Iron deficiency anemia occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells in your body decreases. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen.
IDA is the most common type of anemia
There are other kinds of anemia, but Iron Deficiency Anemia or IDA is the most common, affecting approximately 6.5 million people in the US
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a condition that interferes with the formation and function of red blood cells. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that helps carry oxygen from the lungs to cells in the body. To produce hemoglobin, your body needs iron. When you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry enough oxygen to cells throughout the body, that’s anemia
Iron is an essential mineral your body needs for growth and development. We get iron from the foods we eat, and it is absorbed into our blood in our small intestine. But if you aren’t getting enough iron, you’re losing too much iron, or your body isn’t able to absorb it, you may become iron deficient. Iron deficiency is the difference between the amount of iron you have and the amount your body needs to keep you in good health
Normal red blood cell count with a healthy
level of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin:
IDA is a condition in which you have fewer red
blood cells and less hemoglobin inside each cell:
Certain foods or diets help with Iron Deficiency Anemia
Iron-rich foods are an important part of your daily diet. But which foods you eat influence both how much iron you get, as well as how easily it is absorbed by your body.
There are two different types of iron in food – heme and non-heme iron.
Meat Sources
Meat, poultry, fish
Plant and Grain Sources
Beans, dried fruit, dark green
leafy vegetables, rice, wheat, oats
- Heme iron is found in various meat sources, like meat, poultry, and fish. This form of iron is most easily absorbed by your body
- Non-heme iron comes from plant and grain sources, like beans, dried fruit, dark green, leafy vegetables, rice, wheat, and oats. These foods are an important part of a well-balanced diet, but this form of iron isn’t absorbed as completely
- Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, which is why foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, and red, yellow, and orange peppers are an important part of your diet
- Alcohol has the opposite effect and may reduce the body’s ability to make red blood cells and may shorten red blood cell lifespan
The information on this website should not take the place of talking with your doctor or healthcare professional.
If you have any questions about your condition, or if you want more information about IDA or Injectafer,
talk to your doctor. Only your doctor can decide if Injectafer is right for you.
Injectafer® (ferric carboxymaltose injection) is available by prescription only. Ask your doctor or healthcare provider if Injectafer is right for you.
What is Injectafer?
Injectafer is a prescription iron replacement medicine administered only by or under the supervision of your healthcare provider. Injectafer is injected into your vein to treat iron deficiency anemia in adults and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older. Injectafer should be used only if you have not responded well to treatment with oral iron, or if you are intolerant to oral iron treatment. It is also used to treat iron deficiency anemia in adults with chronic kidney disease who are not receiving dialysis.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Who should not receive Injectafer?
You should not receive Injectafer if you are allergic to ferric carboxymaltose or any of the other ingredients in Injectafer. The active ingredient in Injectafer is ferric carboxymaltose, the inactive ingredients are: water for injection, sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid.
What should I tell my doctor or healthcare provider before receiving Injectafer?
Before you receive Injectafer, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- Have had an allergic reaction to iron given intravenously (into your vein), including Injectafer, or to other non-oral iron treatments
- If you have, or have previously experienced, iron overload, or if your body has difficulty using iron appropriately
- Have high blood pressure
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Injectafer will harm your unborn baby. Your healthcare provider will decide if it is safe for you to take Injectafer
- Are breastfeeding or plan to breast feed. Injectafer passes into your breast milk. It is unknown whether Injectafer would pose a risk to your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with Injectafer
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
How will I receive Injectafer?
Injectafer is given intravenously (into your vein) by your healthcare provider in 2 doses at least 7 days apart.
What are the possible side effects of Injectafer?
Injectafer can cause serious side effects, including:
- Serious allergic reactions that may be life-threatening, including shock, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and death. Your doctor or healthcare provider will monitor you for signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction during and after each dose of Injectafer for at least 30 minutes. Other serious allergic reactions include itching, rash, hives, wheezing, or low blood pressure. You should report any signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction to Injectafer, in particular rashes, shortness of breath, and wheezing to your doctor or healthcare provider
- High blood pressure, sometimes with facial flushing, dizziness, or nausea, has been seen during treatment with Injectafer. This increase in blood pressure typically resolves within 30 minutes. Your doctor or healthcare provider will monitor you for signs and symptoms of an increase in blood pressure following each use of Injectafer
Other serious side effects that have been reported include rash, difficulty breathing, itching, rapid heartbeat, fever, chest discomfort, chills, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue, back pain, muscle aches, and fainting.
The most common side effects of Injectafer include:
- In adults: nausea, high blood pressure, flushing, pain or bruising at the injection site, skin redness, low levels of phosphorous in your blood, and dizziness. Potentially long-lasting brown staining of skin near the injection site may occur if Injectafer leaks out of the vein
- In children: low levels of phosphorous in your blood, pain or bruising at the injection site, rash, headache, and vomiting
Excessive amounts of Injectafer may lead to a condition called iron overload, which is a buildup of iron and may be harmful.
These are not all of the possible side effects of Injectafer.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
General information about Injectafer
Injectafer may impact laboratory tests that measure iron in your blood for 24 hours after receiving Injectafer. Let your healthcare provider and laboratory staff know if you have received Injectafer within 24 hours of having blood tests.
To report side effects, contact American Regent at 1-800-734-9236 or E-mail: pv@americanregent.com or Fax: 1-610-650-0170.
You may also report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
The risk information provided here is not comprehensive. To learn more about Injectafer, talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. The FDA-approved product labeling can be found at www.injectafer.com/pdf/pi.pdf or call 1-800-645-1706.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Injectafer, including the bolded WARNING regarding hypersensitivity.