Iron and Omeprazole: what the published research says
PubMed indexes 8 records that name Iron and Omeprazole 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 Iron and Omeprazole. 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
8 studies naming Iron and Omeprazole.
Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.
“Our observations support the probability that the profound hypochlorhydria induced by omeprazole may indeed impair the optimal absorption of orally administered iron in iron-deficient individuals, precluding them from obtaining therapeutically adequate amounts to establish the positive balance necessary for the resolution of anemia and the replenishment of stores. The possible explanations for this phenomenon are also discussed.”
American journal of therapeutics · 2012 · PMID 21150767
Human subjects
“Omeprazole and possibly all proton pump inhibitors decrease the absorption of oral iron supplementation. Iron-deficient patients taking proton pump inhibitors may have to be treated with high dose iron therapy for a longer duration or with intravenous iron therapy.”
Journal of clinical gastroenterology · 1992 · PMID 1607604
Human subjects
“Serum vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were normal in all cases. We conclude that iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid malabsorption is unlikely to occur, at least within the initial 3-4 years of continuous omeprazole therapy.”
Digestive diseases and sciences · 1991 · PMID 2007356
Animal study
“There was no significant reduction in the absorption of ferric iron. Omeprazole therapy is unlikely to be associated with significant iron malabsorption in normal patients but may reduce iron absorption in pathological states associated with increased iron absorption such as iron deficiency.”
“This study demonstrates heterogeneity in practice and could not reach conclusive findings for most PK parameters. Prospective studies are needed to inform best practice and enhance patient healthcare and safety following bariatric surgery.”
Names Iron and Omeprazole together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Names Iron and Omeprazole 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 Iron or Omeprazole 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 Iron, Omeprazole, 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.
