# Ferrous Fumarate in Nigeria

Ferrous Fumarate has 18 active NAFDAC registrations in our October 2026 copy of the register, from 15 registration holders; 12 further listings have lapsed.

- Source: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/ferrous-fumarate/
- Drug class: Iron supplement (haematinic) (Vitamins & Supplements)
- Also known as: Iron tablets, Ferrous fumarate and folic acid, Astyfer, Ferrolab
- Prescription required: no
- On the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- Last updated: October 2026

## Price in Nigeria

As of October 2026, Ferrous Fumarate tablets sell for about ₦204 per tablet online in Nigeria (packs ₦3,050–₦7,500) at three online pharmacies; syrup ₦5,750–₦6,875. Open-market prices (e.g. Idumota, Ogbogwu) are often lower.

## What is Ferrous Fumarate?

Ferrous fumarate is an iron salt taken by mouth to treat and prevent iron-deficiency anaemia. Iron is what haemoglobin is built from, and without enough of it the blood carries less oxygen: the tiredness, pale palms and inner eyelids, breathlessness on the stairs and racing heart that Nigerians call 'shortage of blood'. A 200 mg ferrous fumarate capsule supplies about 65 mg of elemental iron — a little more than a 200 mg ferrous sulfate tablet — and the two are used interchangeably; fumarate is often slightly better tolerated.

Most of the iron sold in Nigeria is sold as a 'blood tonic', and that market is large and confusing. Our copy of the NAFDAC register holds nineteen products with ferrous fumarate as the lead ingredient, from plain 200 mg capsules — Embassy's Ferrolab 12 (04-5887, Active) — to combinations with folic acid and vitamin B12 such as Pilferon, Ironmax and Nurifer, syrups such as Ferrol Plus, and the multi-ingredient tonics. Fidson's Astyfer, the best-known name in the category, is recorded in our copy under 04-2623 with status Expired, its registration having run out in October 2023 — worth knowing before you pay a premium for the name.

Iron is not a general tonic. It helps only when the body is short of iron, and most anaemia in Nigeria has more than one cause — malaria, hookworm, heavy periods, sickle cell disease, poor diet — so the right course is a blood test and a look for the cause, then iron for two to three months after the count recovers to refill the body's stores. People with sickle cell disease and anyone who has had repeated transfusions should not take iron unless a doctor has confirmed they are deficient: their problem is often too much iron, not too little.

## What is Ferrous Fumarate used for?

- Treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia in adults and children
- Prevention of anaemia in pregnancy and breastfeeding, with folic acid
- Iron deficiency without anaemia — low stores found on a blood test, heavy menstrual periods, frequent blood donation
- Recovery after acute blood loss, surgery or childbirth

## Dosage

Always follow a doctor's or pharmacist's instructions; this is general reference information.

- Adults: To treat iron-deficiency anaemia: 200 mg ferrous fumarate (65 mg elemental iron) two to three times a day, or one dose on alternate days, which recent studies show is absorbed almost as well with fewer side effects. Continue for three months after the haemoglobin returns to normal, to refill stores. To prevent anaemia in pregnancy: the WHO recommends 30 to 60 mg of elemental iron daily with 0.4 mg folic acid throughout pregnancy — one 200 mg fumarate capsule a day covers it. Best absorbed on an empty stomach with water or orange juice, an hour before or two hours after food; if it upsets the stomach, take it with a small meal instead.
- Children: Treatment is 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of elemental iron a day in divided doses, calculated by a health worker and given as drops or syrup; prevention in low-birth-weight and exclusively breastfed infants from a few months of age is a lower dose on medical advice. Iron syrup stains teeth — give it through a straw or syringe towards the back of the mouth and brush afterwards. Keep every iron product locked away: accidental iron overdose is one of the commonest fatal poisonings in young children.
- Elderly: No dose change, but anaemia in an older adult — especially a man, or a woman past the menopause — needs its cause found before iron is started, because bleeding from the gut is a common one.

Iron turns the stool black or dark green; that is normal and not blood. Constipation is the usual complaint — more water, fruit and vegetables, and an alternate-day dose help. Do not take iron within two hours of tea, coffee, milk, antacids or calcium tablets, which block its absorption, and separate it from the antibiotics and thyroid tablets listed below. Expect the tiredness to lift within two to three weeks and the blood count to rise over one to two months; if it does not, see a doctor rather than change brand.

## Side effects

Common: Constipation, or sometimes diarrhoea; Nausea, stomach pain, heartburn — worse on an empty stomach, better with food; Black or dark green stools; Staining of the teeth with liquid iron; a metallic taste.

Serious (seek medical help immediately): Overdose, particularly in a child: vomiting, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea within hours, then collapse — an emergency even if the child seems to recover; Allergic reaction: rash, itching, swelling of the face or lips; Iron overload with long-term use in someone who was never iron-deficient — especially in sickle cell disease and thalassaemia; Worsening of an existing stomach ulcer or inflammatory bowel disease.

When to see a doctor: Take any child who has swallowed iron tablets to hospital at once, whatever the amount and however well they look. See a doctor if anaemia symptoms have not improved after a month of regular iron, if you are a man or post-menopausal woman with newly found anaemia, if stools are black and tarry with a bad smell before you started iron, or if you have sickle cell disease and have been told to take iron without a test.

## Warnings

Do not take if: Iron overload conditions — haemochromatosis, haemosiderosis — and anaemias not caused by iron deficiency, including thalassaemia and most anaemia in sickle cell disease; Repeated blood transfusions, where iron accumulates; Active peptic ulcer or inflammatory bowel disease (relative — may worsen symptoms); Known allergy to any ingredient of the product.

Interactions: Tetracyclines (doxycycline) and quinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin) — iron blocks their absorption and they block iron's; separate by at least two hours; Levothyroxine, levodopa, bisphosphonates and penicillamine — take at least two hours apart; Antacids, calcium supplements, proton-pump inhibitors (omeprazole) and milk reduce iron absorption; vitamin C increases it; Tea, coffee and high-fibre meals taken with the dose reduce absorption markedly; Chloramphenicol can blunt the response to iron.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Recommended in pregnancy: iron and folic acid daily from the first antenatal visit are part of routine care in Nigeria, where anaemia in pregnancy is common and dangerous. Higher treatment doses are used when anaemia is already present. Iron is safe while breastfeeding and the mother's own stores are often depleted after delivery, so a course continuing for some weeks after birth is usual.

## Brands in Nigeria

Well-known NAFDAC-registered brands: Ferrolab 12 (Embassy Pharmaceutical and Chemicals Limited, made in India); Pilferon (Phamatex Nigeria Limited); Ironmax (Krishat Pharma Industries Limited, made in Nigeria); Nurifer (Ajanta Pharma Nigeria Limited, made in India); Ferrol Plus Syrup (Sagar Vitaceuticals Nigeria Ltd, made in Nigeria); Orheptal Capsules (Farmex Meyer Limited, made in India); Astyfer Capsules (Fidson Healthcare PLC, made in India).
Full searchable brand list: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/ferrous-fumarate/brands/

## How to verify it is genuine

1. Check the pack for its NAFDAC registration number. In our copy of the register Ferrolab 12 (04-5887), Pilferon (A11-100791), Nurifer (A4-7513), Ferrol Plus Syrup (A4-7743) and Orheptal (04-1405) are Active; Ironmax (A11-100178) is recorded Inactive since 2026
2. Astyfer (04-2623) is recorded as Expired in our copy, its registration having run out in October 2023, and Emzoron (04-1450) and Ferrodan Plus (B4-0991) are recorded Inactive — a lapse is a renewal matter for the holder rather than proof of a fake, but confirm the current status of a well-known brand on the official Greenbook before paying a premium for it
3. Enter the number in our free NAFDAC checker and confirm the product name, form and holder match the pack; the same brand often has a capsule and a syrup under different numbers
4. Blood tonics are a favourite of unregistered makers — look for a NAFDAC number at all, a batch number and expiry date, and a readable ingredient list stating the amount of iron per capsule or per 5 mL, and refuse a 'tonic' that states none

Verify any NAFDAC number free (no login): https://ogbogwu.com/nafdac-checker/

## FAQs

### Is Astyfer NAFDAC approved in Nigeria?

Astyfer appears in our copy of the NAFDAC register under 04-2623, held by Fidson Healthcare, with status Expired — the registration ran out in October 2023 and had not been renewed when our copy was taken. Listings can lag renewals, so confirm the current status on the official Greenbook; several other ferrous fumarate products, including Ferrolab 12, Pilferon, Ironmax and Nurifer, are recorded Active in our copy.

### Which is the best blood tonic in Nigeria?

The one that contains a stated, adequate dose of iron and is registered — not the one with the longest list of vitamins or the strongest advertising. For iron-deficiency anaemia the active ingredient is iron, and a plain 200 mg ferrous fumarate or sulfate tablet delivers it at the lowest cost; folic acid is worth adding in pregnancy and B12 only when a test shows it is low. Many 'tonics' contain so little iron per dose that they cannot correct anaemia. Check the label for milligrams of iron per capsule or per 5 mL, and check the NAFDAC number.

### What is the difference between ferrous fumarate and ferrous sulfate?

Both are iron salts and both work. Ferrous fumarate contains about a third elemental iron (200 mg gives 65 mg), ferrous sulfate about a fifth (200 mg gives 65 mg of dried sulfate, 60 mg of the heptahydrate), so per tablet the doses end up similar. Fumarate is often a little gentler on the stomach. Ferrous gluconate contains less iron per tablet. The choice between them is usually about tolerance and price, not effectiveness.

### How long should I take iron tablets?

Until the blood count is normal, and then for about three more months to refill the body's stores — usually three to six months in total. Tiredness often lifts within two to three weeks and the haemoglobin rises over one to two months. If there is no improvement after a month of taking it properly, see a doctor: the cause may not be iron deficiency, or iron is being lost faster than it is replaced.

### Can someone with sickle cell disease take blood tonic?

Not routinely. The anaemia of sickle cell disease is caused by red cells breaking down, not by lack of iron, and people with it — particularly those who have had transfusions — often carry too much iron already. Extra iron can harm the liver and heart. Folic acid is the supplement that helps in sickle cell disease; iron should be taken only if a blood test shows true iron deficiency, on a doctor's advice.

### Why are my stools black on iron tablets?

Unabsorbed iron darkens the stool to black or dark green. It is harmless, expected, and stops a day or two after the tablets do. The warning sign is different: black, sticky, tarry stools with a foul smell that began before you started iron, or vomiting blood, suggest bleeding in the stomach and need a doctor the same day.

### Is Dexorange still registered in Nigeria?

Not currently, in our October 2026 copy of the NAFDAC register: Dexorange Syrup (04-9708, Nafro Pharma Nigeria) is recorded Inactive, its registration having run to 28 March 2026. Dexorange is not ferrous fumarate — it is a haematinic syrup of ferric ammonium citrate with folic acid and vitamin B12 — and many other ferric ammonium citrate syrups remain Active in our October 2026 copy, as do the ferrous fumarate syrups such as Ferrol Plus (A4-7743). Listings can lag renewals, so confirm a recent Dexorange bottle on the official Greenbook, and compare the iron per 15 mL before switching.

## Sources

- NAFDAC Greenbook (official register of approved products in Nigeria)
- WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- British National Formulary (BNF)
- Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health)