Iron is one of the most important trace elements in the human body. It is part of the cells, and is also involved in hematopoiesis. Iron is the main hemoglobin, which is necessary for the transfer of oxygen to tissues. With its lack, a person develops anemia. Moreover, it is the iron deficiency form of this disease that occurs most often. If a person develops such a condition, then the usual route of entry of this trace element into the body - from food - is ineffective. Therefore, iron preparations are prescribed for anemia, which make up for its deficiency.
Indications for use
Typically, iron enters the human body with food. There are many products containing this trace element. It is secreted from them in the intestine, and the excess enters the depot, from where it is used as needed. But in some cases, the iron content in the blood decreases, while iron deficiency anemia develops. It occurs most often in women, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Children and adolescents, people exposed to increased mental and physical stress are predisposed to the development of anemia. It also occurs in chronic diseases, for example, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis or cancerous tumors, as well as in violation of the digestive organs, due to which the absorption of many trace elements is impaired.
Iron deficiency anemia occurs with frequent bleeding, for example, with a bleeding stomach ulcer, hemorrhoids, or heavy menstruation. Iron deficiency can be observed in people who are malnourished, follow diets, and in artificially fed children. This trace element is poorly absorbed in diseases of the stomach and intestines, especially if the patient takes a lot of antacids.
Only a doctor can prescribe iron preparations for iron deficiency anemia after examination and confirmation of the diagnosis. But this condition can be suspected for some symptoms:
- weakness, decreased performance;
- loss of appetite, pain in the stomach;
- change in taste preferences;
- dizziness, pain in the head;
- decreased attention span;
- fragility of nails and hair;
- blanching of the skin, blue eyes;
- shortness of breath and palpitations.
Features of iron preparations
The main treatment for iron deficiency anemia is to take iron supplements. After all, a change in nutrition in this case will not help. Therefore, the cause of the development of this pathology is eliminated and iron preparations are prescribed for anemia in a tablet, capsules, syrup or in injections. The most effective and appropriate is the use of drugs in tablet form containing ferrous iron. They have fewer contraindications, are better absorbed and cheaper. But the choice of treatment should be determined by the doctor.
Even the best iron supplements for anemia can cause poisoning and other side effects. Therefore, the dosage and duration of treatment is chosen by the doctor individually. Often start with a small dose, gradually increasing it. Usually, the course of treatment is 2-6 months, with therapeutic doses being prescribed for the first 4-6 weeks, and then prophylactic ones. Most often, the therapeutic dose is 180-200 mg of iron per day.
Drug classification
There are many similar agents, they all contain different amounts of active substance, in various forms. Most often, iron sulfate is used in them . It is absorbed in the digestive tract, this requires the presence of a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid. Therefore, such drugs are poorly absorbed with low acidity of gastric juice. Iron is better absorbed in the presence of vitamin C, lactic acid, animal products. And some antibiotics, calcium and drugs from the antacid group interfere with its absorption.
Usually, all iron preparations for anemia are divided into two groups. Most often used are those that contain its divalent form. They are available in the form of tablets or capsules and are rapidly absorbed. Ferrous iron has a high bioavailability and is completely absorbed. In complex cases, preparations containing ferric iron are used. They are available as an injection. Such drugs usually cost more, but are absorbed worse. Indeed, in order for this form of iron to be used by the body, it must be broken down. This requires the presence of ascorbic acid.
Ferrous iron for anemia
The names of the drugs that are taken most often can be obtained from your doctor. But they are prescribed only according to strict indications, depending on the severity of the course of anemia and the individual condition of the patient. The specialist will advise which iron preparations are better absorbed in case of anemia, in what dosage and how to take them. There are several medications that are used most often:
- "Sorbifer Durules" is used for adults and children, it is available in tablets and drops. The drug is based on iron sulfate. It is best to use the drug an hour before meals.
- Tardiferron is an iron sulfate-based drug. It is used during pregnancy and puberty. It is undesirable during the treatment with this drug to take antibiotics and other vitamin preparations.
- "Ferrofolgamma" is a gelatin capsule. In addition to iron, folic acid is included in them.
- "Fenyuls" is used often, as it does not cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the digestive system. In addition to iron, it contains vitamin C and folic acid, which improves its absorption.
- Totem is an oral solution. It includes iron gluconate, manganese and copper. The drug is better absorbed if taken on an empty stomach.
- Actiferrin is often used to treat children and women during pregnancy. Contains serine, which improves iron absorption.
Ferric preparations
Recently, drugs containing ferrous iron, began to be replaced by new ones. They include this trace element in trivalent form. It is believed that it is more effective. Although such drugs exist mainly in injectable form, in addition, they often cause side effects. There are some of the most effective iron supplements for anemia with a similar composition:
- Maltofer is used in patients with intolerance to ferrous iron. It is indicated during pregnancy, during puberty. It is well absorbed and has almost no side effects.
- "Ferrum Lek" is well tolerated, therefore, it is often prescribed during pregnancy. Available in syrup, chewable tablets and injection.
- Ferlatum not only compensates for the lack of iron, but also stimulates the synthesis of hemoglobin. It is used at any age, it is indicated during pregnancy.
- Argeferr is used only as an injection. It is indicated if the patient cannot take the pill for some reason.
Preparations for injection
In the treatment of anemia , iron preparations in the form of injections are not always used. They have many contraindications, so they are prescribed in some cases:
- after surgery on the stomach or intestines;
- with exacerbation of gastrointestinal pathologies;
- in the most severe cases of anemia;
- if you urgently need to saturate the body with iron, for example, before surgery;
- with intolerance to these drugs in tablets.
Such drugs act faster and can increase hemoglobin in a few hours. At the same time, such drugs are prescribed:
- Venofer is effective for patients with renal failure;
- CosmoFer has many contraindications, therefore it is not often used;
- "Ectofer" is used to prevent iron deficiency anemia;
- "Monofer" is a ferric iron preparation that causes side effects very sharply.
Medicines for children
If a child is found to have iron deficiency anemia, it is necessary to give him medications prescribed by a doctor. Especially now special forms are being created for children. This is a syrup or drops that are convenient to take, they do not irritate the mucous membrane and are well absorbed. In addition, there are chewable tablets with different tastes, and you can also crush an ordinary tablet and add it to baby food. But you can use for treatment only those medications that the doctor will prescribe. A specialist can determine which iron preparations are best for anemia in a child:
- It is better for the smallest children to give such medicines in drops. They are more convenient to dose and mix with baby food. These may be the preparations of Totem, Ferrum Lek, Gemofer, Maltofer, Sorbifer Durules. They are used up to 1-2 years.
- From 2 to 5 years old, it is better to give children iron preparations in the form of syrup. This is Ferrum Lek, Aktiferin or Ferronal. In order to measure the exact amount of the drug in the package, there is always a special measuring cap.
- Children after 5 years can be given tablets or capsules. They can be with different tastes or ordinary. For children, the drugs Totem, NovoFerrum, and Maltofer are used. In adolescence, Tardiferon, NovoFerrum, and Totem are prescribed.
Pregnant Anemia Treatment
Women need to take iron supplements during pregnancy, even if there is no decrease in hemoglobin. But the dosage and duration of such treatment should be determined by the doctor. In the absence of anemia, prophylactic administration in the third trimester of 30-40 mg of iron is recommended. The same dosage is indicated with a woman's predisposition to anemia. At the same time, medications are prescribed periodically: at 12-15 weeks, then at 21-25 several times a week.
If a decrease in hemoglobin is detected during pregnancy, a therapeutic dose of drugs is prescribed immediately - 100-200 mg. If anemia was before conception, then over the entire period they take an increased dose of 200 mg, and the treatment does not stop after childbirth. Your doctor will tell you which iron supplements are best for pregnant women with anemia. Most often prescribed drugs in tablets: Sorbifer Durules, Totem, Ferrum Lek, Maltofer. It is advisable to additionally take folic acid, which improves the absorption of iron. There are complex preparations, for example, "Gino-Tardiferon" or "Fenyuls."
Contraindications and side effects
It is possible to take iron preparations only with iron deficiency anemia. They are contraindicated in the case of a hemolytic or aplastic form of pathology. Such drugs are also not prescribed for cancer of the blood, liver or kidney disease, in the treatment of calcium, Levomecitin, Tetracycline or antacids.
Sometimes there is intolerance to iron preparations. Moreover, the replacement of one drug with another will not correct the situation, since iron itself has an irritating effect on the digestive tract. Therefore, in this case, you can switch to the injection of drugs or reduce the dosage by half.
When ingested, even the best iron preparations for anemia can cause the development of negative reactions. The most common side effects are:
- nausea, vomiting;
- pain and heaviness in the abdomen;
- decreased appetite, metallic taste in the mouth;
- flatulence;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- allergic skin reactions.
With the injection of drugs, these reactions are more common. In addition to them, weakness, dizziness, pain in the joints and head, tachycardia, fever can be observed. With this use of drugs, an overdose of iron is also possible , which is expressed in severe poisoning. In this case, it is necessary to cancel the treatment, rinse the stomach and give the patient to drink milk.
Rules for taking these medicines
Only a specialist can determine which iron preparations are best taken with anemia. After all, not only the lack of this microelement is dangerous, but also its overdose, since the body cannot remove excess iron, accumulating it. This can lead to severe poisoning. Therefore, during treatment, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations and observe the selected dosage. Usually the first improvement in the patient's condition is observed after 2-3 days of taking iron preparations for anemia, but the course of treatment must be completed until the end - it is usually recommended to take them for at least 2 months. Since the hemoglobin level can normalize only during this time, and yet you still need to create a depot - an iron supply for an emergency. Therefore, a blood test is regularly done during treatment.
The peculiarity of taking iron preparations for anemia is that they stain feces. It becomes dark, almost black, and if necessary to take tests for occult blood, the result may be positive, therefore, it is necessary to warn the doctor about taking these drugs. For better absorption of iron preparations for anemia, it is recommended to drink them on an empty stomach. It is undesirable to drink tablets with tea or milk, as these drinks impair the absorption of this trace element. It is recommended to take ascorbic, citric or succinic acid, sorbitol together with drugs. And the main rule of treatment is to drink only those drugs that are prescribed by a doctor. After all, even the best iron preparations for anemia can have side effects.
Reviews on their admission
Most often, such drugs are taken by women during pregnancy. They are also prescribed to children. Subject to the recommendations of the doctor, the symptoms of anemia disappear after 2-3 days. In reviews of iron preparations for anemia, patients note that they are well tolerated, rarely cause side effects. The main thing is to choose the right medicine and its dosage. It is also better to follow a diet, as some foods interfere with the absorption of iron. Patient reviews note that it is difficult to treat anemia, it is a rather lengthy process, but you can cope with it. And iron preparations help in this.