Fegural

Fegural Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Food Interaction and all others data.

vitamin C, the water-soluble vitamin, is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and is widely distributed in the body tissues. It is believed to be involved in biological oxidations and reductions used in cellular respiration. It is essential for the synthesis of collagen and intracellular material. Vitamin C deficiency develops when the dietary intake is inadequate and when increased demand is not fulfilled. Deficiency leads to the development of well defined syndrome known as scurvy, which is characterized by capillary fragility, bleeding (especially from small blood vessels and the gums), anaemia, cartilage and bone lesions and slow healing of wounds.

Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin indicated for the prevention and treatment of scurvy, as ascorbic acid deficiency results in scurvy. Collagenous structures are primarily affected, and lesions develop in bones and blood vessels. Administration of ascorbic acid completely reverses the symptoms of ascorbic acid deficiency.

Copper is a transition metal and a trace element in the body. It is important to the function of many enzymes including cytochrome c oxidase, monoamine oxidase and superoxide dismutase . Copper is commonly used in contraceptive intrauterine devices (IUD) .

Copper is incorporated into many enzymes throughout the body as an essential part of their function . Copper ions are known to reduce fertility when released from copper-containing IUDs .

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is required for the maintenance of normal erthropoiesis, nucleprotein and myelin synthesis, cell reproduction and normal growth; Coenzyme; metabolic functions include protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Plays role in cell replication and hematopoiesis.

General effects

Cyanocobalamin corrects vitamin B12 deficiency and improves the symptoms and laboratory abnormalities associated with pernicious anemia (megaloblastic indices, gastrointestinal lesions, and neurologic damage). This drug aids in growth, cell reproduction, hematopoiesis, nucleoprotein, and myelin synthesis. It also plays an important role in fat metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, as well as protein synthesis. Cells that undergo rapid division (for example, epithelial cells, bone marrow, and myeloid cells) have a high demand for vitamin B12 .

Parenteral cyanocobalamin effects

Ferrous gluconate is used in the prevention and treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia. It replaces iron found in haemoglobin, myoglobin and enzymes. It also allows transportation of oxygen via haemoglobin.

The major activity of supplemental iron is in the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia. Iron has putative immune-enhancing, anticarcinogenic and cognition-enhancing activities.

Folic acid is essential for the production of certain coenzymes in many metabolic systems such as purine and pyrimidine synthesis. It is also essential in the synthesis and maintenance of nucleoprotein in erythropoesis. It also promotes WBC and platelet production in folate-deficiency anaemia.

Folic acid is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin found in foods such as liver, kidney, yeast, and leafy, green vegetables. Also known as folate or Vitamin B9, folic acid is an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in DNA and RNA synthesis. More specifically, folic acid is required by the body for the synthesis of purines, pyrimidines, and methionine before incorporation into DNA or protein. Folic acid is the precursor of tetrahydrofolic acid, which is involved as a cofactor for transformylation reactions in the biosynthesis of purines and thymidylates of nucleic acids. Impairment of thymidylate synthesis in patients with folic acid deficiency is thought to account for the defective deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis that leads to megaloblast formation and megaloblastic and macrocytic anemias. Folic acid is particularly important during phases of rapid cell division, such as infancy, pregnancy, and erythropoiesis, and plays a protective factor in the development of cancer. As humans are unable to synthesize folic acid endogenously, diet and supplementation is necessary to prevent deficiencies. In order to function properly within the body, folic acid must first be reduced by the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) into the cofactors dihydrofolate (DHF) and tetrahydrofolate (THF). This important pathway, which is required for de novo synthesis of nucleic acids and amino acids, is disrupted by anti-metabolite therapies such as Methotrexate as they function as DHFR inhibitors to prevent DNA synthesis in rapidly dividing cells, and therefore prevent the formation of DHF and THF.

In general, folate serum levels below 5 ng/mL indicate folate deficiency, and levels below 2 ng/mL usually result in megaloblastic anemia.

Manganese is a transition metal with a molar mass of 54.94g/mol. Manganese is considered critical for human health, and plays important roles in development, metabolism, and the antioxidant system. That said, excessive manganese intake is associated with manganism, a neurodegenerative disorder that causes dopaminergic neuronal death and parkinsonian-like symptoms.

Trade Name Fegural
Generic Ascorbic Acid + Copper + Cyanocobalamin + Ferrous Gluconate + Folic Acid + Manganese + Sorbitol +Copper
Weight 50mg, 0.2mg, 7.5mcg, 250mg, 1mg, 25mg
Type Capsule
Therapeutic Class
Manufacturer Zafa Pharmaceutical Laboratories (pvt) Ltd,
Available Country Pakistan
Last Updated: September 19, 2023 at 7:00 am
Fegural
Fegural

Uses

Vitamin C is used for prevention and treatment of scurvy. It may be used for pregnancy, lactation, infection, trauma, burns, cold exposure, following surgery, fever, stress, peptic ulcer, cancer, methaemoglobinaemia and in infants receiving unfortified formulas. It is also prescribed for haematuria, dental caries, pyorrhea, acne, infertility, atherosclerosis, fractures, leg ulcers, hay fever, vascular thrombosis prevention, levodopa toxicity, succinyl-choline toxicity, arsenic toxicity etc. To reduce the risk of stroke in the elderly, long-term supplementation with Vitamin C is essential.

Copper is a transition metal found in a variety of supplements and vitamins, including intravenous solutions for total parenteral nutrition (TPN).

For use in the supplementation of total parenteral nutrition and in contraception with intrauterine devices .

This preparation is used for Pernicious anemia,Vitamin B12 deficiency due to low intake from food,Thyrotoxicosis, Hemorrhage, Malignancy, Liver or kidney disease,Gastric bypass surgery, Total or partial gastrectomy, Gluten enteropathy or sprue, Folic acid deficiency, Macrocytic anaemia

Iron-deficiency anemia.

Prophylaxis of megaloblastic anaemia in pregnancy, Supplement for women of child-bearing potential, Folate-deficient megaloblastic anaemia, Prophylaxis of neural tube defect in pregnancy

Manganese is a transition metal used for supplementation of manganese during Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN).

Indicated for use as a supplement to intravenous solutions given for Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). Administration helps to maintain plasma levels and to prevent depletion of endogenous stores and subsequent deficiency symptoms.

Fegural is also used to associated treatment for these conditions: Common Cold, Deficiency, Vitamin A, Deficiency, Vitamin D, Fever, Flu caused by Influenza, Folate deficiency, Iron Deficiency (ID), Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), Oral bacterial infection, Scurvy, Vitamin C Deficiency, Vitamin Deficiency, Nutritional supplementation, Vitamin supplementationEmergency Contraception, IUD, Trace Element Deficiency, Dietary supplementationAnemia, Anemia, Pernicious, Combined Vitamin B1 and B12 deficiency, Convalescence, Diabetic Neuropathies, Folate deficiency, Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), Neuritis, Vitamin B1 deficiency, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, Vitamin B12 concentration, Vitamin B6 Deficiency, Vitamin Deficiency, Nutritional supplementation, Vitamin supplementationFolate deficiency, Iron Deficiency (ID), Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), Zinc Deficiency, Mineral supplementationAnaemia folate deficiency, Folate deficiency, Iron Deficiency (ID), Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), Latent Iron Deficiency, Neural Tube Defects (NTDs), Vitamin Deficiency, Methotrexate toxicity, Nutritional supplementationMineral supplementation, Total parenteral nutrition therapy, Vitamin supplementation, Dietary supplementation

How Fegural works

In humans, an exogenous source of ascorbic acid is required for collagen formation and tissue repair by acting as a cofactor in the posttranslational formation of 4-hydroxyproline in -Xaa-Pro-Gly- sequences in collagens and other proteins. Ascorbic acid is reversibly oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid in the body. These two forms of the vitamin are believed to be important in oxidation-reduction reactions. The vitamin is involved in tyrosine metabolism, conversion of folic acid to folinic acid, carbohydrate metabolism, synthesis of lipids and proteins, iron metabolism, resistance to infections, and cellular respiration.

Copper is absorbed from the gut via high affinity copper uptake protein and likely through low affinity copper uptake protein and natural resistance-associated macrophage protein-2 . It is believed that copper is reduced to the Cu1+ form prior to transport. Once inside the enterocyte, it is bound to copper transport protein ATOX1 which shuttles the ion to copper transporting ATPase-1 on the golgi membrane which take up copper into the golgi apparatus. Once copper has been secreted by enterocytes into the systemic circulation it remain largely bound by ceruloplasmin (65-90%), albumin (18%), and alpha 2-macroglobulin (12%).

Copper is an essential element in the body and is incorporated into many oxidase enzymes as a cofactor . It is also a component of zinc/copper super oxide dismutase, giving it an anti-oxidant role. Copper defiency occurs in Occipital Horn Syndrome and Menke's disease both of which are associated with impaired development of connective tissue due to the lack of copper to act as a cofactor in protein-lysine-6-oxidase. Menke's disease is also associated with progressive neurological impairment leading to death in infancy. The precise mechanisms of the effects of copper deficiency are vague due to the wide range of enzymes which use the ion as a cofactor.

Copper appears to reduce the viabilty and motility of spermatozoa . This reduces the likelihood of fertilization with a copper IUD, producing copper's contraceptive effect . The exact mechanism of copper's effect on sperm are unknown.

Vitamin B12 serves as a cofactor for methionine synthase and L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase enzymes. Methionine synthase is essential for the synthesis of purines and pyrimidines that form DNA. L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase converts L-methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA in the degradation of propionate , an important reaction required for both fat and protein metabolism. It is a lack of vitamin B12 cofactor in the above reaction and the resulting accumulation of methylmalonyl CoA that is believed to be responsible for the neurological manifestations of B12 deficiency . Succinyl-CoA is also necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin .

In tissues, vitamin B12 is required for the synthesis of methionine from homocysteine. Methionine is required for the formation of S-adenosylmethionine, a methyl donor for nearly 100 substrates, comprised of DNA, RNA, hormones, proteins, as well as lipids . Without vitamin B12, tetrahydrofolate cannot be regenerated from 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and this can lead to functional folate deficiency , . This reaction is dependent on methylcobalamin (vitamin B12) as a co-factor and is also dependent on folate, in which the methyl group of methyltetrahydrofolate is transferred to homocysteine to form methionine and tetrahydrofolate. Vitamin B12 incorporates into circulating folic acid into growing red blood cells; retaining the folate in these cells . A deficiency of vitamin B12 and the interruption of this reaction leads to the development of megaloblastic anemia.

Iron is necessary for the production of hemoglobin. Iron-deficiency can lead to decreased production of hemoglobin and a microcytic, hypochromic anemia.

Folic acid, as it is biochemically inactive, is converted to tetrahydrofolic acid and methyltetrahydrofolate by dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). These folic acid congeners are transported across cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis where they 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 normalize high homocysteine levels by remethylation of homocysteine to methionine via methionine synthetase.

Dosage

Fegural dosage

vitamin C is usually administered orally. When oral administration is not feasible or when malabsorption is suspected, the drug may be administered IM, IV, or subcutaneously. When given parenterally, utilization of the vitamin reportedly is best after IM administration and that is the preferred parenteral route.

For intravenous injection, dilution into a large volume parenteral such as Normal Saline, Water for Injection, or Glucose is recommended to minimize the adverse reactions associated with intravenous injection.

The average protective dose of vitamin C for adults is 70 to 150 mg daily. In the presence of scurvy, doses of 300 mg to 1 g daily are recommended. However, as much as 6 g has been administered parenterally to normal adults without evidence of toxicity.

To enhance wound healing, doses of 300 to 500 mg daily for a week or ten days both preoperatively and postoperatively are generally considered adequate, although considerably larger amounts have been recommended. In the treatment of burns, doses are governed by the extent of tissue injury. For severe burns, daily doses of 1 to 2 g are recommended. In other conditions in which the need for vitamin C is increased, three to five times the daily optimum allowances appear to be adequate.

Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever the solution and container permit.

Usual Adult Dose for Pernicious Anemia

Initial dose: 1000 mcg intramuscularly or deep subcutaneous once a day for 6 to 7 daysIf clinical improvement and reticulocyte response is seen from the above dosing:

  • 100 mcg every other day for 7 doses, then
  • 100 mcg every 3 to 4 days for 2 to 3 weeks, then
  • Maintenance dose: 100 to 1000 mcg monthly

Administer concomitant folic acid if needed. Chronic treatment should be done with an oral preparation in patients with normal intestinal absorption.

Usual Adult Dose for B12 Nutritional Deficiency: 25 to 2000 mcg orally daily

Usual Adult Dose for Schilling Test: 1000 mcg intramuscularly is the flushing dose

Usual Pediatric Dose for B12 Nutritional Deficiency: 0.5 to 3 mcg daily

Iron-deficiency anaemia:

  • Adult:60 mg bid up to 60 mg 4 times daily. Prevention: 60 mg daily.
  • Child:Severe: 4-6 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses; Mild to moderate: 3 mg/kg/day in 1-2 divided doses. Prevention: 1-2 mg/ kg/ day.

Should be taken on an empty stomach. Best taken on an empty stomach. May be taken with meals to reduce GI discomfort.

Supplement for women of child-bearing potential: 0.4 mg daily.

Folate-deficient megaloblastic anaemia: 5 mg daily for 4 mth, up to 15 mg daily in malabsorption states. Continued dosing at 5 mg every 1-7 days may be needed in chronic haemolytic states, depending on the diet and rate of haemolysis.

Prophylaxis of neural tube defect in pregnancy: 4 or 5 mg daily starting before pregnancy and continued through the 1st trimester.

Prophylaxis of megaloblastic anaemia in pregnancy: 0.2-0.5 mg daily.

May be taken with or without food.

Side Effects

Ascorbic acid does not seem to have any important adverse effects at dosages less than 4 mg/day. Larger dose may cause diarrhoea or formation of renal calculi of calcium oxalate in patients with renal impairment. Ingestion of more than 600 mg daily have a diuretic action.

Arthralgia (12%), Dizziness (12%), Headache (12%), Nasopharyngitis (12%), Anaphylaxis, Angioedema, Congestive heart failure, Peripheral vascular disease,Pulmonary edema, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia, Polycythemia vera, Sore throat, Nervousness, Rhinitis, Glossitis, Hypoesthesia

GI symptoms e.g. stomach cramping, constipation, nausea, vomiting, dark stools, heartburn, diarrhea, teeth staining, urine discoloration.

GI disturbances, hypersensitivity reactions; bronchospasm.

Toxicity

Copper toxicity is belevied to be due to fenton-type redox reactions occuring with high copper concentrations which produce damaging reactive oxygen species .

LD50 Oral (mouse): > 5,000 mg/kg .

General toxicity

Vitamin B12 is generally non-toxic, even at higher doses. Mild, transient diarrhea, polycythemia vera, peripheral vascular thrombosis, itching, transitory exanthema, a feeling of swelling of entire body, pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure in early treatment stages, anaphylactic shock and death have been observed after vitamin B12 administration .

Carcinogenesis and mutagenesis

Long term studies in animals examining the carcinogenic potential of any of the vitamin B12 formulations have not completed to date. There is no evidence from long-term use in patients with pernicious anemia that vitamin B12 has carcinogenic potential. Pernicious anemia is known to be associated with an increased incidence of stomach carcinoma, however, this malignancy has been attributed to the underlying cause of pernicious anemia and has not been found to be related to treatment with vitamin B12 .

Use in pregnancy

No adverse effects have been reported with ingestion of normal daily requirements during pregnancy .

A note on the use of the nasal spray in pregnancy

Although vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin and requirements are increased during pregnancy, it is currently unknown whether the nasal spray form can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. The nasal spray form should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed, as it is considered a pregnancy category C drug in this form. Sufficient well-controlled studies have not been done to this date in pregnant women .

Use in lactation

Vitamin B12 has been found distributed into the milk of nursing women in concentrations similar to the maternal blood vitamin B12 concentrations. No adverse effects have been reported to date with intake of normal required doses during lactation .

Acute iron overdosage can be divided into four stages. In the first stage, which occurs up to six hours after ingestion, the principal symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. Other symptoms include hypotension, tachycardia and CNS depression ranging from lethargy to coma. The second phase may occur at 6-24 hours after ingestion and is characterized by a temporary remission. In the third phase, gastrointestinal symptoms recur accompanied by shock, metabolic acidosis, coma, hepatic necrosis and jaundice, hypoglycemia, renal failure and pulmonary edema. The fourth phase may occur several weeks after ingestion and is characterized by gastrointestinal obstruction and liver damage. In a young child, 75 milligrams per kilogram is considered extremely dangerous. A dose of 30 milligrams per kilogram can lead to symptoms of toxicity. Estimates of a lethal dosage range from 180 milligrams per kilogram and upwards. A peak serum iron concentration of five micrograms or more per ml is associated with moderate to severe poisoning in many.

IPR-MUS LD50 85 mg/kg,IVN-GPG LD50 120 mg/kg, IVN-MUS LD50 239 mg/kg, IVN-RAT LD50 500 mg/kg, IVN-RBT LD50 410 mg/kg

Precaution

Ingestion of megadose (more than 1000 mg daily) of vitamin C during pregnancy has resulted in scurvy in neonates. Vitamin C in mega-doses has been contraindicated for patients with hyperoxaluria. Vitamin C itself is a reactive substance in the redox system and can give rise to false positive reactions in certain analytical tests for glucose, uric acid, creatine and occult blood.

Intensive treatment of B12-deficient megaloblastic anemia may cause hypokalemia and sudden death. Use with caution in patients with Leber optic nerve atrophy. Thrombocytosis may occur with treatment of severe vitamin B12 megaloblastic anemia

Avoid in patients with peptic ulcer, enteritis, or ulcerative colitis and those who receive frequent blood transfusions. Not to be used in premature infants until the vitamin E stores (deficient at birth) are replenished. Avoid prolonged treatment (>6 mth) except in patients with continuous menorrhagia or bleeding.

Treatment resistance may occur in patients with depressed haematopoiesis, alcoholism, deficiencies of other vitamins. Neonates.

Interaction

Potentially hazardous interactions: Ascorbic acid is incompatible in solution with aminophylline, bleomycin, erythromycin, lactobionate, nafcillin, nitrofurantoin sodium, conjugated oestrogen, sodium bicarbonate, sulphafurazole diethanolamine, chloramphenicol sodium succinate, chlorthiazide sodium and hydrocortisone sodium succinate.

Useful interactions: Ascorbic acid increases the apparent half-life of paracetamol and enhances iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

Absorption reduced by antibiotics, aminosalicylic acid, anticonvulsants, biguanides, cholestyramine, cimetidine, colchicine, K salts, methyldopa.

Concurrent admin with antacids/ H2 antagonists may reduce absorption of iron. Chloramphenicol may delay response to iron. Iron may reduce the absorption of levodopa, methyldopa and penicillamine when given together. Absorption may be reduced when used with quinolones or tetracyclines. Concurrent admin with vitamin C may increase iron absorption.

Antiepileptics, oral contraceptives, anti-TB drugs, alcohol, aminopterin, methotrexate, pyrimethamine, trimethoprim and sulphonamides may result to decrease in serum folate contrations. Decreases serum phenytoin concentrations.

Volume of Distribution

Cobalamin is distributed to tissues and stored mainly in the liver and bone marrow .

Tetrahydrofolic acid derivatives are distributed to all body tissues but are stored primarily in the liver.

Elimination Route

70% to 90%

Copper absorption varies inversely with intake. Absorption range is 12-65%.

Vitamin B12 is quickly absorbed from intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) sites of injection; with peak plasma concentrations achieved about 1 hour after IM injection .

Orally administered vitamin B12 binds to intrinsic factor (IF) during its transport through the stomach. The separation of Vitamin B12 and IF occurs in the terminal ileum when calcium is present, and vitamin B12 is then absorbed into the gastrointestinal mucosal cells. It is then transported by transcobalamin binding proteins . Passive diffusion through the intestinal wall can occur, however, high doses of vitamin B12 are required in this case (i.e. >1 mg). After the administration of oral doses less than 3 mcg, peak plasma concentrations are not reached for 8 to 12 hours, because the vitamin is temporarily retained in the wall of the lower ileum .

The efficiency of absorption depends on the salt form, the amount administered, the dosing regimen and the size of iron stores. Subjects with normal iron stores absorb 10% to 35% of an iron dose. Those who are iron deficient may absorb up to 95% of an iron dose.

Folic acid is absorbed rapidly from the small intestine, primarily from the proximal portion. Naturally occurring conjugated folates are reduced enzymatically to folic acid in the gastrointestinal tract prior to absorption. Folic acid appears in the plasma approximately 15 to 30 minutes after an oral dose; peak levels are generally reached within 1 hour.

Half Life

16 days (3.4 hours in people who have excess levels of vitamin C)

Approximately 6 days (400 days in the liver) .

Clearance

During vitamin loading, the kidney accumulates large amounts of unbound vitamin B12. This drug is cleared partially by the kidney, however, multiligand receptor megalin promotes the reuptake and reabsorption of vitamin B12 into the body , .

Elimination Route

Copper appears to be eliminated primarily through bile .

This drug is partially excreted in the urine . According to a clinical study, approximately 3-8 mcg of vitamin B12 is secreted into the gastrointestinal tract daily via the bile. In patients with adequate levels of intrinsic factor, all except approximately 1 mcg is reabsorbed. When vitamin B12 is administered in higher doses that saturate the binding capacity of plasma proteins and the liver, the unbound vitamin B12 is eliminated rapidly in the urine. The body storage of vitamin B12 is dose-dependent .

After a single oral dose of 100 mcg of folic acid in a limited number of normal adults, only a trace amount of the drug appeared in the urine. An oral dose of 5 mg in 1 study and a dose of 40 mcg/kg of body weight in another study resulted in approximately 50% of the dose appearing in the urine. After a single oral dose of 15 mg, up to 90% of the dose was recovered in the urine. A majority of the metabolic products appeared in the urine after 6 hours; excretion was generally complete within 24 hours. Small amounts of orally administered folic acid have also been recovered in the feces. Folic acid is also excreted in the milk of lactating mothers.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding use

The drug is safe in normal doses in pregnant women, but a daily intake of 5 gm or more is reported to have caused abortion. The drug may be taken safely during lactation.

Pregnancy Category A. Adequate and well-controlled human studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).

Lactation: Drug distributed in milk.

Pregnancy Category- A. Adequate and well-controlled human studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).

Pregnancy Category A. Adequate and well-controlled human studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).

Contraindication

Leber's disease, tobacco amblyopia.

Haemochromatosis, haemolytic anemia.

Undiagnosed megaloblastic anaemia; pernicious, aplastic or normocytic anaemias.

Acute Overdose

Overdose may lead to severe iron toxicity, espcially in children.

Storage Condition

Should be stored in a dry place below 30˚C.

Store at 15-30° C.

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