Ferrous sulfate is a type of iron. Iron helps make healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen around your body.
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When your body does not have enough iron (iron deficiency anaemia), you can feel tired and lacking in energy. Other symptoms may include paler than usual skin, feeling out of breath and heart palpitations.
Taking ferrous sulfate will increase the iron levels in your blood and improve or prevent the symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia.
Most people begin to feel better after 3 to 4 weeks, but it may take up to 2 to 4 months for the medicine to work fully.
If you're taking ferrous sulfate to prevent anaemia you probably will not feel any different but that does not mean it's not working.
If you're taking ferrous sulfate on prescription, it's important to take it for as long as your doctor tells you to.
There are other types of iron, including ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate. There is little difference in how well they work when you take the same dose of iron.
If you have a side effect with one type of iron, it may not happen with another type.
Iron injections can also be used if tablets or drops do not help, or if your iron levels are very low. These would usually be given in hospital.
Your doctor or pharmacist can advise you on the right treatment for you.
Lack of energy is a common symptom when you have iron deficiency anaemia. Having too little iron means your blood cannot carry enough oxygen around your body. This makes you feel tired.
Taking ferrous sulfate can give you more energy by boosting your iron levels. Your doctor may recommend a blood test within the first 4 weeks to see if it's working.
If you feel tired, but have not been diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia, it's important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking ferrous sulfate. This is because there may be other reasons why you lack energy.
A simple blood test will confirm whether you are anaemic, and your doctor will be able to discuss your results and any treatment with you.
Ferrous sulfate will not stop any type of contraception working, including the combined pill, progestogen-only pill and emergency contraception.
However, if ferrous sulfate makes you sick (vomit) or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Look on the pill packet to find out what to do.
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Some food and drink can make it harder for your body to absorb iron. These include:
When you take ferrous sulfate (or when you eat foods that are high in iron), make sure you leave a 2 hour gap before having tea or coffee or any of these foods.
This will help your body take in the iron from ferrous sulfate or from food.
The primary benefit of taking ferrous sulfate supplements is to maintain normal iron levels in the body.
Doing so may prevent you from experiencing iron deficiency, as well as the range of mild to severe side effects that often accompany it.
Here’s a closer look at the benefits of taking ferrous sulfate supplements.
Iron is one of the most common elements on earth, and it’s an essential mineral. That means people need to consume it in their diet for optimal health.
The body primarily uses iron as part of the red blood cell proteins myoglobin and hemoglobin, which are essential for transporting and storing oxygen (6).
Iron also plays an important role in the formation of hormones, the health and development of the nervous system, and basic cell functioning (6).
Although many people consume iron as a dietary supplement, you can also find it naturally in many foods, including beans, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, and particularly meat and seafood, including oysters, sardines, poultry, and beef (6).
Some foods, such as fortified breakfast cereals, are not naturally high in iron, but manufacturers add iron to make them a good source of this mineral (6).
Many of the highest sources of iron are animal products. Therefore, vegans, vegetarians, and people who do not consume many iron-rich foods as a part of their normal diet may benefit from taking ferrous sulfate iron supplements to help maintain their iron stores (7).
Taking ferrous sulfate supplements is a simple way to treat, prevent, or reverse low blood iron levels.
Preventing iron deficiency not only ensures that your body has enough of the essential nutrient to continue functioning properly but also can help you avoid many of the unpleasant side effects of low iron levels.
Some of the most notable side effects of low iron levels include (6, 8, 9, 10):
This is a general overview — not a comprehensive list — of all the symptoms of low iron levels.
Symptoms may worsen as an iron deficiency progresses from mild to severe.
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Anemia is a condition that occurs when your blood has low amounts of red blood cells or hemoglobin (11).
Because iron is a critical part of the red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body, having iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anemia (9, 12, 13).
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a severe form of iron deficiency that has significant effects on the human body and may cause some of the more serious symptoms associated with iron deficiency.
One of the most common and effective treatments for IDA is taking an oral iron supplement, such as ferrous sulfate (14, 15).
Multiple research studies have cited having iron deficiency as a risk factor for increased rates of complications and mortality following surgery.
One study looked at the outcomes for 730 people who underwent heart surgery, including those with ferritin levels below 100 mcg per liter — a sign of iron deficiency (16).
The iron deficient participants were more likely to experience serious adverse events during surgery, including death. They also required a longer stay in the hospital, on average, after surgery (16).
Iron deficiency appears to have similar effects in other types of surgery. One study analyzed more than 227,000 surgical procedures and determined that even mild IDA prior to surgery increased the risk of health complications and mortality following the procedure (17).
Because ferrous sulfate supplements can treat and prevent iron deficiency, taking them prior to having surgery could improve the outcome and reduce the risk of complications (18).
However, it may take time to increase iron levels via supplementation.
Though oral iron supplements like ferrous sulfate are an effective way to increase iron stores in the body, a person may need to take supplements every day for 2–5 months to bring their iron stores up to normal levels (18, 19).
Thus, people with iron deficiency who do not have multiple months to try and increase iron stores prior to surgery may not benefit from ferrous sulfate supplements and require another type of iron therapy instead (20, 21).
Furthermore, research studies on iron therapy for people who have anemia before surgery are limited in size and scope. Scientists still need to conduct more high quality studies to investigate the best ways for people to increase their iron levels before surgery (21).
SummaryPeople primarily use ferrous sulfate supplements to prevent iron deficiencies, treat iron deficiency anemia, and maintain normal iron levels. The supplements may prevent the adverse side effects of iron deficiency.
Ferrous sulfate supplements usually come in the form of oral tablets. You can also take them as a liquid drop.
The tablets are often red, green, or white.
The supplements may be listed under a variety of names, including:
If you want to take ferrous sulfate, it’s important to look closely at the label for the words “ferrous sulfate” rather than choosing any iron supplement.
This is because iron supplements can contain different types of iron.
Most supplements will clearly state the type of iron on the front label.
Many daily multivitamins also contain iron. However, there’s no guarantee that the iron they contain is ferrous sulfate unless it says so on the label.
In some cases, knowing the amount of ferrous sulfate to take can be tricky. Always talk to your healthcare provider to determine the right dosage for you.
There’s no official recommendation regarding the amount of ferrous sulfate you should take each day. The amount will vary depending on factors like your age, sex, health status, and the reason why you’re taking the supplements.
Many of the multivitamins containing iron provide around 18 mg or 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for iron. However, one ferrous sulfate tablet typically provides closer to 65 mg of iron, or 360% of the DV (6).
The general recommendation for treating iron deficiency or anemia is to take one to three 65-mg tablets daily.
That said, the total amount you should take each day may vary.
Some preliminary research suggests that taking iron supplements every other day — rather than daily — may be just as effective, if not more effective, than taking the supplements daily (22, 23).
Your healthcare provider will be able to provide a more specific and personalized recommendation regarding how much ferrous sulfate to take and how often, depending on your blood iron levels and personal circumstances.
Certain foods and nutrients, such as calcium, zinc, or magnesium, might interfere with iron absorption and vice versa. Therefore, some people try to take ferrous sulfate supplements on an empty stomach for the greatest absorption (14, 24, 25).
However, taking ferrous sulfate supplements — or any other iron supplement — on an empty stomach may cause stomach pain and distress.
As such, healthcare providers generally recommended taking ferrous sulfate supplements with a meal.
Try taking ferrous sulfate supplements with meals that are low in calcium and do not include beverages that are high in phytates, such as coffee and tea (14, 26).
On the other hand, vitamin C may increase the amount of iron absorbed from ferrous sulfate supplements. Taking ferrous sulfate together with vitamin-C-rich juice or food might help your body absorb more iron (14, 27, 28).
SummaryThere are many different forms of ferrous sulfate supplements on the market. Most are oral tablets, though liquid drops are also available. Always check with your healthcare provider before deciding how much ferrous sulfate to take.
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