Anemia Therapeutics Flashcards
IDA treatment Aim
Replenish iron stores but also equally important is to identify what caused iron deficiency in the first place
IDA: Treatment: Food
meat iron more absorbable
IDA: Iron Supplement: What sort of tablets?
- Enteric coated products and slow-release products are not reccomended. It would cause release too far distally.
IDA: Iron Supplement: How to Take?
- Best taken on an empty stomach as food interferes with absorption (see if you can tolerate it first)
- But iron causes constipation, N/V/D, stomach upset, other intolerances. Just accept the fact they wont absorb it as well
IDA: Iron Supplement: Dose?
- Dose: 100-200 mg elemental iron per day, usually in 1-3 divided doses, for 3-6 months after anemia is resolved to build up iron stores. Due to poor tolerability, start lower and titrate up.
- Evidence that low doses are just as effective in elderly patients.
- Not dosing everyday (every other day) is just as good as dosing it everyday
IDA: Treatment Table for doses
Differs between 3 products. Ferrous gluconate (35mg), ferrous sulfate (60mg), Ferrous fumarate (100mg)
IDA: Treatment Table for doses: Iron polysaccharide
better absorbed and better marketed. Not a lot of good evidence…. but anadoctal evidence
IDA: Treatment Table for doses: Heme Iron Polypeptide
Better absorbed, better tolerated, and less likely to interact with food. Have some clinical evidence for use. So only need 1-3 tabs day
IDA: Treatment Table for doses:Iron bisglycinate
Better absorbed, better tolerated, and less likely to interact with food. Have some clinical evidence for use. So only need 1-3 tabs day
IDA Treatment Guide
1st line is one of the top 3 traditional iron salts first. If patients cant tolerate iron salts, try the other 3.
Strategies to improve tolerability
- Increasing dosing interval
- Switching formulations with lower amounts of elemental iron
- Start at lower dose, then titrate up
- Switching from tablet to liquid, easier titration
- Dietary modifications (take with food or milk)- *sometimes better to take with food rather than stopping it !!!! *
- Can switch to IV iron (usually saved as last resort)
Drug Interactions with Oral Iron
Non heme iron required an acidic environment to be absorbed. Anything that decreases acidity might interact with this process.
Cholestyramine- bile acid diarrhea for gallbladder-less patients.
How long do you separate iron from object drugs affected by iron?
2 hours
IDA: Treatment: Oral Iron
- Ferrous sulfate 75 mg/mL oral liquid (ODB)
- Ferrous gluconate 300 mg tabs (ODB)
- Ferrous fumarate 300 mg caps, 60 mg/mL liquid (ODB)
- Iron polysaccharide complex caps, tabs, liquid, powder (not covered by ODB)
- Proferrin® tabs (heme iron) (not covered by ODB)
- Iron bisglycinate tabs (not covered on ODB)
Parenteral Iron is reserved for patients who?
- Are unable to* tolerate* or *absorb *oral iron
- Have extensive chronic blood loss or extreme deficit in iron stores who cannot be maintained with oral iron alone
- Need rapid correction of anemia
Also used in some patients with severe chronic kidney disease (esp. if on hemodialysis), some patients with cancer = evidence that it is better compared to oral !!