Is Iron Safe with Dolutegravir?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Never take iron supplements at the same time as Dolutegravir. If fasting (without food): take Dolutegravir at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after iron. If taking Dolutegravir with food, iron can be taken together with the meal to mitigate the interaction.
Why this interaction occurs
Iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) forms stable chelate complexes with Dolutegravir through its metal-chelating active site, dramatically reducing drug absorption (studies show reductions of ~54% in AUC). This is a clinically significant interaction that has been documented in pharmacokinetic studies and prescribing guidelines.
Evidence
Evidence level: strong.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 9,613 reports mentioning Dolutegravir. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Dolutegravir + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Iron interactions → · All Dolutegravir interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.