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Iron supplement
Iron supplements, also known as iron salts and iron pills, are a number of iron formulations used to treat and prevent iron deficiency including iron-deficiency anemia. For prevention they are only recommended in those with poor absorption, heavy menstrual periods, pregnancy, hemodialysis, or a diet low in iron. Prevention may also be used in low birth weight babies. They are taken by mouth, injection into a vein, or injection into a muscle. While benefits may be seen in days, up to two months may be required until iron levels return to normal.
Common side effects include constipation, abdominal pain, dark stools, and diarrhea. Other side effects, which may occur with excessive use, include iron overload and iron toxicity. Ferrous salts used as supplements by mouth include ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous succinate, and ferrous sulfate. Injectable forms include iron dextran and iron sucrose. They work by providing the iron needed for making red blood cells.
Iron pills have been used medically since at least 1681, with an easy-to-use formulation being created in 1832 using chicken liver extracts and the majority from plants. Ferrous salt is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Ferrous salts are available as a generic medication and over the counter. Slow-release formulations, while available, are not recommended. In 2021, ferrous sulfate was the 105th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6 million prescriptions.
Iron supplements are used to treat or prevent iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia; parenteral irons can also be used to treat functional iron deficiency, where requirements for iron are greater than the body's ability to supply iron such as in inflammatory states. The main criterion is that other causes of anemia have also been investigated, such as vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, drug induced or due to other poisons such as lead, as often the anemia has more than one underlying cause.
Iron deficiency anemia is classically a microcytic, hypochromic anemia. Generally, in the UK oral preparations are trialled before using parenteral delivery, unless there is a requirement for a rapid response, previous intolerance to oral iron, or likely failure to respond. Intravenous iron may decrease the need for blood transfusions however it increases the risk of infections when compared to oral iron. Daily oral supplementation of iron during pregnancy reduces the risk of maternal anemia, and the effects on infant and other maternal outcomes are not clear. Another review found tentative evidence that intermittent iron supplements by mouth for mothers and babies are similar to daily supplementation with fewer side effects. Supplements by mouth should be taken on an empty stomach, optionally with a small amount of food to reduce discomfort.
Athletes may be at elevated risk of iron deficiency and so benefit from supplementation, but the circumstances vary between individuals, and dosage should be based on tested ferritin levels, since in some cases supplementation may be harmful.
Frequent blood donors may be advised to take iron supplements. Canadian Blood Services recommends discussing "taking iron supplements with your doctor or pharmacist" as "the amount of iron in most multivitamins may not meet your needs and iron supplements may be necessary". The American Red Cross recommends "taking a multivitamin with 18 mg of iron or an iron supplement with 18–38 mg of elemental iron for 60 days after each blood donation, for 120 days after each power red donation or after frequent platelet donations". A 2014 Cochrane Review found that blood donors were less likely to be deferred for low hemoglobin levels if they were taking oral iron supplements, although 29% of those who took them experienced side effects in contrast to the 17% who took a placebo. It is unknown what the long-term effects of iron supplementation for blood donors may be.
Side effects of therapy with oral iron include diarrhea, constipation, or epigastric abdominal discomfort. Taken after a meal, side effects decrease, but there is an increased risk of interaction with other substances. Side effects are dose-dependent, and the dose may be adjusted.
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Iron supplement
Iron supplements, also known as iron salts and iron pills, are a number of iron formulations used to treat and prevent iron deficiency including iron-deficiency anemia. For prevention they are only recommended in those with poor absorption, heavy menstrual periods, pregnancy, hemodialysis, or a diet low in iron. Prevention may also be used in low birth weight babies. They are taken by mouth, injection into a vein, or injection into a muscle. While benefits may be seen in days, up to two months may be required until iron levels return to normal.
Common side effects include constipation, abdominal pain, dark stools, and diarrhea. Other side effects, which may occur with excessive use, include iron overload and iron toxicity. Ferrous salts used as supplements by mouth include ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous succinate, and ferrous sulfate. Injectable forms include iron dextran and iron sucrose. They work by providing the iron needed for making red blood cells.
Iron pills have been used medically since at least 1681, with an easy-to-use formulation being created in 1832 using chicken liver extracts and the majority from plants. Ferrous salt is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Ferrous salts are available as a generic medication and over the counter. Slow-release formulations, while available, are not recommended. In 2021, ferrous sulfate was the 105th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6 million prescriptions.
Iron supplements are used to treat or prevent iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia; parenteral irons can also be used to treat functional iron deficiency, where requirements for iron are greater than the body's ability to supply iron such as in inflammatory states. The main criterion is that other causes of anemia have also been investigated, such as vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, drug induced or due to other poisons such as lead, as often the anemia has more than one underlying cause.
Iron deficiency anemia is classically a microcytic, hypochromic anemia. Generally, in the UK oral preparations are trialled before using parenteral delivery, unless there is a requirement for a rapid response, previous intolerance to oral iron, or likely failure to respond. Intravenous iron may decrease the need for blood transfusions however it increases the risk of infections when compared to oral iron. Daily oral supplementation of iron during pregnancy reduces the risk of maternal anemia, and the effects on infant and other maternal outcomes are not clear. Another review found tentative evidence that intermittent iron supplements by mouth for mothers and babies are similar to daily supplementation with fewer side effects. Supplements by mouth should be taken on an empty stomach, optionally with a small amount of food to reduce discomfort.
Athletes may be at elevated risk of iron deficiency and so benefit from supplementation, but the circumstances vary between individuals, and dosage should be based on tested ferritin levels, since in some cases supplementation may be harmful.
Frequent blood donors may be advised to take iron supplements. Canadian Blood Services recommends discussing "taking iron supplements with your doctor or pharmacist" as "the amount of iron in most multivitamins may not meet your needs and iron supplements may be necessary". The American Red Cross recommends "taking a multivitamin with 18 mg of iron or an iron supplement with 18–38 mg of elemental iron for 60 days after each blood donation, for 120 days after each power red donation or after frequent platelet donations". A 2014 Cochrane Review found that blood donors were less likely to be deferred for low hemoglobin levels if they were taking oral iron supplements, although 29% of those who took them experienced side effects in contrast to the 17% who took a placebo. It is unknown what the long-term effects of iron supplementation for blood donors may be.
Side effects of therapy with oral iron include diarrhea, constipation, or epigastric abdominal discomfort. Taken after a meal, side effects decrease, but there is an increased risk of interaction with other substances. Side effects are dose-dependent, and the dose may be adjusted.