Why you shouldn’t stop your iron treatment too soon

Did you know that you should usually take Ferro-grad C^® for 3 to 6 months,¹ and you should continue taking it until your doctor confirms your iron stores are replenished?1 Read on to find out more about using therapeutic oral iron supplements to treat medically diagnosed iron deficiency.

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Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency

What is iron deficiency?

Iron deficiency is a medical term used to describe having inadequate iron in your body. The early stages of deficiency are associated with decreased storage of iron, and the later stages may lead to the development of anaemia, which means your blood haemoglobin levels are low.² Iron deficiency without anaemia is far more common than iron deficiency anaemia.²

Diagnosis

Only a doctor can medically diagnose iron deficiency. Your doctor may send you for a blood test if you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. They may also want to check your iron levels if you have heavy periods or you tell them about symptoms like tiredness and fatigue.²

If your doctor diagnoses iron deficiency, they may recommend a therapeutic oral iron supplement like Ferro-grad C^®. You should never take a therapeutic oral iron supplement unless your doctor advises you to do so.

Don’t stop too soon

People often stop taking their oral iron supplements after a few weeks, which usually isn’t long enough to replenish your iron levels.¹
Even if you start to feel better, it’s likely that iron deficiency will recur if you stop taking your supplements too soon. That’s why it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions and take Ferro-grad C^® until a blood test shows your iron stores are healthy. Even then, your doctor may want to check your iron status from time to time to ensure you are on track.¹ While it’s important not to stop too soon, you should also never take Ferro-grad C^® for more than 12 months unless your doctor has advised you to do so.

Adequate dose

Did you know that many supplements that contain iron are not formulated to treat medically diagnosed iron deficiency? While it is important to take your oral iron supplement for long enough, it is also important to ensure you take a supplement with an adequate dose.¹ You can trust Ferro-grad C^® to provide you with the iron you need if your doctor recommends a therapeutic oral iron supplement.

References:

Iron Deficiency. In Therapeutic Guidelines; March 2017
Gastroenterological Society of Australia. Clinical update – Iron deficiency; 2015.

FGC-2021-0131. November 2021

Food	Serving size	Iron content
Chicken liver	100g	11mg
Beef	100g	3.5mg
Kangaroo	100g	3.2mg
Lamb	100g	2.5mg
Salmon	100g	1.28mg
Tinned tuna	100g	1.07mg
Lamb brains	100g	1.0mg
Pork	100g	0.8mg
Chicken	100g	0.4mg
Snapper	100g	0.3mg

Food	Serving size	Iron content
Weetbix ^TM	30g	4.2mg
All Bran ^TM	30g	3.2mg
Kidney beans	1 cup	3.1mg
Green lentils	1 cup	3.0mg
Tofu	100g	2.96mg
Chickpeas	1 cup	2.7mg
Cooked wholemeal pasta	140g (1 cup)	2.3mg
Cashew nuts	30g (20 nuts)	1.5mg
Raw spinach	1 cup	1.2mg
Rolled oats	30g	1.1mg
Almonds	30g	1.1mg
Dried apricot	30g (5 dried apricots)	0.93mg
Broccoli	1 cup	0.86mg
Cooked brown rice	140g (1 cup)	0.7mg
Wholegrain bread	1 slice	0.4mg

^#Most widely used brand of therapeutic oral iron supplement, based on cumulative total of IQVIA sales data in the last 10 years.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE.
For use when you have been diagnosed as iron deficient and your doctor has recommended a therapeutic oral iron supplement.

Ferro-grad C contains ferrous sulfate 325 mg (equivalent to 105 mg elemental iron) and sodium ascorbate 562.4 mg (equivalent to 500 mg Vitamin C).

Ferro-grad C is a Viatris trademark. Copyright ^© 2022 Viatris Inc. All rights reserved. Viatris Pty Ltd. Level 1, 30-34 Hickson Road, Millers Point NSW 2000. Tel 1800 314 527. FGC-2022-0047. Prepared April 2022.