Cefdinir and Iron: what the published research says
PubMed indexes 5 records that name Cefdinir and Iron together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. Each one is listed below with its study design and, where the abstract states one, the authors’ own conclusion, quoted and linked. This page reports that literature. It does not tell you whether to combine them.
Every statement below is attributed to a named, dated, linked source.
This page lists published research relevant to Cefdinir and Iron. It deliberately does not state whether the combination is safe, whether it interacts, in which direction, at what dose, or how far apart to take them.
A study appearing here is not proof that an interaction exists. Two substances can be named together in a paper that never tested them in combination, and a source listed as background may cover only one of them.
Findings are quoted from each abstract as the authors wrote them. NutriStack has not re-analysed, pooled, or reconciled them, and they may disagree with each other.
NutriStack’s own interaction assessment for this pair is not published here. It has not completed qualified-human clinical review, so it is withheld from search. See the publication gate.
Nothing here is medical advice. Decisions about prescription medication and supplements belong with your prescriber or pharmacist, who can see your full regimen.
The research
5 studies naming Cefdinir and Iron.
Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.
“Health care professionals should review the entire product labeling, including the drug-drug interaction section, when investigating a potential adverse drug reaction. With the recent approval of generic formulations of cefdinir, clinicians should be aware of this drug-drug interaction with iron-containing products to prevent unnecessary alarm by parents and caregivers, as well as costly medical evaluations for gastrointestinal bleeding.”
Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 1993 · PMID 8222489
Clinical TrialRandomized Controlled Trial
“While there were no differences in AUC(0-3) between drug alone and drug with iron 3 hours later, the AUC(3-12) with delayed iron was significantly smaller than that of cefdinir alone (4.60 +/- 1.54 versus 8.03 +/- 1.72 micrograms.hr/ml). These findings suggest that the mechanism of interaction between cefdinir and iron ion preparation is the formation of a chelation complex and that this complex probably restricts gastrointestinal absorption.”
The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · 2024 · PMID 38334389
Meta-AnalysisSystematic ReviewHuman subjects
“Factors such as physicochemical features of antibiotics, drug formulation, type of intervention, and patient's health state may influence interactions. Due to the poor actuality and diverse methodology of included studies and unproportionate data availability for individual drugs, we judged the quality of evidence as low.”
Names Cefdinir and Iron together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy · 2020 · PMID 31548123
Case ReportsHuman subjects
“Moreover, the PediaSure® formula turned purple after mixed with cefdinir, an interaction that has not been previously reported. We recommend that medication counseling for pediatric patients taking cefdinir include a mention of these possible discolorations.”
Names Cefdinir and Iron together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Limitations
What this evidence cannot tell you.
Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:
Selection. These records were found by searching PubMed titles and abstracts for both substance names alongside interaction and pharmacokinetic terms. Relevant work that phrases things differently, or is not indexed in PubMed, will be missing.
No effect size. The quoted conclusions are the authors’ words about their own study. We have not extracted effect direction or magnitude, and a single study’s conclusion is not a consensus.
Population mismatch. Findings in healthy volunteers, animals, or a specific patient group may not transfer to you, your dose, or your formulation.
Absence is not safety. Few published studies means the combination is under-studied, which is not the same as established as safe.
Nearby evidence
Other pairs with published research.
Pages covering Cefdinir or Iron alongside a different substance.
NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Cefdinir, Iron, and several hundred other substances.
The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid, and its per-pair assessments are excluded from search until they pass claim-level review.
NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
