Vitafol (ferrous fumarate/calcium/vitamin E/folic acid/multivitamin)

Calcium Oral Tablet

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Last reviewed · Source: First Databank (FDB) drug data

Overview

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and an antioxidant.

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

Calcium salts are used as a source of calcium, an essential nutrient cation.

Ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate, carbonyl iron, and polysaccharide-iron complex are iron preparations that are commercially available in the US for oral administration in the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency.

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.

Generic name: ferrous fumarate/calcium/vitamin E/folic acid/multivitamin
Drug class: Calcium
Therapeutic class: Electrolyte Balance-Nutritional Products

Reference product & biosimilars

No reference, biosimilar or interchangeable associated with this drug.

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Indications

No indications are available for this drug.

Dosing

Vitamin E activity is generally expressed in USP or International Units which are equivalent; the International Unit of vitamin E is no longer officially recognized but continues to be used in the labeling of some preparations. It should be noted that vitamin E preparations are historically and incorrectly labeled as d- or dl-alpha-tocopherol and their respective esters. Vitamin E compounds include the all racemic (all rac)-alpha-tocopherol (dl-alpha-tocopherol (RRR-, RRS-, RSR-, RSS-, SSS-, SRS-, SSR-, and SRR-) or synthetic) form and its esters and the RRR-alpha-tocopherol (d-alpha-tocopherol or natural) form and its esters, and any of these compounds may be present in fortified foods and vitamin preparations.

One unit of vitamin E equals the biologic activity of 1 mg of all rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), 1.12 mg of all rac-alpha-tocopheryl succinate (dl-alpha-tocopheryl acid succinate), 910 mcg of all rac-alpha-tocopherol (dl-alpha-tocopherol), 735 mcg of RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), 830 mcg of RRR-alpha-tocopheryl succinate (d-alpha-tocopheryl acid succinate), and 670 mcg of RRR-alpha-tocopherol (d-alpha-tocopherol). However, because the USP potency unit for vitamin E was defined before studies showed a lack of human activity for the 2S-stereoisomers, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Food and Nutrition Board recommended in 2000 that the current equivalency defined in the USP standard be redefined based on the R-stereoisomeric forms of alpha-tocopherol, which are the forms that are active in humans. According to the NAS definition, each USP unit of vitamin E is equivalent to the biologic activity of 450 mcg of the synthetic all rac-alpha-forms of tocopherol and its esters or 670 mcg of the RRR-alpha-forms of tocopherol and its esters.

Dosage of folic acid injection (sodium folate) is expressed in terms of folic acid. In general, although patient response to folic acid therapy depends on the degree and nature of the deficiency, once proper corrective measures are undertaken, folate-deficient patients generally respond rapidly. During the first 24 hours of treatment, the patient experiences an improved sense of well-being, and within 48 hours, the bone marrow begins to become normoblastic. Reticulocytosis generally begins within 2-5 days following initiation of folic acid therapy.

Dosage of the oral calcium supplements is usually expressed in grams or mg of elemental calcium and depends on the requirements of the individual patient. Dosage of parenteral calcium replacements is usually expressed as mEq of calcium and depends on individual patient requirements. One mEq of elemental calcium is equivalent to 20 mg. See Table 1 for the approximate calcium content of the various calcium salts.

Table 1.

Calcium Salt Calcium Content calcium acetate 253 mg (12.7 mEq) per g calcium carbonate 400 mg (20 mEq) per g calcium chloride 270 mg (13.5 mEq) per g calcium citrate 211 mg (10.6 mEq) per g calcium gluceptate 82 mg (4.1 mEq) per g calcium gluconate 90 mg (4.5 mEq) per g calcium glycerophosphate 191 mg (9.6 mEq) per g calcium lactate 130 mg (6.5 mEq) per g calcium phosphate dibasic anhydrous 290 mg (14.5 mEq) per g calcium phosphate dibasic dihydrate 230 mg (11.5 mEq) per g calcium phosphate tribasic 400 mg (20 mEq) per g

Oral calcium supplements usually are administered in 3 or 4 divided doses daily. Optimum calcium absorption may require supplemental vitamin D in individuals with inadequate vitamin D intake, those with impaired renal activation of the vitamin, or those not receiving adequate exposure to sunlight.

Dosage of oral iron preparations should be expressed in terms of elemental iron. The elemental iron content of the various preparations is approximately:

Drug Elemental Iron ferric pyrophosphate 120 mg/g ferrous gluconate 120 mg/g ferrous sulfate 200 mg/g ferrous sulfate, dried 300 mg/g ferrous fumarate 330 mg/g ferrous carbonate, anhydrous 480 mg/g carbonyl iron 1000 mg/g

carbonyl iron is elemental iron, not an iron salt.

Drug interactions

Vitamin E may increase the absorption, utilization, and storage of vitamin A and may protect against hypervitaminosis A; however, these effects are controversial.

Vitamin E in dosages of greater than 10 units/kg daily may delay the response to iron therapy in children with iron-deficiency anemia, and low-birthweight infants treated with iron supplements may develop vitamin E-deficiency hemolytic anemia.

Vitamin E or one of its metabolites reportedly may have anti-vitamin K effects; patients receiving oral anticoagulants may be at risk of hemorrhage after large doses of vitamin E. In normal healthy individuals, vitamin E caused no change in blood clotting.

Excessive use of mineral oil may decrease the absorption of vitamin E.

Orlistat may result in decreased GI absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin E. At least 2 hours should elapse between (before or after) any orlistat dose and vitamin E administration; administering fat-soluble vitamins at bedtime may be a convenient time. Although the manufacturer of orlistat recommends that a vitamin supplement containing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) be used during orlistat therapy, such vitamin concentrations in clinical studies with the drug remained within the normal range for most patients despite decreases, and vitamin supplementation was only occasionally needed.

In folate-deficient patients, folic acid therapy may increase phenytoin metabolism, resulting in decreased phenytoin serum concentrations. Although this interaction is not usually clinically important, an increase in seizure frequency may occur in some patients.

It has been reported that concurrent administration of chloramphenicol and folic acid in folate-deficient patients may result in antagonism of the hematopoietic response to folic acid. Although the importance and mechanism of the interaction is unclear, the hematologic response to folic acid in patients receiving both drugs should be carefully monitored.

Contraindications

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Adverse reactions

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Precautions

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ICD codes

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Formulary status

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Last reviewed · Source: First Databank (FDB) drug data