392 Where There Is No Doctor 2011 Green Pages
Iron sulfate (ferrous sulfate)—for anemia
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Often comes in: tablets of 200, 325, or 500 mg.
(also in drops, mixtures, and elixirs for children)
Ferrous sulfate is useful in the treatment or
prevention of most anemias. Treatment with ferrous
sulfate by mouth usually takes at least 3 months. If
improvement does not take place, the anemia is
probably caused by something other than lack of
iron. Get medical help. If this is difficult, try treating
with folic acid.
Ferrous sulfate is especially important
for pregnant women who may be anemic or
malnourished.
Iron may work best if it is taken with some
vitamin C (either fruits and vegetables, or a
vitamin C tablet).
Ferrous sulfate sometimes upsets the stomach
and is best taken with meals. Also, it can cause
constipation, and it may make the stools (shit) look
black. For children under 3 years, a piece of a
tablet can be ground up very fine and mixed with
the food.
WARNING: Be sure the dose is right. Too much
ferrous sulfate is poisonous. Keep tablets out of
the reach of children. Do not give ferrous sulfate to
severely malnourished persons.
Dosage of ferrous sulfate for anemia:
—using tablets of 200 or 325 mg. (both sizes contain
65 mg. of iron)—
Give 3 times a day, with meals.
In each dose give:
adults and children over 12: 1 tablet
children 2 to 12 years: ½ tablet
children under 2 years: 1⁄8 to ¼ tablet ground
up fine and mixed with food.
Folic acid—for some kinds of anemia
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Often comes in: tablets of 5 mg.
Folic acid can be important in the treatment of
kinds of anemia in which blood cells have been
destroyed in the veins, as is the case with malaria.
An anemic person who has a large spleen or looks
yellow may need folic acid, especially if his anemia
does not get much better with ferrous sulfate.
Babies who are fed goat’s milk and pregnant
women who are anemic or malnourished often need
folic acid as well as iron.
Folic acid can be obtained by eating dark green
leafy foods, meat, and liver, or by taking folic acid
tablets. Usually 2 weeks treatment is enough for
children, although in some areas children with
sickle cell disease, or a kind of anemia called
thalassemia may need it for years. Pregnant
women who are anemic and malnourished would
be helped by taking folic acid and iron tablets daily
throughout pregnancy.
Dosage of folic acid for anemia—using 5 mg.
tablets:
Give by mouth once a day.
adults and children over 3 years:
1 tablet (5 mg.)
children under 3 years: ½ tablet
(2 ½ mg.)
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)—for pernicious
anemia only
This is mentioned only to discourage its use.
Vitamin B12 is useful only for a rare type of anemia
that is almost never found except in some persons
over 35 years whose ancestors are from northern
Europe. Many doctors prescribe it when it is not
needed, just to be giving their patients something.
Do not waste your money on vitamin B12 or let a
doctor or health worker give it to you unless a blood
analysis has been done, and it has been shown
that you have pernicious anemia.
Vitamin K (phytomenadione, phytonadione)
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Often comes in: ampules of 1 mg. in 2.5 ml. of milky
solution.
If a newborn child begins to bleed from any
part of his body (mouth, cord, anus), this may
be caused by a lack of vitamin K. Inject 1 mg
(1 ampule) of vitamin K into the outer part of the
thigh. Do not inject more, even if the bleeding
continues. In babies who are born very small
(under 2 kg.) an injection of vitamin K may be given
to reduce the risk of bleeding.
Vitamin K is of no use to control bleeding of the
mother after childbirth.