Folic acid

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.

Comments

See Also

References
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