ferrous sulfate vs levothyroxine

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Side-by-side comparison of ferrous sulfate and levothyroxine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Drug or Drug Class Effect Phosphate Binders (e.g., calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, sevelamer, lanthanum) Phosphate binders may bind to levothyroxine. Drug or Drug Class Effect Phosphate Binders (e.g., calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, sevelamer, lanthanum) Phosphate binders may bind to levothyroxine.

Drug Class
ferrous sulfate Iron Supplement
levothyroxine Thyroid Hormone
Type
ferrous sulfate Over-the-Counter
levothyroxine Prescription
Summary
ferrous sulfate

Ferrous sulfate is an iron supplement. It helps increase iron levels in your body.

levothyroxine

Levothyroxine is a medicine that replaces a hormone normally made by your thyroid gland. It is used when the thyroid doesn't make enough hormone on its own.

What It Treats
ferrous sulfate

This medicine is used to relieve hot flashes that occur with headaches. It helps to manage these symptoms. Talk to your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

levothyroxine

This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. It can be used in adults and children, even newborns. Levothyroxine can also be used after surgery and radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer to help lower thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.

How It Works
ferrous sulfate

Ferrous sulfate provides iron, which is needed to make red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. By increasing iron levels, this medicine helps your body function properly.

levothyroxine

Levothyroxine provides a synthetic form of thyroxine (T4), which is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. Your body converts T4 into triiodothyronine (T3), the active form of the hormone. By providing T4, levothyroxine helps restore normal thyroid hormone levels in your body.

Common Side Effects
ferrous sulfate
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Pain
levothyroxine
  • Fatigue
  • Increased appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Feeling hot
  • Headache
FAERS Reports
ferrous sulfate
  • Fatigue 3,325
  • Diarrhoea 3,100
  • Nausea 2,746
  • Dyspnoea 2,724
  • Death 2,345
levothyroxine
  • Fatigue 25,847
  • Nausea 22,026
  • Headache 18,797
  • Diarrhoea 18,176
  • Dyspnoea 16,216
Serious Warnings
ferrous sulfate

No specific warnings noted.

levothyroxine

Thyroid hormones, including levothyroxine, should not be used for weight loss or to treat obesity. Using high doses can cause serious and life-threatening side effects, especially when taken with stimulant medicines.

Pregnancy
ferrous sulfate

Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. They can help you decide if it is right for you.

levothyroxine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Your levothyroxine dose may need to be adjusted during pregnancy. Levothyroxine passes into breast milk, but it is not expected to harm the baby.

How to Read This ferrous sulfate vs levothyroxine Comparison

ferrous sulfate is classified in the Iron Supplement drug class, while levothyroxine sits within the Thyroid Hormone class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, ferrous sulfate has 14,240 submissions while levothyroxine has 101,062. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to ferrous sulfate can stick to levothyroxine in your stomach, which prevents your body from absorbing the thyroid medicine correctly.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for ferrous sulfate or levothyroxine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.