Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) Deficiency - Medtick
Medtick

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) Deficiency

What is it?

Deficiency disease

  • Megaloblastic anaemia

Conditions and disease causing deficiency

Treatment

  • Renal kidney dialysis

Medication

  • Antibiotics: Trimethoprim
  • Antacids: H2 blockers
  • Stomach ulcer healing medication and heartburn :Proton-pump inhibitors
  • Cholesterol Lowering Drugs:
    Cholestyramine (Questran, Questran Light)
    Colestipol (Colestid)
    Colesevelam (Cholestagel)
  • Epilepsy and Pain Relief:
    • Phenobarbitone
    • Primidone (Mysoline)
    • Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
    • Phenytoin (Epanutin)
  • Non-Steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS)
  • Used in Chron’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Sulphasalazine
  • Diuretics: Triameterene
  • Hormonal Oestrogen containing medication:
    • Contraceptive tablets
    • HRT
    • Oestrogen supplements
  • Cancer, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Immunosuppressant: Methotrexate
  • Anti-Parasite (anti-malarial): Pyrimethamine, Daraprim
  • Diabetes, Polycystic Ovaries: Metformin (Glucophage, Bolamyn MR,Competact,Eucreas)

Signs and symptoms of deficiency

  • Balance and dizziness problems
  • Headache which is on and off or a constant headache longer than 24 hours
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)
  • Low mood and depressed
  • Confusion
  • Sensitivity to every day noise and/or ringing noise within and/or difficulty hearing
  • Short of breath or breathing difficulties
  • Lack of energy
  • Inflamed, hot, red, swollen and burning tongue
  • Diarrhoea
  • Cold hand and feet which can be numb and painful

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Do not wait phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

Further tests are required for :

Megaloblastic anemia

  • Condition in which the bone marrow produces unusually large, structurally abnormal, immature red blood cells (megaloblasts) and this cause a lack of folic acid and/or vitamin b12 ,hence further tests are required to differentiate from other forms of anaemia especially pernicious anaemia which is a lack of vitamin b12.
  • These blood cells are very slow moving have low amount of haemoglobin  and not as many of the red blood cells are produced resulting in anaemia.
  • If untreated in infants it can lead to: Hereditary orotic aciduria.

Anemia can also be caused by:

Tests

If have any of these conditions one should have a test for celiac disease.

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) Deficiency in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

© Medtick - 2025. All Rights Reserved.