Ferro-Tab Ferrous Sulfate 200mg 100 Tablets are iron tablets for adults with iron-deficiency anaemia. Each tablet contains 200mg of dried ferrous sulfate, equivalent to about 65mg of ferrous iron, and the dose can be set at 1 tablet a day to prevent iron deficiency or 2 to 3 tablets a day to treat it.

Key Features

• 200mg ferrous sulfate per tablet: Each tablet provides about 65mg of ferrous iron.
• For iron-deficiency anaemia: The licensed use is iron-deficiency anaemia, with a prophylactic (preventive) dose and a therapeutic (treatment) dose.
• For adults: The usual adult dose is 1 tablet daily to prevent iron deficiency, or 1 tablet 2 to 3 times daily to treat it. This presentation is not recommended for children.
• 100-tablet pack: The pack covers 100 days at 1 tablet a day, or about 33 to 50 days at 2 to 3 tablets a day.
• Timing to suit your stomach: The tablets can be taken before or during meals, depending on how well your stomach tolerates them.

Should I take Ferro-Tab with food?

Tablets should be taken before meals or during meals, depending on how well your stomach tolerates them. Tea, eggs and milk can impair the absorption of iron, so these are best kept away from the time you take your tablet. Swallow the tablet whole with water.

How long should I take ferrous sulfate tablets for?

The length of treatment depends on the dose and the reason you are taking it, so follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice. Treatment should generally not exceed 3 months after the anaemia has been corrected.

Can iron tablets turn stools dark or cause constipation?

Yes. Dark stools, constipation and diarrhoea are all listed as possible undesirable effects of ferrous sulfate tablets, and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are usually dose related. The full list is in the Side Effects section.

Can I take Ferro-Tab during pregnancy?

Avoid taking any medicine in the first trimester of pregnancy if possible. Iron in the first trimester requires evidence of iron deficiency, so speak to your doctor first. Preventing iron deficiency for the rest of pregnancy is considered justified.

Active ingredient: Ferrous sulfate (dried) 200mg per tablet, equivalent to about 65mg of ferrous iron.

For adults only. This presentation is not recommended for children.

• To prevent iron deficiency: 1 tablet daily.
• To treat iron-deficiency anaemia: 1 tablet 2 to 3 times daily.

The same doses apply to elderly patients. Swallow the tablets whole with water. Do not suck, chew or keep a tablet in the mouth, as this can cause mouth ulcers and tooth discolouration. Take the tablets before or during meals, depending on how well your stomach tolerates them.

Important warning: contains iron. Keep out of the sight and reach of children, as overdose may be fatal. The following precautions also apply:

• Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to ferrous sulfate or any of the other ingredients.
• Do not take it if you have haemosiderosis, haemochromatosis, an active peptic ulcer, haemolytic anaemia, or if you have repeated blood transfusions.
• Do not use it together with other oral or injected iron preparations.
• Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before use if you have a history of peptic ulcer or inflammatory bowel disease (including regional enteritis and ulcerative colitis), or an intestinal stricture or diverticula. Iron absorption can be poor after stomach surgery (gastrectomy).
• Iron overload makes people particularly susceptible to infection, so treatment in these patients needs caution.
• Treatment should generally not exceed 3 months after the anaemia has been corrected. Long-term treatment with this product is a definite risk for dental caries.
• Avoid medicines in the first trimester of pregnancy where possible. Iron in the first trimester needs evidence of iron deficiency.
• Leave at least 2 hours between iron and antacids, calcium, magnesium or other mineral supplements, quinolone antibiotics, bisphosphonates, trientine and levothyroxine. Leave 2 to 3 hours between iron and tetracycline antibiotics.
• Zinc and iron preparations can reduce each other's absorption, and tea, eggs and milk impair iron absorption.
• Iron can also affect or be affected by cholestyramine, dimercaprol, dopaminergics (co-careldopa, entacapone, levodopa), methyldopa, mycophenolate mofetil, penicillamine and chloramphenicol, so tell your pharmacist or doctor about all the medicines you take.

The following side effects have been reported with ferrous sulfate tablets. This list is not necessarily complete.

• Digestive system: abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting (these are usually dose related), constipation, diarrhoea and dark stools.
• Tablet irritation: contact irritation can occur, resulting in erosion or ulceration, particularly if a tablet becomes lodged in the upper digestive tract.
• Mouth ulceration: reported when tablets are chewed, sucked or kept in the mouth. The frequency is not known.
• Allergic reactions: have been reported.

If you get any side effects, talk to a doctor or pharmacist. You can also report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme.