PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER

Folic Acid

Read all of this leaflet

carefully before you start

to take this medicine.

-    Keep this leaflet You may need to read it again while you are receiving your treatment

-    If you have any further questions, please ask your doctor or pharmacist.

-    This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others, it may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.

-    If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please teii you doctor or pharmacist.

In this leaflet:

1.    What Folic Acid Oral Solution is and what it is used for

2.    Before you take Folic Acid Oral Solution

3.    How to take Folic Acid Oral Solution

4.    Possible side effects

5.    How to store Folic Acid Oral Solution

6.    Further information

1. What Folic Acid Oral Solution is and what it is used for

The name of your medicine is Folic Acid Oral Solution,

which contains folic acid, a vitamin essential in the

production and maintenance of new cells.

Folic Acid Oral Solution is used in the treatment of:

•    anaemia due to a lack of folic acid in adults and children

•    anaemia in pregnancy

•    anaemia associated with alcoholism

•    anaemia, as a side effect from medicines used to control fitting

•    anaemia due to damaged red blood ceils e.g. Sickle Ceil anaemia

•    sprue (tropical and non-tropical) - a disorder where essential nutrients are not absorbed from the diet

•    coeiiac disease, a disorder caused by gluten in the diet.

2. Before you take Folic Acid Oral Solution

You should not take Folic Acid Oral Solution if you:

•    are allergic (hypersensitive) to folic acid, hydroxy benzoate esters or to any of the other ingredients in Folic Acid Oral Solution (see section 6, Further information)

•    have cancer (unless you have anaemia due to a deficiency of folic acid).

Talk to your doctor before taking Folic Acid Oral

Solution if you:

•    are receiving a coronary stent (a tube that is inserted in the artery that leads to the heart, in order to stop blockages)

!.5mg/5ml

•    have a tumour

•    suffer from pernicious anaemia (a disorder preventing the absorption of vitamin B12) or could be suffering from a lack of vitamin B12

•    are under going haemodialysis due to kidney failure. Taking other medicines

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

The following medicines can affect or be affected by treatment with Folic Acid Oral Solution:

•    phenytoin, phenobarbitai and primadone (used to control epileptic fits)

•    fiuorouracii, a drug used to treat certain tumours

•    antibiotics. Some antibiotics (trimethoprim and suiphonamides, sometimes combined as co-trimoxazoie) reduce the effect of folic acid. All antibiotics can interfere with folic acid blood test results.

•    some indigestion remedies (edible clay and antacids containing aluminium or magnesium). Allow at least a two hour gap between taking Folic Acid Oral Solution and indigestion remedies

•    preparations containing zinc such as vitamins or food supplements (this may be important in pregnancy)

•    sulfasalazine, used to treat the inflammatory bowel conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

•    cholestyramine, used to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

This medicine can be taken in pregnancy to treat anaemia, if you are breast-feeding please speak with your doctor before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machinery

This medicine does not affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.

Important information about some of the ingredients in Folic Acid Oral Solution

This medicine contains hydroxy benzoates which are used as preservatives. These ingredients may cause allergic reactions and could happen some time after starting the medicine.

This medicine contains phenylalanine. May be harmful for people with phenylketonuria.

3. Howto take Folic Acid Oral Solution

Always take Folic Acid Oral Solution as your doctor has told you. Your doctor will decide the right dose for you; this will be on the pharmacist’s label. Check this carefully, it will tell you how much of this medicine to take and how often to take it. This medicine should be swallowed.

The usual doses are as follows:

Adults and the elderly

•    10 to 20ml, twice a day, for up to 14 days or until an appropriate blood response is achieved.

•    this may be reduced to 2.5 to 10ml, twice a day, for ongoing treatment.

Pregnant women

•    1 ml per day.

Children (persons aged 12 years and younger)

•    5 to 15ml, twice a day.

If you take more Folic Acid Oral Solution than you should

If you (or anybody else, including a child), takes more Folic Acid Oral Solution that you should, it is unlikely that this medicine will cause any harm. If you are at ail concerned contact your doctor. Always take the bottle and leaflet with you.

If you forget to take Folic Acid Oral Solution

If you forget a dose, take another as soon as you remember, if it is almost time for your next dose, then do not take the missed dose at ail. NEVER take a double dose to make up for the one missed.

4. Possible side effects

Like ail medicines, Folic Acid Oral Solution can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

As can happen with any medicine, a few people may develop an allergic reaction, if you experience any of the following, seek medical help immediately:

•    rash, itching, difficulty breathing.

The side effects that some patients have had with Folic Acid Oral Solution are:

•    loss of appetite (anorexia)

•    feeling sick

•    bloating of the stomach

•    flatulence (wind)

•    worsening of the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Folic acid should never be used to treat anaemia without a full investigation of the cause.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the national reporting systems listed below.

United Kingdom Yellow Card Scheme www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard Ireland

HPRA Pharmacovigiiance Earlsfort Terrace IRL - Dublin 2 Tel: +353 1 6764971 Fax: +353 1 6762517 Website: www.hpra.ie e-mail :medsafety@hpra.ie Malta

ADR Reporting

www.medicinesauthority.gov.mt/adrportai

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Howto store Folic Acid Oral Solution

Keep out the reach and sight of children.

• Folic Acid Oral Solution should be stored in a refrigerator (2°C - 8°C). Store in the original container to protect from light; do not transfer to another container.

•    Folic Acid Oral Solution should not be taken after the expiry date on the bottle label and carton; the expiry date refers to the last day of the month.

•    Throw away any unused Folic Acid Oral Solution three months after opening

the bottle.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. Further information

What Folic Acid Oral Solution contains

The active ingredient is: folic acid (2.5mg per 5m! of Folic Acid Oral Solution). The other ingredients are: mannitol (E421), glycerol (E422), methyl hydroxybenzoate (E218), ethyl hydroxybenzoate (E214), propyl hydroxybenzoate (E216), disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate, dihydrogen phosphate sodium dehydrate disodium edetate, strawberry flavour (contains phenylalanine, cherry juice concentrate and maltol) and purified water. What Folic Acid Oral Solution looks like and the contents of the pack

Folic Acid Oral Solution is a clear yellow solution, which tastes and smells of strawberry. The medicine is supplied in a 150m! amber glass bottle, with a child restraint screw cap, in a cardboard outer container.

Marketing Authorisation Holder: Wockhardt UK Ltd,

Ash Road North, Wrexham, LL13 9UF, UK.

Manufacturer: CP Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ash Road North, Wrexham, LL13 9UF, UK.

Other formats:

To listen to or request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call, free of charge:

Please be ready to give the following information:

This is a service provided by the Royal National institute of Blind People.

For the Republic of Ireland please call +44 1978 669272. This is medicinal product is authorised in the following Member States in the EEA, under the following names:

Cyprus - Folic Acid Wockhardt 2.5mg/5m! Oral Solution Malta - Folic Acid 2.5mg/5ml Oral Solution Poland - Wockhardt Folic Acid 2.5mg/5ml Oral Solution Republic of Ireland - Folic Acid 2.5mg/5m! Oral Solution United Kingdom - Folic Acid 2.5mg/5m! Oral Solution This leaflet was last revised in 01/2016

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