Health Care

by Warren Peters

When a person takes iron supplements without a prescription, they stand a chance of experiencing an iron overdose. An iron overdose is a form of poisoning to the body that occurs when a person has an excessive amount of iron in their body because of taking too much of an iron supplement. There are many symptoms that are present when a person overdoses on iron. In this article, we will review many of the common symptoms that a person may experience if they are experiencing an iron overdose.

If you feel that you or someone that you know is experiencing an overdose of iron, you should contact the National Poison Control Center for the proper instructions. You may call them by dialing the following number: 1-800-222-1222. If you feel that a trip to the emergency room is necessary or are directed to go there by the Poison Control Center, you should ensure that you take the bottle that the iron supplements came from. This will ensure that the doctor understands the exact iron supplement that you took. If you are alone and are experiencing serious symptoms, you should call 911 immediately.

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may be experiencing an iron overdose:

*If you are dehydrated and cannot seem to quench your thirst

*You start to cough or hear fluid moving around in your lungs when you breathe

*You develop a fever

*You start to feel extremely tired

*You start to experience weakness in any area of the body

*You develop a general sense of apathy

*You start to develop a headache

*Your skin starts to become pale and flushed

*You develop a cold sweat

*You start to develop a metallic taste in the mouth

*You start to vomit or cough up blood

*You experience severe diarrhea

*You start to experience nausea

*You start to experience chills

*You develop all the classic symptoms of shock

*You start having seizures and/or convulsions

*You notice that your blood pressure is dropping at a rapid rate

*Your pulse starts to feel very fast or you start to experience a very slow and weak pulse

*You experience a drop in the body?s blood sugar level

*Your lips and fingernails start to become discolored, specifically bluish in color

It is important to understand that these symptoms are among the most popular and common symptoms of an iron overdose. A person may experience other symptoms not listed here. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after ingesting iron do not wait to see if the symptoms will resolve, get to a doctor as soon as possible.

If you find that you must go to the hospital, you can expect to receive some tests. They will check the iron level by performing various types of blood tests on you. Additionally, they may issue you medicine that you cause you to vomit so that you can get the iron out of your body as soon as possible.