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A 25-year-old female asked:

I started taking iron supplement my stool turned black.now after 5 months it is not black.does that mean i am not absorbing iron anymore?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Mitchell Kahn
Dr. Mitchell Kahnanswered
Internal Medicine 47 years experience
No: Iron supplements turn the stool black. This is more common with coated or long-acting iron supplements because more of the iron gets to the large intestine. To confirm that you are not iron deficient have your doctor check your blood count or measure the iron and ferritin level in your blood
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Dr. Steven Watry
Dr. Jason Stokes
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Last updated Feb 29, 2016

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