Various trace elements are necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. It is especially important that a sufficient amount of iron enter the bloodstream. Without it, red blood cells will not be able to carry oxygen, and a person will experience a lack of it. This condition is called iron deficiency anemia. It is especially common in women and children, the elderly or people weakened by disease. In this case, it is recommended to take iron in tablets. There are a large number of drugs containing this trace element, many of them have contraindications and various side effects. Therefore, if you suspect iron deficiency anemia, you must visit a doctor. Only a specialist can prescribe the right treatment.
Signs of Iron Deficiency Anemia
Iron is one of the most essential elements for the operation of all organs and systems. Typically, the body has its reserves, for example, in the liver. Therefore, signs of iron deficiency are felt immediately. A person feels weak, impaired, or rapidly fatigued. But this is not always associated with a lack of iron. Therefore, often the deficiency of this trace element increases over time. The first symptoms are joined by more serious ones:
- pallor of the skin;
- tachycardia;
- depression;
- a change in taste or loss of appetite;
- dizziness;
- reduced immunity and frequent colds;
- dry skin, brittle bones and nails, hair loss.
Causes of Iron Deficiency
Among them are the following:
- severe bleeding, for example, during operations, donation or menstruation in women, also some diseases cause chronic blood loss: hemorrhoids, ulcers, various tumors;
- improper and inadequate nutrition, passion for dieting for weight loss;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that cause impaired iron absorption;
- helminthiases;
- malabsorption syndrome.
In addition, there are conditions during which a person needs high doses of iron, and often he does not get enough food:
- in premature babies;
- during the growth and development of children and adolescents;
- in women during pregnancy and lactation.
How to make up for iron deficiency
This microelement enters the body with food and is absorbed into the bloodstream in the intestines. Therefore, iron deficiency is best filled with food, and in complex cases of anemia - take iron in tablets.
But you need to know that not all of them are effective, as they can irritate the stomach or accumulate in the cells, causing poisoning. In addition, a feature of the treatment of iron deficiency anemia is that it is a rather lengthy process, often lasting up to six months. Hemoglobin, which shows the presence of iron in the blood, begins to increase only after three weeks, and stabilization of its level is observed after a couple of months of taking the drugs. Although sometimes a person feels an improvement after several days of taking certain drugs. But it is not recommended to immediately stop treatment - for some time you need to drink pills for preventive purposes. In addition, it is imperative to eat
foods rich in iron. This can be buckwheat, liver, lentils, spinach, oat or barley groats, raisins and pine nuts.
What are the drugs
All drugs are divided into groups depending on the percentage and quality of iron, as well as on the availability of minor ingredients. Most often, these are distinguished:
- Ferrous iron in tablets is the most common. But such drugs have recently become increasingly less popular, as they cause a lot of side effects. Active substances include ferrous sulfate, as well as fumarate, glucanate and ferric chloride. They are part of such drugs: Actiferrin, Hemofer, Totem, Ferronal and others.
- More modern iron tablets are better tolerated. They include ferric iron in combination with other elements that increase its digestibility. For example, the polymaltosate hydroxide contained in modern preparations makes iron easily digestible, regardless of the foods used. In this form, this trace element can be obtained from such medicines: Maltofer, Fenyuls, Ferrum Lek, Venofer, Sideral and others.
What else may be part of the tablets
- Ascorbic acid is an effective antioxidant. It is capable of converting iron from salts into an easily digestible form.
- Amino acid serine also helps better absorption and faster entry of trace elements into the bloodstream.
- The protein carrier of succinitate quickly delivers iron to its best absorption site.
- The combination of a trace element with a sucrose complex allows you to prevent overdose. In addition, the vitamin of iron in tablets containing such a composition is better absorbed, does not interact with food and does not cause side effects. Therefore, more and more often these drugs have been prescribed recently, especially since it’s convenient to drink them - only 1-2 times a day.
The best iron supplements in pills
1. "Sorbifer Durules" is good in that iron ions are slowly released in the digestive tract without irritating its mucous membrane.
2. "Tardiferon" contains ascorbic acid and mucoprotease, due to which iron is easily absorbed and rarely causes side effects.
3. Maltofer, which can also be found under the name Ferrum Lek or Actiferrin, is a very effective drug and quickly increases hemoglobin levels. It is available in the form of chewable tablets, which can be used even by children and pregnant women.
4. "Fenyuls" is a multivitamin complex. It contains, in addition to iron sulfate, folic acid, vitamin C, thiamine, B vitamins and other useful elements.
Side effects from taking
Most often, they occur with an overdose of iron due to non-compliance with the recommendations of the doctor. Most of all, such drugs irritate the gastrointestinal tract and can cause:
- diarrhea or constipation;
- nausea and vomiting
- pain in the pancreas.
These pills can cause weakness, dizziness, confusion and increased pressure. Therefore, do not take them without the recommendation of a doctor. In addition, tablets containing iron sulfate can cause a metallic taste in the mouth and darkening of the teeth.
Features of iron preparations
It is important to consider the following:
- these tablets should not be stored in a warm place or in places with high humidity;
- vitamin of iron in tablets requires exact observance of the dosage and the amount of taking the tablets, if it is missed once, then you need to drink the medicine immediately, as they remembered about it (it is undesirable to take a double dose, as this can cause side effects);
- you can not drink iron in tablets together with some other medicines, for example, antibiotics or calcium preparations;
- in order not to worsen the digestibility of such preparations, and also so that iron is better absorbed, you should not drink coffee or tea, eat grain bread, dairy products or eggs within two hours after taking it; in addition, antacids such as Almagel, Phospholugel and others interfere with its absorption.
Iron for pregnant
In tablets, these drugs are better tolerated and have fewer side effects. Therefore, it is this form that is indicated during pregnancy. At this time, the woman’s body experiences an increased need for iron. Especially in the second and third trimesters.
The use of iron preparations under the supervision of a doctor is considered safe, and subject to the rules of admission, it does not cause any side effects. It is recommended that pregnant women use drugs containing, in addition to iron, folic acid, vitamins C and E. It is best to choose iron in tablets. The name of the drug can be obtained from your doctor. Most often, pregnant women are recommended to take "Fenyuls", "Tardiferon" or "Ferroplex".
Reviews on taking these medicines
Patients suffering from iron deficiency anemia and taking various drugs note that iron is better tolerated in tablets. Doctors also note these medications. After all, iron is absorbed in the intestine, so it is tablets that can deliver this trace element to the blood faster. Recently, many drugs have appeared that do not cause side effects at all and quickly increase hemoglobin levels.
These are Fenyuls, Sorbifer Durules and others. But in some they cause pain in the stomach. And many patients prefer vitamin and mineral complexes more; when they are taken, they do not need any additional medications; they need to be drunk 1-2 times a day, regardless of food intake. The best drug containing a large amount of iron is Vitacap. According to reviews of people taking it, it helps after the first pills.