Drugs for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia are prescribed to the patient only if he has anemia or requires prevention of this condition. In adults, the symptoms of anemia are manifested, if they have an inadequate diet, during pregnancy and lactation. Most often in such cases, doctors prescribe drugs made on the basis of iron salts or iron hydroxide. Such medicines can make up for iron deficiency in the body.
Preparations for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia are discussed in more detail below.
Causes of anemia in adults and children
Iron deficiency anemia develops for a number of reasons:
- The most common cause of anemia is chronic bleeding. Anemia can result from bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract if the patient suffers from an ulcer, has a tumor, has hemorrhoids, intestinal diverticulosis, and erosive gastritis. Anemia in women is observed with endometriosis as a result of heavy menstruation, with uterine bleeding, with uterine myoma. Anemia can also occur against the background of nasal or pulmonary bleeding, pyelonephritis, tumor diseases of the bladder and kidneys, urolithiasis.
- Chronic form of inflammatory diseases. If a hotbed of chronic inflammation is present in the patient’s body, iron is deposited. As a result, its latent deficit develops. Under such conditions, iron is located in the depot and is inaccessible to the formation of hemoglobin.
- Characterized by an increased need for this trace element during pregnancy, in particular starting from its second trimester, as well as during lactation. A high need for iron occurs with excessive physical exertion, during intensive growth in children, with active sports.
- Impaired digestibility of iron. A similar condition occurs against the background of some pathologies. For example, with malabsorption syndrome, chronic enteritis, intestinal amyloidosis, if a small intestine resection has been performed.
- Improper nutrition. When eating foods low in iron, the likelihood of developing anemia increases. Most often, this cause of anemia is observed in newborns and young children. Iron deficiency is also characteristic for vegetarians.
It is important to note that no more than 2 mg of iron can be absorbed in the intestine per day, regardless of how much it is in food.
During the day, an adult man loses an average of 1 mg of iron along with epithelium and hair. A woman during menstruation, provided that it proceeds normally, loses approximately 1.5 mg of iron.
Thus, with proper nutrition in men, no more than 1 mg of iron gets into the depot, in women - 0.5 mg. With an unbalanced diet or in the presence of a chronic inflammatory disease, iron is completely consumed in the body. A similar situation is observed if a woman has heavy menstruation. If there is no iron in the depot, anemia may develop under the influence of provoking factors.
If iron deficiency anemia is detected through clinical trials, the exact cause of this condition should be identified. After stopping the bleeding and identifying the process of inflammation, to normalize the level of hemoglobin, it is necessary to start taking oral medications to treat iron deficiency anemia in women, men and children.
Then the doctor recommends taking a therapeutic dose of the drug for several months in order to replenish the stock. In case the patient has poor tolerance to such drugs, half the recommended dose should be taken.
Women who are of childbearing age are recommended to take any iron-containing drug monthly for prevention. The course of administration in this case lasts 7 days, and approximately 200 mg of pure iron per day should be taken. Along with this, you can use vitamin complexes saturated with this trace element.
What are the drugs for treating iron deficiency anemia?
Classification
To eliminate anemia, experts prescribe iron-containing drugs. Selection of the drug is carried out taking into account the age of the patient, laboratory tests, microelement tolerance. The cost of medicines is also taken into account, because not all patients have the same financial capabilities. Among other things, the doctor most often has experience showing which drugs are best.
In order to correctly calculate the dosage of the medication, it is important to consider which iron is in its composition - divalent or trivalent.
If necessary, the drug may be prescribed in ampoules. It is administered intravenously or intramuscularly. The use of this form of drugs is possible only if there is evidence. Otherwise, the risk of developing allergic reactions is high.
It is impossible to independently choose drugs for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pharmacology and, moreover, to carry out unauthorized therapy. Only a doctor is able to choose a dosage that is suitable for a particular patient, he can also evaluate the effectiveness of a drug in dynamics. It is important to remember that an overdose of iron causes serious poisoning of the body.
Preparations for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women should be prescribed with extreme caution, and their administration should be carried out under the close supervision of a specialist. Iron preparations can be administered parenterally to a patient with anemia in the following cases:
- The patient has intolerance to iron preparations in forms that are intended for oral administration.
- Iron deficiency anemia is in severe form.
- There is a need to saturate the body with iron in a short time, for example, before surgery for hemorrhoids or fibroma.
- During an exacerbation of peptic ulcer, if symptoms of chronic pancreatitis, enteritis, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis are observed. These diseases inhibit the absorption of iron, so it is important to take iron-containing medications.
- During surgical operations on the digestive tract, with extensive resection of the intestine or in the case of removal of part of the stomach.
Currently, the pharmaceutical market is saturated with iron preparations, there are many similar medicines that have similar effects and differ in cost. Consider in more detail the drugs for the treatment of symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.
"Actiferin"
The composition of the drug "Actiferin" is iron sulfate (ferrous salt). Produced by the manufacturer "Aktiferin" in the form of capsules (the price for packaging of which varies at the level of 280 rubles), intravenous solution (cost starts from 320 rudders per package) and syrup (cost - from 250 rubles). Analogues of this drug include Ferrogradumet, Heferol, Ferrlecite, Ferronal, Tardiferon, Hemofer, Totem. The cost of analogues is different - from 100 to 550 rubles.
Iron preparations for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia can be purchased at any pharmacy.
"Hemohelper"
The “Hemohelper” contains salts of ferrous iron and ascorbic acid. The drug is produced by the manufacturer in the form of capsules (the cost of which is about 600 rubles) and in the form of bars for children with different tastes (the cost starts from 300 rubles). The analogues of this drug include Sorbifer Durules and Ferroplex, the cost of which is at the level of 300 rubles.
The list of iron preparations for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia does not end there.
Ferlatum
This drug contains ferric iron in the form of protein succinicylate. Ferlatum is in the form of a solution that should be taken orally. The package contains 20 bottles, each of which contains 15 mg of medicine. The average cost of a medication is 900 rubles. In addition, there is a preparation “Ferlatum Fall” containing folic acid and ferric iron. Its cost is about 700 rubles.
There are other drugs to treat symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.
Maltofer
Maltofer is a polymaltose complex containing ferric iron. The medication is available in the form of ampoules, tablets, solution, drops. The cost of this drug is from 250 rubles. The analogue is the medicine "Ferrum Lek" in the form of a solution for injection, chewable tablets, syrup. Also, "Ferry", "Monofer" can be attributed to analogues. These are the most advanced drugs for treating iron deficiency anemia.
Sucrose injection complexes include Venofer (price from 2700 rubles), Likferr (price from 2500 rubles), Argeferr (price from 4500 rubles). To dextran complexes - “Dextrafer” and “Cosmofer” (average cost - 2700 rubles).
Which drug is more effective in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia is quite difficult to determine.
Fenyuls
This medication is a complex that includes vitamins C, B, PP and iron sulfate. "Fenyuls" is used for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency, with group B hypovitaminosis. "Fenyuls" is not used for children, but can be used if necessary, during pregnancy. One package of the drug contains 10 capsules, the average packaging cost is 200 rubles.
Preparations for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in children need to be selected very carefully.
Hematogen
If it is necessary to take iron preparations in children, the doctor may advise a “Hematogen”. It is produced from cattle blood, which is previously defibrated and purified, as well as auxiliary components that make it possible to give a taste. Hematogen contains ferrous iron, nutrients, as well as a complex of macronutrients and trace elements. This drug can be used in children from three years.
If necessary, therapy for iron deficiency in children up to a year should be used in the form of drops.
Ferrous salts
Ferrous salts include compounds such as fumarate, sulfate, chloride and iron gluconate. Symptoms of anemia when a patient takes ferrous iron weakens gradually, and then disappears completely. Cases of fainting, weakness, dizziness, and tachycardia come to naught. Laboratory parameters for blood tests are also normalized. The drug "Actiferin" contains, in addition to ferrous iron, the alpha amino acid serine, which promotes the absorption of iron. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce the dose of the drug taken, respectively, the toxicity during therapy is reduced.
Preparations containing in their composition just two of these substances are highly effective, since ascorbic acid significantly improves the absorption of iron.
What other drugs are used to treat iron deficiency anemia in adults?
Iron Protein Succinylate
It contains ferric iron and a protein carrier of a semi-synthetic nature. When the carrier is dissolved in the duodenum, iron is released. At the same time, absorption is significantly improved, and the gastric mucosa is protected from negative effects.
Succinylate-based preparations include Ferlatum Protein. Available in the form of a solution, it should be taken orally.
Ferric hydroxide
These medicines include polymaltose, dextran and sucrose complexes.
Polymaltose complexes maintain their stability in the digestive tract. Accordingly, absorption through the mucosa takes much longer compared to ferrous iron. In structure, it is most similar to ferritin, so poisoning the body when using such drugs, unlike salts of ferrous iron, is almost impossible. The complexes do not have a prooxidant effect; they are not excreted through the kidneys after intravenous or intramuscular administration.
Polymaltose complexes, according to experts, have a number of advantages:
- Low toxicity, making their intake safe. Even with a significant excess of the dose, the patient does not have poisoning.
- They are highly effective, well tolerated, do not interact with food. As a result of side effects, compared with iron salts, much less occurs.
- With oral administration of the complex, there is no interaction with food. Thus, the regimen is independent of meals or diet. For convenience, the drug can be added to drinks.
- Long-term therapy with preparations based on ferric hydroxide does not cause staining of tooth enamel, as is the case with iron salts.
Drugs for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in children should be prescribed by a doctor, and only if there is evidence.
Vitamin complexes with iron
Quite often, both adults and children are prescribed vitamin complexes containing iron. The purpose of admission depends on the general condition of the human body. Vitamins with iron, for example, can be used as a means of preventing microelement deficiency in women, since they often experience blood loss.
If a woman is diagnosed with this pathology, the doctor may recommend taking such new drugs in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia as Sorbifer Durules, also enriched with ascorbic acid, and Tardiferon. Pregnant women are often prescribed Fenyuls and Gestalis.
Contraindications
Iron-saturated drugs are not recommended for patients:
- With different types of leukemia.
- Suffering from aplastic and hemolytic anemia.
- With chronic ailments of the liver and kidneys.
- Taking antacids, calcium preparations and tetracyclines.
- People who consume a lot of foods that contain caffeine, fiber, and calcium.
The list of drugs for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia is constantly updated. But you need to remember about side effects.
Adverse effects
Iron preparations intended for oral administration can provoke a reaction from the gastrointestinal tract in the form of constipation, flatulence, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. Moreover, the cost of the drug does not affect the likelihood of developing undesirable manifestations - absolutely all drugs with ferrous iron cause similar negative reactions. It is important to consider this fact when prescribing drugs to children and pregnant women.
The patients most easily tolerate iron polymaltoside hydroxide. The likelihood of side effects in this case is halved.
In addition to reactions from the gastrointestinal tract, allergic reactions can develop - itching and rash.
Iron, which is not absorbed by the body, is excreted along with feces, so its darkening is a normal phenomenon.
When using iron preparations intended for intravenous or intramuscular administration, dizziness, general weakness of the patient, headache, pain in the joints, muscles, and back can be observed. A taste of metal may be felt in the mouth. The occurrence of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tachycardia, facial flushing, hypotension is not ruled out. At the injection site, redness and slight swelling of the tissues may be observed. Rare cases of fever, the development of lymphadenopathy, the development of anaphylactic shock were also noted.
Iron overdose
An overdose of iron preparations manifests itself in the same way as side effects. In addition, signs of hyperventilation may occur. If symptoms of an overdose are found, the patient should have a gastric lavage, provoke vomiting, drink a raw egg and milk. Subsequently, symptomatic therapy is necessary.
If an overdose occurs during intravenous or intramuscular administration, acute iron overload may occur.
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