258 - dietary supplements oral administration

The average adult body contains approximately 4 g of iron, of which roughly two-thirds exists in the form of hemoglobin. Treatment of certain types of anemias usually consists of dietary supplementation or the administration of therapeutic iron preparations by oral and parenteral routes. Iron is often administered by i.m. as iron-dextran complex which is ferric hydroxide and dextran containing 50 mg of iron per milliliter. 

The influences of vanadium compounds on cardiovascular function, a major complication of diabetes, has been reviewed [144], One of the first papers on the antidiabetic effects of oral administration of vanadium compounds (vanadyl sulfate) to rats with STZ-induced diabetes showed improvement of diabetes-impaired cardiac function [122], Recent work has focused on the correction of metabolic defects of diabetes by vanadium and learning more about the immediate mechanism of the antidiabetic effect. The assumption is made that amelioration of the basic metabolic problems of diabetes by vanadium or any other drug will alleviate the long-term complication arising from disease. Diet supplementation with minerals, such as chromium, appears to complement traditional treatments of diabetes to slow the development of complications. Mineral supplementation is believed to be most effective when dietary supplementation is used to correct a deficiency of a mineral [145],... 

Absorption Only 35-70% of oral norfloxacin is absorbed. However, 70-90% of the other fluoroquinolones are absorbed after oral administration. Bioavailability is greatest for ofloxacin and lomefloxacin. Intravenous preparations of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin are available. Ingestion of the fluoroquinolones with sucralfate, antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, or dietary supplements containing iron or zinc can interfere with the absorption of these antibacterial agents. 

White J, White A. 1939. Inhibition of growth ofthe rat by oral administration of methylcholanthrene, benzpyrene, or pyrene and the effects of various dietary supplements. J Biol Chem 131 149-161. 

Case Reports A few case reports showed only a transitory increase of TSH during soy-based food consumption. Jabbar et al. (1997), Conrad et al. (2004), and Bell and Ovalle (2001) report on higher thyroxine substitution required by hypothyroid children consuming soy-based formulas. The latter authors concluded that concurrent administration of thyroid hormone with a soy dietary supplement leads to decreased absorption of levothyroxine and the need for higher oral doses to attain therapeutic thyroid hormone levels. 

Parenteral administration of folic acid is rarely necessary, since oral folic acid is well absorbed even in patients with malabsorption syndromes. A dose of 1 mg folic acid orally daily is sufficient to reverse megaloblastic anemia, restore normal serum folate levels, and replenish body stores of folates in almost all patients. Therapy should be continued until the underlying cause of the deficiency is removed or corrected. Therapy may be required indefinitely for patients with malabsorption or dietary inadequacy. Folic acid supplementation to prevent folic acid deficiency should be considered in high-risk patients, including pregnant women, patients with alcohol dependence, hemolytic anemia, liver disease, or certain skin diseases, and patients on renal dialysis. 

To date, there have been no pharmacoeconomic evaluations of the different pharmacotherapeutic alternatives to manage hypokalemia. The most economical source of potassium is from the diet. Thus patients receiving diuretic therapy should be instructed to increase their dietary intake of potassium-rich foods. By doing so, they may avert the need for exogenous potassium therapy. Additionally, oral potassium supplementation is much less expensive than intravenous supplementation by virtue of its ease of administration and lack of need... 

I Administration. Even under optimal conditions, all bisphosphonates are poorly absorbed (bioavailabihty = 1% to 5%). Bisphosphonates must be administered carefully to optimize the chnical benefit and minimize the risk of adverse G1 effects. Each oral tablet should be taken with at least 4 ounces of plain tap water (not coffee, juice, mineral water, or milk) at least 30 minutes before consuming any food or any other supplement or medication. The weekly oral solution needs to be taken with only 2 ounces of water. The patient should remain upright (either sitting or standing) for at least 30 minutes after bisphosphonate administration. When calcium and vitamin D dietary consumption are insufficient, supplementation is needed to ensme the beneficial effects of bisphosphonates. 

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