This article reviews current recommended timing of dosing of ferrous sulfate for iron deficiency anemia. I chose this article because a patient I saw was severely anemic after experiencing extremely heavy menses due to uterine fibroids. The authors found that giving a bolus dose of iron in the morning every 48 hours was much more effective for iron absorption compared to 3 times a day every day as is currently recommended. This is due to the actions of hepciden and its dysregulation inhibiting iron mobilization from the small intestine. However, if given 48 hours, hepcidin will begin to clear and exert less effects on iron absorption.
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