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Iron Poisoning Symptoms

Symptoms of iron poisoning usually become evident within 6 hours after an excessive amount of iron is swallowed.

• Iron corrodes your intestinal lining and is a direct irritant to the stomach.

• People with iron poisoning can have the following symptoms:

• Severe vomiting
  
  
• Diarrhea
  
  
• Abdominal pain
  
  
• Dehydration and lethargy if not treated adequately

• A child’s vomit or stool may be bloody.

• Often, after supportive care, the gastrointestinal symptoms appear to improve 6-24 hours after their onset.

• If profound poisoning is inadequately treated, shock and death can occur.

• The amount of iron ingested may give a clue to potential toxicity. The therapeutic dose for iron deficiency anemia is 3-6 mg/kg/day. Toxic effects begin to occur at doses above 10-20 mg/kg of elemental iron. Ingestions of more than 50 mg/kg of elemental iron are associated with severe toxicity.

• A 325-mg tablet of ferrous sulfate has 65 mg (20%) of elemental iron

• A 325-mg tablet of ferrous gluconate has 39 mg (12%) of elemental iron

• A 325-mg tablet of ferrous fumarate has 107.25 mg (33%) of elemental iron