How is Iron Deficiency Anemia diagnosed?
If you're experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, it's important to talk to your doctor or healthcare professional so that he or she can properly diagnose the symptoms and prescribe the appropriate course of treatment.
While there isn't a single, comprehensive test for iron deficiency anemia, your doctor can use a series of tests to diagnose IDA and make sure you don't have other types of anemia or health problems that could be confused with—or complicated by—IDA.1
Generally, your doctor will need to take a sample of your blood from your arm or hand and perform two common tests:2,3,4,5
- Hemoglobin Concentration can be used can determine whether you are anemic
- Ferritin Concentration can identify whether iron deficiency is the source of your anemia
These tests are generally enough to confirm a diagnosis; however, in certain cases, your doctor may also use other tests to identify the severity of your iron deficiency.1,2,6
WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. KEEP THIS PRODUCT OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.
Ferralet® 90 is a prescription iron supplement approved for treating anemias that respond to oral iron therapy. Your doctor may prescribe Ferralet® 90 if you have certain anemias associated with pregnancy, blood loss, or metabolic disease, or if you are recovering from surgery or do not have enough iron in your diet.
Important Safety Information
Ferralet® 90 has not been tested in children. Dosing for elderly patients should begin at the lower end of the dosing range.
Talk to your doctor before taking Ferralet® 90 if you have a known sensitivity to any of its ingredients.
Because some medications may interact with Ferralet® 90, you should tell your doctor about any medications you are taking, including antacids and antibiotics.
Before prescribing iron therapy, your doctor will need to determine the type of anemia you have and identify its underlying causes. You should not take this product if you have been diagnosed with hemolytic anemia or an iron overload disorder such as hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis.
If you have certain forms of anemia associated with vitamin B12 deficiency (i.e. pernicious anemia), the Folic acid contained in Ferralet® 90 is not enough to treat your condition. Doses of more than 0.1 mg Folic acid per day can hide the symptoms of these anemias, so your doctor must rule them out before prescribing this product.
Once you begin iron therapy with Ferralet® 90, take the product 2 hours after meals, and do not exceed the recommended dose.
When taking Ferralet® 90, you may experience temporary side effects such as GI irritation, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and dark stools.
Some patients taking Folic acid have reported allergic reactions. Additionally, Ferralet® 90 contains FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), which may cause allergic reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain susceptible people. Although uncommon, tartrazine sensitivity is often seen in patients who also have aspirin hypersensitivity. Contact your doctor and discontinue use if you develop any unusual symptoms.
Keep this product out of reach of children. Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under six. Symptoms of overdose include abdominal pain, metabolic acidosis, decline or absence of urine production, nerve damage, coma, convulsions, death, dehydration, congestion of blood vessels, cirrhosis of the liver, low blood pressure, hypothermia, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, black or tarry stools, vomiting blood, rapid heart rate, high blood sugar, drowsiness, abnormal pale or bluish skin color, lack of energy, seizures, and shock. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.
To report negative side effects, contact Mission Pharmacal Company at 1-800-298-1087 or the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
- Recommendations to prevent and control iron deficiency in the United States [Internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1998 Apr 3 [accessed 2008 Apr 9]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00051880.htm.
- Killip S, Bennett JM, Chambers MD. Iron deficiency anemia. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Mar 1;75(5):671-8.
- Trost LB, Bergfeld WF, Calogeras E. The diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency and its potential relationship to hair loss. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 May;54(5):824-44.
- Medline Plus medical encyclopedia: ferritin [Internet]. U.S. National Laboratory of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health; [access 2008 Apr 28]. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003490.htm.
- Skikne BS, Flowers CH, Cook JD. Serum transferrin receptor: a quantitative measure of tissue iron deficiency. Blood. 1990 May 1;75(9):1870-6.
- Cook JD. Clinical evaluation of iron deficiency. Seminars in Hematology. 1982 Jan;19(1):6-18.
