Dosage and poisoning
The dosage is the same for adolescents from 10 years of age and adults. Take 15 ml Floradix® three times a day, at best half an hour before each main meal. This corresponds to an amount of 36.8 mg of usable iron.
A slightly weaker dosage applies to children aged 6 to 10 years – in this case, 15 ml is taken only twice a day, which corresponds to 24.5 mg of usable iron. For adults, the amounts of Floradix® that would have to be taken for an overdose are unrealistic. Several liters of the fluid would have to be added, depending on body weight.
In general, intoxications (poisonings) in the context of overdoses are more of a problem in pediatrics, as toxic quantities are reached faster. Poisoning occurs in children at 20 mg iron per kilogram body weight. For example, if the child weighs 10 kilograms, 250 ml Floradix® is sufficient for poisoning.
A 700 ml bottle, such as Floradix® is available, contains a potentially lethal amount of iron for small children. The first symptoms of poisoning caused by an overdose consist mainly of problems in the gastrointestinal tract. These include abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea (colloquially tarry stools), nausea and vomiting.
Blood may also be present in the vomit, which is reflected in coffee grounds-like appearance. Consciousness may be clouded and fever may occur. During a shock, the blood pressure drops and the heart starts racing – the life of the child is seriously threatened.
Severe poisoning is a life-threatening condition that can lead to death within a very short time (12-24 hours). Emergency therapy must be used to relieve the acute symptoms and the stomach must be rinsed out. The administration of an iron-binding drug (deferoxamine) may also be necessary.
Costs
Floradix® can be purchased in different quantities. The price-performance ratio improves with increasing bottle size. Three different filling quantities are usual: 250 ml are depending upon offerer for approximately 9 euro, 500 ml for approximately 13 euro and 700 ml for on the average 17 euro available.
