Hematogen Softgels and Leucovorin Calcium

• Generic Name: multivitamin with iron
• Dosage Forms: capsule
• Other Brand Names:

  Fero-Folic 500, Theragran Hematinic, Ultra Enerforce

Multivitamins are a combination of many different vitamins that are normally found in foods and other natural sources.

Iron is normally found in foods like red meat. In the body, iron becomes a part of your hemoglobin (HEEM o glo bin) and myoglobin (MY o glo bin). Hemoglobin carries oxygen through your blood to tissues and organs. Myoglobin helps your muscle cells store oxygen.

Multivitamins with iron are used to provide vitamins and iron that are not taken in through the diet. They are also used to treat iron or vitamin deficiencies caused by illness, pregnancy, poor nutrition, digestive disorders, and many other conditions.

Multivitamin and iron may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

• Generic Name: leucovorin
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Wellcovorin

Antidote for unintentional overdosage of methotrexate (e.g., resulting from impaired elimination) and other folic acid antagonists (e.g., pyrimethamine, trimethoprim).

IV rescue therapy after high-dose methotrexate regimen (to control duration of exposure of sensitive cells to methotrexate) in the treatment of osteosarcoma (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Prevention of hematologic toxicity associated with pyrimethamine, trimethoprim, or trimetrexate therapy.

IV treatment of folate deficient megaloblastic anemias (e.g., serum folate concentration <0.002 mcg/mL) of infancy, pregnancy, sprue, and nutritional deficiencies when oral folic acid therapy is not feasible. No advantage over folic acid injection since ability to convert folic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid (THF) is not impaired in these anemias.

Effective in the treatment of megaloblastic anemia resulting from congenital dihydrofolate reductase deficiency.

Not effective in the treatment of pernicious anemia and other megaloblastic anemias secondary to lack of vitamin B12; avoid such use. (See Contraindications under Cautions.)

Adjunct to fluorouracil to prolong survival in the palliative treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

First-line therapy for management of advanced colorectal cancer in a combination regimen consisting of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and either irinotecan or oxaliplatin.