Iron

• What other names is Iron known by?
• What is Iron?
• How does Iron work?
• Are there safety concerns?
• Are there any interactions with medications?
• Dosing considerations for Iron

What other names is Iron known by?

Atomic number 26, Elemental Iron, Fe, Fer, Ferrous Carbonate Anhydrous, Ferrous Citrate, Ferrous Fumarate, Ferrous Gluconate, Ferrous Pyrophosphate, Ferrous Sulfate, Ferrum Phosphoricum, Heme Iron Polypeptide, Iron Glycerophosphate.

What is Iron?

Iron is a mineral.

Effective for...

• Anemia from low levels of iron in the blood (iron deficiency anemia).
• Improving the effectiveness of medicines such as epoetin alfa (erythropoietin, EPO, Epogen, Procrit) for building red blood cells in people treated with kidney dialysis or chemotherapy.

Possibly Effective for...

• Improving thinking, learning, and memory in iron-deficient children.
• Coughs which are caused by certain medications used for high blood pressure called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These medications include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), and many others.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), improving athletic performance, canker sores, a digestive tract disease called Crohn's disease, depression, fatigue, female infertility, heavy menstrual bleeding, and other conditions.

 

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next »

Next: How does Iron work? »

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

 

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.