Your body requires iron in order to produce red blood cells. Typically, you are able to obtain sufficient levels of iron from your diet. However, in some cases, such as occult bleeding in the intestine, you may have insufficient levels of iron in your body. This leads to a disorder called iron-deficiency anemia. In order to reverse this disease, your doctor may recommend that you take iron supplements or receive iron treatment. These treatments may cause some unintended side effects.
Gastrointestinal Distress
One of the most common side effects of iron supplements or iron treatment is irritation in the gastrointestinal tract, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Irritation can cause stomach discomfort, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. The extra iron stores may cause the cells lining the intestine to become inflamed and may alter the concentration of minerals within the stomach. If these symptoms become too severe, stop taking the iron supplement.
Muscle Pain
You may experience muscle pain as an unintended side effect of treatment with iron supplements, MayoClinic.com states. The muscle pain is typically experienced in the muscles of the back, groin or abdomen. However, you may feel the pain in any muscle, including the muscles in the arms and legs. The excess iron may deposit in these muscle tissues and cause inflammation or other problems.
Iron Poisoning
An overdose of iron can lead to a severe side effect termed iron poisoning, MedlinePlus, explains. Iron poisoning is the most common cause of poison-induced mortalities in children. A child who receives doses of 60 mg per kg of iron is at risk of iron poisoning. Symptoms of this life-threatening condition include liver failure and a significantly reduced blood pressure. If you think you are suffering from iron poisoning, contact a health care professional as soon as possible.
Hemochromatosis
When you take excess amounts of iron, you may develop a side effect called hemochromatosis, the University of Maryland Medical Center explains. The excess iron can deposit in your organs and cause those organs to malfunction. You can develop skin discoloration, liver damage and diabetes.
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