Diarrhoea folic acid

Deficiency symptoms The characteristic feature of folic acid deficiency is megaloblastic anaemia. Deficiency also leads to glossitis, enteritis, diarrhoea, general debility, weight loss and sterility. 

A 51-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer started treatment with capeeitabine 2500 mg/m daily for 14 days every 21 days. Treatment was stopped after 8 days because she developed diarrhoea, vomiting and hand-foot syndrome. She improved with parenteral hydration and symptomatic treatment, but 3 weeks later still had diarrhoea, leg oedema and hand-foot syndrome. She was found to have been taking folic acid 15 mg daily for several weeks before starting capecitabine and had continued to take it during and after capecitabine treatment. The patient s condition improved when the folie acid was stopped, but she then developed diarrhoea and fever followed by necrotic colitis and she died from septic shock and vascular collapse. It is possible that the concurrent use of folic acid enhanced the toxicity of capecitabine. ... 

Folacin deficiency may lead to glossitis, diarrhoea, depression and confusion. Deficiency anaemia may develop especially in pregnancy and in elderly people. Symptoms of deficiency are similar to symptoms of cobalamine deficiency (known as macrocytic anaemia). Megaloblastic anaemia, the most common cause of macrocytic anaemia, is due to a deficiency of either cobalamine or folic acid (or both). Deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy can lead to developmental defects of the foetus (spinal cord defects and incomplete development of the brain). Women who are at increased risk will need increased daily intake of folic acid. 

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial, the efficacy and safety of folic acid and vitamin Bi2 supplementation in reducing the incidence of diarrhoea and acute lower respiratory infections was evaluated in 1000 North Indian children aged 6-30 months [10 -]. Children in the folic acid groups were observed to have more episodes of diarrhoea compared with those in the placebo group. The investigators concluded that the safety of folic acid supplementation in young children warrants further research. 

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