Started Taking A Potent Blood Builder. Noticed Swollen And Sore Throat. Could This Be Due To Iron 520 Mg?

Posted on Sun, 4 Nov 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 4 Nov 2012 Answered on

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I started taking a potent blood builder from whole food a few months ago. I have had a swollen feeling atvthecsides of my throat and an 'off and on' sore throat for 2 months. I'm not on any medication. Could the iron 520 mg be the cause of this? Also I have gained 5 pounds!

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (7 hours later)

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The body builder supplement that you are taking with high dose of iron therapy is not likely to cause the irritation in the throat.
An allergic reaction is a more likely cause. There are some general measures that can help you in reducing the problem-
1. Avoid dust, excessive humidity, sudden change in temperatures and any known allergen.
2.Start antiallergics in combination with antiinflammatory agent like montelukast. You can get these prescribed from your physician
3. Use XXXXXXX warm water for drinking.
4. Take steam inhalation twice daily - Take hot water in a vessel, put eucalyptus oil in it and inhale it by covering with a blanket. See to it that fans/AC are not on during this and after some time also i.e. around 10-15 minutes.
5. Avoid all irritants like perfumes, soot, etc.
6. Doing warm saline gargles will also be helpful.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Please accept my answer in case you do not have further queries.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (38 hours later)

Thank you for your reply and all you suggestions. I looked at the other ingredients, 60mg of vitamin C, 40mg of folate and 6mg of B12.... so nothing suspicious there. However I decided to discontinue the supplement for a week and see if anything changes. The discomfort it also up the sides of my neck ( and hurts a bit if I press the sides of my throat. Also I have a feeling that my throat feels a bit closed up which makes me want to 'swallow'. If these symptoms don't go away, I'll go and see my GP in a couple of weeks. By the way I am not a smoker!
Thanks for your opinion.
I was concerned that this my have something to do with my thyroid.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (10 minutes later)

Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
The sore throat like feeling and pain on the sides of the throat is not likely to be due to thyroid problem as it is more often associated with pain or neck swelling during swallowing. You can wait for a week and then consult your physician for a physical examination in case the symptoms are persistent.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar