FLINTSTONES MULTI-VIT GUMMIES (pediatric multivit comb no.7/folic acid)


Drug overview for FLINTSTONES MULTI-VIT GUMMIES (pediatric multivit comb no.7/folic acid):

Generic name: PEDIATRIC MULTIVIT COMB NO.7/FOLIC ACID
Drug class: Folic Acid
Therapeutic class: Electrolyte Balance-Nutritional Products

Folic acid is a water-soluble, B complex vitamin.

Numerous multivitamin preparations are marketed, with little standardization of formulas. Useful multivitamin preparations should contain only essential vitamins (those for which there is a recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA)). (See Dosage and Administration.) Preparations containing iron and/or calcium supplements may be useful in some patients (e.g., pregnant or lactating women) but other essential minerals are usually obtained from the diet.

The addition of agents such as liver, yeast, and wheat germ to vitamin preparations offers no advantage over pure chemical ingredients, and inclusion of nonessential agents such as choline, bioflavonoids, inositol, betaine, lecithin, and methionine is unwarranted. Combinations of vitamins and other drugs such as hormones are irrational and should not be used. Folic acid is used for the treatment of megaloblastic and macrocytic anemias resulting from folate deficiency.

The drug is usually indicated in the treatment of nutritional macrocytic anemia; megaloblastic anemias of pregnancy, infancy, and childhood; and megaloblastic anemia associated with primary liver disease, alcoholism and alcoholic cirrhosis, intestinal strictures, anastomoses, or sprue. Folate deficiency may also result from increased loss of folate secondary to renal dialysis or the administration of some drugs such as phenytoin, primidone, barbiturates, methotrexate, nitrofurantoin, or sulfasalazine. Folic acid is not effective in the treatment of normocytic, refractory, or aplastic anemias or, when used alone, in the treatment of pernicious anemia.

Folic acid antagonists (e.g., methotrexate, pyrimethamine, trimethoprim) inhibit folic acid reductases and prevent the formation of tetrahydrofolic acid. Therefore, folic acid is not effective as an antidote following overdosage of these drugs, and leucovorin calcium must be used. In large doses, folic acid is used in the treatment of tropical sprue.

In patients with this disease, the drug appears to exert a beneficial effect on the underlying mucosal abnormality as well as to correct folate deficiency. Although prophylactic administration of folic acid is not required in most individuals, supplemental folic acid may be required to prevent deficiency of the vitamin in patients with conditions that increase folic acid requirements such as pregnancy, nursing, or chronic hemolytic anemia. In some patients, such as those with nutritional megaloblastic anemia associated with vitamin B12 deficiency or tropical or nontropical sprue, a simultaneous deficiency of folic acid and cyanocobalamin may exist, and combined therapy may be warranted. Likewise, combined folic acid and iron therapy may be indicated for prevention or treatment of megaloblastic anemia associated with iron deficiency as may occur in conditions such as sprue, megaloblastic anemia of pregnancy, and megaloblastic anemia of infants.
DRUG IMAGES
  • No Image Available
    No Image Available
The following indications for FLINTSTONES MULTI-VIT GUMMIES (pediatric multivit comb no.7/folic acid) have been approved by the FDA:

Indications:
Vitamin deficiency prevention
Vitamin deficiency


Professional Synonyms:
Vitamin deficiency prophylaxis