Ferrous Fumarate/ Folic Acid

Registered South African indications:

• Prophylaxis of anaemia

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to the active ingredient or any of its excipients
• Severe renal impairment
• Severe hepatic impairment
• Megaloblastic anaemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency
• Male patients
• Non-pregnant female patients
• Children
• Haemosiderosis
• Haemochromatosis
• Haemoglobinopathies
• Non-iron deficiency anaemia
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Active peptic ulcer
• Patients requiring repeated blood transfusion
• Coadministration with parenteral iron

Cautions

• Mild to moderatre renal impairment
• Mild to moderate hepatic impairment
• Megaloblastic anaemia
• Erythropoietic protoporphyria

Forms avail. in SA and covered in this monograph: tab

Prophylaxis of iron deficiency and megaloblastic anaemia in pregnancy

Ferrous fumarate/ Folic acid
200mg/100μg

• Oral (tab): 1-3 tab, dly

Not indicated for use in children

Pregnancy

• Compatible
• Ferrous fumarate/folic acid is suitable for use during pregnancy

Breastfeeding

• Compatible
• Ferrous fumarate/folic acid is suitable for use during breastfeeding

Renal Impairment

• Mild to moderate: Caution; no information available
• Severe: Contraindicated

Hepatic Impairment

• Mild to moderate: Caution; no information available
• Severe: Contraindicated

Elderly

• Not indicated for use in geriatric patients 

Porphyria Information

• Not yet classified (NC)

Drugs in Sport

• Permitted - No warnings

Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation

Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

• Haemosiderosis

Immune, Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders

• Allergic reactions

• Tetracyclines
• Acetohydroxamic acid
• Antacids
• Proton pump inhibitors
• Neomycin
• Cholestyramine
• Bicarbonates
• Carbonates
• Oxalates
• Phosphates
• Ascorbic acid
• Citric acid
• Mineral supplements
• Trientine
• Systemic chloramphenicol
• Methyldopa
• Dimercaprol
• Fluoroquinolones
• Levodopa
• Carbidopa
• Entacapone
• Bisphosphonates
• Penicillamine
• Levothyroxine 
• Mycophenolate
• Cefdinir
• Zinc
• Eltrombopag
• Anticonvulsants
• Raltitrexed
• Sulfasalazine

None routine

Ferrous fumarate
Ferrous fumarate is an easily absorbed source of iron for replacement therapy. It is a salt of ferrous iron with an organic acid and is less irritant to the gastro-intestinal tract than salts with inorganic acids.

Folic acid
Folic acid, a biochemically inactive compound, is converted to tetrahydrofolic acid and methyltetrahydrofolate. These folic acid congeners are needed to maintain normal erythropoiesis, synthesize purine and thymidylate nucleic acids, interconvert amino acids, methylate tRNA, and generate and use formate. Using vitamin B12 as a cofactor, folic acid can form methionine from homocysteine. 

COMBINATION PREPARATIONS

Ferrous fumarate/ Folic acid

Tablet 200mg/100μg

• Pregamal (GSK)