Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Ferralet as follows:
- Be aware of symptoms of iron toxicity you might present with. Iron administered over a prolonged span of time can accumulate in various vital organs of the body, thus compromising their function and leading to debility. Individuals can present with abdominal pain, liver damage, hepatitis, jaundice, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, deteriorating blood sugar control, arthritis, neuropathy, cognitive deficits, and seizures, secondary to the compromised functional status of various organs with iron overload. Report to your physician or other health care personnel regarding any new or exacerbation of the above mentioned symptoms, following chronic intake of Ferralet, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised or other necessary changes made to your plan of care.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication. Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
- Periodical labs could be drawn for blood levels of iron, to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of Ferralet intake and to rule out any overdose. Also, labs could be ordered periodically for vital organ functions, such as, liver and heart, to identify any early signs of iron overload and toxicity. Observe compliance with any lab draws ordered.
- Your physician could change the dose of Ferralet, based on the results of labs drawn, therapeutic relief obtained, or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to update on the relief from symptoms of iron deficiency. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, if need be, until you show an optimum response.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
