Iron Cautions
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General warnings and precautions
Certain people should not take iron supplements at all:
- People with acute hepatitis
People with acute hepatitis (an acute or severe form of liver inflammation) irrespective of the cause should avoid iron supplementation because the excess iron levels can irritate the liver and cause it to be further inflammed, exacerbating symptoms.People with acute hepatitis (an acute or severe form of liver inflammation) irrespective of the cause should avoid iron supplementation because the excess iron levels can irritate the liver and cause it to be further inflammed, exacerbating symptoms. - People with haemosiderosis or haemochromatosis
People with any condition that causes an excessive accumulation of iron in the body (such as haemosiderosis or haemochromatosis) needs to avoid taking iron supplements, as they will only add to the high levels of iron in the body and possibly cause toxicity symptoms. - People with haemolytic anaemia
People with haemolytic anaemia have a condition where the red blood cells are being destroyed and adding an iron supplementation will only further exacerbate symptom, so should be avoided. - People that have had many blood transfusions
People that have had repeated blood transfusions have a weakened immune system and more fragile red blood cells, so should also avoid iron supplementation until their immune system is no longer compromised.
Certain people should not take iron supplements without first consulting their doctor for advice (to ensure iron supplementation does not conflict adversely with their condition):
- People who have any type of liver or kidney disease
- People with kidney or liver disease
- People with pancreatitis
- People with any type of intestinal disease
- People with any type of coronary artery disease
- People with excessive blood levels of vitamin C
- People with alcoholism
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Toxic Levels of Iron
Iron is toxic at doses greater than 100mg per day.
Overdosage and Toxicity Symptoms
Acute toxicity from taking too much in iron supplements - over 100mg can cause the following symptoms:
- Blood in stools*
- Congestion of blood vessels
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Increased pulse
- Paleness
- Rapid increase in respiration and chest pain*
- If toxicity continues - coma and death within 6-8 hours
* People who experience the highlighted symptoms should seek immediate emergency treatment.
Chronic toxicity of iron from taking higher than the therapeutic dose of supplements for a long time can cause the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Throat pain
People who experience any of the above toxicity symptoms should discontinue their iron supplements and see their doctor for advice. Overdosage and toxicity is more likely to occur from taking too many supplements, whereas dietary intake of iron is highly unlikely to cause overdosage.