FOLIC acid = VITAMIN B9 oral

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    Prescription under medical supervision

     

    Therapeutic action

    • Antianaemia drug

    Indications

    • Treatment of folate-deficient megaloblastic anaemias: severe malnutrition, repeated attacks of malaria, intestinal parasitosis, etc.

    Forms and strengths

    • 5 mg tablet

    Dosage and duration

    • Child under 1 year: 0.5 mg/kg once daily for 4 months
    • Child over 1 year and adult: 5 mg once daily for 4 months; 15 mg once daily in malabsorption states

    Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

    • Do not combine with sulfadiazine-pyrimethamine in patients with toxoplasmosis nor sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in patients with malaria: folic acid reduces the efficacy of these treatments.
    • Pregnancy: no contra-indication
    • Breast-feeding: no contra-indication

    Remarks

    • Folic acid must not be used for the treatment of anaemia due to antifolates (pyrimethamine, trimethoprim or methotrexate). Use folinic acid.
    • Folic acid is also used for primary and secondary prophylaxis of neural tube defects and for prophylaxis of acute anaemia in patients with sickle-cell anaemia.

    Storage

     
    – Below 25 °C