Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Feratab as follows:
- Avoid having feratab supplement concurrently with any antibiotics. When taken together, iron can heavily inhibit absorption of most of the antibiotics, thus compromising the therapeutic benefit of antibiotic intake. Observing a 2 hour interval between feratab intake and dose of antibiotic can significantly help.
- Avoid consuming any supplements with calcium along with Feratab, as calcium can strongly inhibit the absorption of iron in the stomach. This can compromise the therapeutic benefit of intake of Feratab. Also, avoid milk and any milk products for 2 hours before and after taking the Feratab, as they contain calcium that can inhibit absorption of iron in the stomach. Observing a 1 – 2 hour window between Feratab and any food & supplements with calcium, can help prevent any compromise with therapeutic benefit from intake of Feratab.
- Avoid taking the Feratab with alcohol, as alcohol intake can result in the body absorbing iron in significantly large amounts than normal. Excess of the iron absorbed over a span of time can lead to accumulation of iron in various vital organs, such as, liver, heart, and pancreas. Iron overload in these body tissues can compromise the function of vital organs resulting in symptoms of liver failure, heart failure, and diabetes.
- Your physician could change the dose of Feratab, 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.
