation.
Precautions:
Use with caution in patients with epilepsy, brain tissue injury or spinal cord injury. The use of folic acid without the addition of vitamin B12 in patients with insufficiently diagnosed megaloblastic anemia may mask the symptoms of the disease, not preventing degenerative changes in the spinal cord. Due to the lactose content, the preparation should not be used in patients with galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption. There are no data on the use of the preparation in children.
Pregnancy and lactation:
The drug can be safely used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Side effects:
Allergic reactions may occur (skin rash, red skin, bronchospasm, fever).
Dosage:
Orally. In megaloblastic anemia adults 5 mg daily for 4 months (in absorption disorders up to 15 mg per day). In the prevention of neural tube defects in women who had a child with such a defect, 5 mg daily for at least 3 months before the planned pregnancy.
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