Drug interactions
Ferrous sulfate + Ibuprofen / famotidine
Severity: Moderate
Ferrous sulfate and Ibuprofen / famotidine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Famotidine reduces gastric acid, and oral iron salts need an acidic environment to be dissolved and absorbed. Long-term co-use can lower iron absorption and may reduce the response to iron therapy.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ferrous sulfate and Ibuprofen / famotidine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Famotidine-induced increase in gastric pH reduces solubility and absorption of non-heme iron.
What to do
Monitor hemoglobin and ferritin in patients on long-term combined therapy. Consider taking iron when acid suppression is least active, or increasing iron dose or using an alternative if the response is poor.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Ferrous sulfate and Ibuprofen / famotidine, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 14 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Ferrous sulfate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ferrous sulfate with Ibuprofen / famotidine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ferrous sulfate and Ibuprofen / famotidine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Famotidine reduces gastric acid, and oral iron salts need an acidic environment to be dissolved and absorbed. Long-term co-use can lower iron absorption and may reduce the response to iron therapy.
How serious is the interaction between Ferrous sulfate and Ibuprofen / famotidine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor hemoglobin and ferritin in patients on long-term combined therapy. Consider taking iron when acid suppression is least active, or increasing iron dose or using an alternative if the response is poor.
What other medicines interact with Ferrous sulfate?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Ferrous sulfate with, for example, Ciprofloxacin, Dimercaprol, Acetohydroxamic acid. The full list is on the Ferrous sulfate page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
