Do iron and calcium supplements cause constipation in women?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 40-year-old woman who recently started taking oral iron for iron-deficiency anemia (hemoglobin: 10.3 g/dL, ferritin: 7 ng/mL). However, I have developed severe constipation, sometimes going up to five days without a bowel movement. I am also taking calcium supplements for osteopenia, and I wonder if these could be worsening the problem. Are women more prone to constipation due to slower gastrointestinal transit times or hormonal factors? Additionally, what are some better-tolerated iron options?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Do not panic. Yes, sometimes iron and calcium tablets can cause conception problems.

But there is nothing to worry about. This is normal. For this, keep the following things in mind.

Drink more water, at least two to two and a half liters of water a day.
Add a fiber-rich diet to your diet.
Eat salad every day.
Reduce your intake of fatty foods and eat green leafy vegetables.
Eating fruits like papaya is good for constipation.

And yes, never take Iron and Calcium supplements together. There should be a gap of at least two to four hours between them.

Make sure to take vitamin C and B complex tablets along with it. This increases iron absorption and gut flora.

You can also increase the amount of hemoglobin in the body by taking iron sucrose or an FCM (ferric carboxy-maltose) injection. This is a good solution to avoid the tablet form, and it also increases hemoglobin to a good extent. Just one FCM 500 mg (milligrams) injection is enough to increase your hemoglobin.

Medical management for constipation:

Take a prebiotic tablet once daily.
Take a B-complex tablet -B once daily.
Syrup- Lactulose is sometimes used at night if you have more constipation.

Please give me answers to some questions, and then I can tell you about a better prescription and proper medicine or find the cause.

Do you also take medication for diabetes or hypertension?
Do you also have problems like loss of appetite, vomiting, or stomach ache along with this?
Did you ever get a fever with it?

So, please give me an answer that helps in finding out the cause.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.