What to do about vomiting from iron deficiency anemia?

Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
Updated on June 02, 2025
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Patients with iron deficiency anemia experiencing vomiting might have the following possible causes: Firstly, iron deficiency can lead to systemic hypoxia, including in the gastrointestinal tract, manifesting as reduced appetite and poor digestion. Severe cases may present with nausea and vomiting. This situation can be addressed by transfusing red blood cells and implementing aggressive iron supplementation to correct the anemia. Once the anemia is corrected, symptoms of nausea and vomiting should disappear. Concurrently, temporary use of anti-emetic medications such as metoclopramide can be considered to help control the vomiting. Secondly, some patients with iron deficiency anemia may have underlying gastric diseases that cause chronic bleeding, including gastric ulcers, gastric mucosal erosion, or even gastric cancer. These gastric diseases themselves can also lead to vomiting, necessitating further investigations like gastroscopy to establish a clear diagnosis and provide targeted treatment.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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How long should iron supplements be taken for iron deficiency anemia?

First, it's important to understand that in treating iron deficiency anemia, addressing the underlying cause is the top priority. It's crucial to eliminate the causes of iron deficiency as much as possible. Solely supplementing with iron can only restore the blood picture, and neglecting the treatment of the primary illness will not lead to a thorough treatment of the anemia. Once the medication for anemia is stopped, it can easily relapse. So how long should iron supplements be taken for iron deficiency anemia? Generally, after patients start taking iron supplements, they can quickly feel an improvement in symptoms. The reticulocyte count tends to rise within three to four days after starting the supplements, reaching a peak around seven days. Hemoglobin shows a significant increase two weeks after starting the medication and can return to normal levels within one to two months. However, even after hemoglobin returns to normal, iron treatment should continue until the serum ferritin level has returned to 50 micrograms per liter before stopping the medication. If it's not possible to monitor serum ferritin, then iron supplements should be continued for three more months after hemoglobin has normalized, to replenish the body's iron stores. Therefore, the treatment of iron deficiency anemia with iron supplements generally lasts for three to six months.

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Written by Li Guo Bao
Hematology
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Can iron deficiency anemia be cured?

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common types of anemia clinically. The principle of treating iron deficiency anemia involves etiological treatment and symptomatic treatment. Etiological treatment means treating according to different causes, while symptomatic treatment involves correcting anemia and supplementing the raw materials for blood formation. The most common causes of iron deficiency anemia include gastrointestinal bleeding, internal hemorrhoids bleeding, hookworm and roundworm infections, malnutrition, and, notably in women, excessive menstrual bleeding and excessive bleeding during pregnancy and childbirth. These are common causes of iron deficiency anemia seen clinically. With the cause of iron deficiency anemia identified, the treatment often has a relatively high cure rate.

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Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
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What is good to eat for iron deficiency anemia?

The treatment of iron deficiency anemia mainly includes two aspects. One is the treatment targeted at correcting anemia caused by iron deficiency, and the other is identifying the cause of iron deficiency in the body and correcting it. Iron deficiency anemia is caused by chronic blood loss and a relative deficiency in iron intake due to increased iron demand in the body, which leads to reduced red blood cell production. The main treatment is to supplement with iron-rich medications, and one can also consume more lean meat, pork liver, duck blood, spinach, black fungus, and other foods rich in iron. For patients with iron deficiency anemia, it is crucial to identify the cause of the iron deficiency and provide targeted treatment to fundamentally resolve the issue of iron deficiency anemia.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Diet for Iron Deficiency Anemia

Patients with iron-deficiency anemia need to undergo pharmacological treatment with oral or injective iron supplements. In addition, patient health education should be enhanced to guide them in following a scientific and reasonable diet. For example, patients who are picky eaters or have insufficient intake should change their dietary structure and lifestyle in order to increase iron intake and bioavailability. This ensures that all key nutrients involved in the production of red blood cells are sufficient. Moreover, it is necessary to increase the intake of iron-rich foods, mainly including animal liver, blood, as well as soybeans, black fungus, egg yolks, brown sugar, lean meat, sheep kidneys, dried fruits, and sesame paste.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Iron deficiency anemia lacks iron.

Iron deficiency anemia is an anemia caused by the lack of stored iron in the body, affecting the synthesis of hemoglobin. It is characterized by a lack of stainable iron in the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and other organ tissues, as well as decreased serum iron concentration, transferrin saturation, and ferritin levels, typically presenting as microcytic hypochromic anemia. Thus, iron deficiency anemia refers to a deficiency of iron. Iron is an essential trace element in the human body, involved in cellular functions and metabolic processes. The body has a strict regulatory mechanism for iron metabolism to ensure that iron levels are always maintained at a normal level, referred to as iron homeostasis. Iron homeostasis relies crucially on the balance between intestinal iron absorption and the body's iron requirements. Once this balance is disrupted, problems in iron distribution, absorption, transport, and storage may occur, leading to iron deficiency anemia.