Taking Iron Supplements: Dosage, Dividing, Meal Scheduling

For those who deal with low iron levels, particularly those whose low iron has given way to iron deficiency anemia and its related symptoms, one possible recommendation from your doctor for treatment may include taking iron supplements. If you're among this group, ensuring you're taking your iron supplements correctly and in the proper ways is very important for your ongoing treatment.

At Pharmics Inc., we're proud to offer the very best iron supplements available, provided in several different forms for those who require supplementation in this area. We're also happy to assist clients with basic themes like how to stick to an iron supplement schedule and how to avoid any issues while taking your supplement regimen. In this two-part series, we'll go over a number of basic recommendations for ensuring you're utilizing your iron supplements correctly.

Start With Half-Dose, Increase Slowly

In many cases, your doctor will specifically advise you to start with a half-dose of your iron supplement and increase the dosage slowly over time. This is because taking too much iron at once can actually have the reverse effect of what you're intending, causing nausea, vomiting and other stomach issues. By starting small and gradually increasing your dose, you'll help minimize these unpleasant side-effects.

As for how quickly you should move up in dosage, that depends on a variety of factors, such as your age and overall health. Generally speaking, it's best to increase gradually by no more than 1 mg per week; any faster than this and you may find yourself dealing with uncomfortable side effects.

Divided Doses

In a majority of iron supplementation situations, those taking these supplements will do so involving multiple doses per day. If this is the case, it's recommended that you divide these up and separate them by several hours in order to minimize any stomach upset.

For example, if you're taking an iron supplement three times per day, try spacing your doses out by at least four hours. This will help your body better absorb the iron and avoid any potential issues. Some people will take one dose with breakfast and another with dinner, for instance, or two doses at different times of the day. It's up to you and your doctor to figure out what will work best for you.

Schedule Around Meals

When taking iron supplements, it's best to try and schedule them around meals. This is because eating while taking your supplement can help minimize stomach upset and improve absorption. If you're not sure when your next meal will be, try to take your supplement with the largest meal of the day.

If you're taking multiple doses per day, try to space them out so that they fall around mealtimes. This will help everything run more smoothly and ensure that you're getting the most benefit from your iron supplement.

In part two of our series, we'll go over some further tips we can offer here. For more on how to properly and correctly utilize iron supplements and avoid iron deficiency risks, or to learn about any of our iron supplements or other products, contact the staff at Pharmics Inc. today.

Check with your physician before taking an iron supplement or giving an iron supplement to an infant or any child.

*WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep iron containing products out of the reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

Statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.