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Folic acid
From WikEM
Contents
Administration
- Type: Vitamin
- Dosage Forms:
- Routes of Administration: IV/IM, oral
- Other names: folate, vitamin B9
Adult Dosing
- Recommended daily allowance: 400 mcg/day (nonpregnant/lactating), 600 mcg/day (pregnant), 500 mcg/day (lactating)
- Folic acid deficiency, megaloblastic anemia:
- Up to 1mg IV/IM or PO daily
- Maintenance: 0.4mg/day PO (non-pregnant/lactating) or 0.8mg/day PO (pregnant or lactating)
- Methotrexate toxicity: 1mg/day PO OR 5mg/week
Pediatric Dosing
- Folic acid deficiency
- up to 1mg IV/IM or PO daily
- maintenance
- infants, 0.1 mg/day
- infant-4yo: up to 0.3 mg/day
- >4 yo: 0.4 mg/day
Special Populations
- Pregnancy Rating: A
- Lactation risk: Infant risk minimal
- Renal dosing: not defined
- Hepatic dosing: not defined
- Chronic alcoholism: may need increased doses
Contraindications
- Allergy to class/drug
Adverse Reactions
Serious
- Allergic condition
Common
- Bad taste in mouth (large doses)
- Nausea, loss of appetite
- Confusion, irritability, sleep disturbance
Pharmacology
- Half-life:
- Metabolism: Hepatic
- Excretion: Renal
Mechanism of Action
- Converted to tetrahydrofolic acid, which is necessary for normal erythropoiesis, purine and thymidylate synthesis, amino acids metabolism, and histidine metabolism.
