Low iron is one of the UK’s most common deficiencies, affecting millions of people every year. And if you're a woman, you're even more likely to have lower levels than you should. Research suggests an eye-opening 1 in 3 women are estimated to have an iron deficiency, and the NHS recommends females between 19 and 49 should ingest double the amount of iron as men each day to stay healthy. The good news? Low iron is usually easy to treat with a supplement. The not-so-good news? Many people struggle with the side effects of iron tablets, making it difficult for them to take them consistently enough to get their iron levels back to where they should be.
In fact, studies suggest that up to 60% of people taking oral iron supplements experience digestive side effects, while as many as half stop taking them, or don’t take them regularly, because of these unpleasant symptoms. A problem, because iron isn’t easy for your body to absorb, and it can take months of patiently swallowing an iron tablet each day before your levels get back to baseline again.
Fortunately, oral iron tablets aren’t the only option. If you’ve tried iron supplements before and they didn’t agree with you, there’s an easier way to top up your iron without upsetting your stomach. Read on to find out how an iron patch could help, plus the most common side effects of iron tablets, why they happen, and how to recognise the signs of low iron:
​What are the main side effects of iron tablets?
For some people, taking iron tablets is a breeze, with no tummy upsets at all. But well over half of those taking iron orally don't tolerate it well, and your iron supplement can quickly become something you dread taking each day.
And who can blame you, when you consider some of the most common side effects of iron tablets:
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Indigestion
- Metallic taste
An upset tummy, nausea and constipation are by far the most common. And for lots of people, symptoms start shortly after starting to take tablets or increasing your dose.
These side effects can be especially frustrating if you’re already living with a digestive condition such as IBS or inflammatory bowel disease (which can often go hand-in-hand with low iron, as you're not abosrbing the nutrients you need from food efficiently), or if you’re taking medication that already affects your stomach.
Some doctors recommend taking iron with food to help reduce stomach irritation, but unfortunately this can limit how much iron your body absorbs. Particularly if it's a dairy product, as calcium and iron do not mix – and the calcium will prevent the full quantity of iron being absorbed. And caffeine is another no no! So if you're taking oral iron, put that latte down and take your tablets with a glass of orange juice instead, as vitamin C can actually help your body to absorb iron.
​Why do iron tablets upset your stomach?
When you swallow an iron tablet, not all of the iron is absorbed into your bloodstream and a large amount remains in your gut.
This unabsorbed iron can irritate the lining of your stomach and intestines, a one way ticket to uncomfortable side effects of iron tablets, like nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
It can also alter the balance of bacteria living in your gut and slow the movement of food through your digestive system, which can then lead to another digestive delight… hello constipation – ugh.
That’s not all. As well as digestive side effects of iron tablets, they can also interact with certain foods and medications, making them less effective. Calcium supplements, antacids, and anything with high levels of caffeine can all reduce iron absorption if taken too close together. In turn, iron can also affect how well medications like antibiotics or thyroid replacement drugs work. So the timing of when to take iron tablets can be a huge headache too!
​If you can’t tolerate oral iron, using an iron patch instead is well worth considering. Because the nutrients are delivered through the skin rather than passing through the gut, they don’t trigger gut problems and you don't need to worry about leaving gaps between when you use them in tandem with other supplements or medication – hurrah!
What are the signs you might need more iron?
Iron is essential for making haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body. Without enough iron, your muscles, brain and organs don’t receive the oxygen they need to function well.
Symptoms often develop gradually and can easily be mistaken for stress, poor sleep or simply being busy. Iron deficiency is more common in women (who are still shouldering more of the physical and mental workload of running a home – so they feel wiped out as it is!), and can get muddled up with some of the symptoms women associate with hormonal shifts linked to periods and peri/menopause such as fatigue and low mood.
But feeling tired all the time isn't the only warning sign. You could also experience things like shortness of breath, dizziness, migraine headaches, brain fog, pale skin and hair thinning/shedding. If these sound familiar, it’s worth speaking to your GP, who can arrange a blood test to check your iron levels. And make sure they check your ferritin (stored iron) levels too. Sometimes you can have low ferritin without being anaemic, which can trigger many of the same symptoms and also be rectified by taking an iron supplement.
If you want to find out more about iron deficiency symptoms, read 5 Surprising Signs You Need to Increase Your Iron Levels, where we explain some of the less obvious signs.
​Side effects of iron tablets are making me miserable! Why is treating low iron so important anyway?
Having low iron isn't just about feeling wiped out and low in energy – which is bad enough! Maintaining healthy levels is essential for everything from helping to support energy production, to oxygen transport around the body, cognitive function and concentration, and even immune function. If you're not getting enough, you'll know about it, even if the symptoms are subtle at first…
Many people notice that once their iron levels return to normal, they have more energy, recover better after exercise and find it easier to concentrate throughout the day. The key is finding a supplement you can actually stick with and take consistently, something that the side effects of iron tablets can often make impossible.
Why is an iron patch different?
Rather than swallowing oral supplements, that can taste funny and be difficult to swallow, you simply apply a patch to your skin and wear it for up to eight hours.
Because there’s no tablet travelling through your gut, symptoms like nausea, constipation or stomach discomfort don't happen. Even better, our handy Iron Plus patch also provides a gradual eight-hour release or iron throughout the day, which is often easier for your body to make use of than the large single dose delivered by tablets.
And that's not all, the Iron Plus patch also contains a targeted dose of vitamin C, which makes it easier for your body to absorb the iron (and no need to add vitamin C foods into your diet). Plus folate and vitamin A which can both support healthy energy levels, red blood cell formation and cognitive health. Everything you need to fight fatigue and feel more like yourself again without the side effects of iron tablets – yay!
​How can you increase your iron levels naturally?
Alongside using an iron patch there are some other easy steps you can take to boost your iron levels. You should make sure you're eating more iron-rich foods, ideally try and make this haem iron, which is found in animal products, and is absorbed most efficiently. Good sources include lean red meat, liver and for the pescetarians: sardines, mussels and oily fish.
If you're plant-based, try adding extra lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, spinach and pumpkin seeds to your plate. But be warned – plant-based iron can be more difficult for the your body to absorb and it's sensible to also take try and iron supplement if you're following a veggie/vegan diet.
Another handy hack is cooking with cast iron pans. Cooking acidic foods such as tomato-based sauces in a cast-iron pan can slightly increase the amount of iron in your meal. It’s a small change, but every little helps.
