One of the commonest medications that my patients struggle to tolerate is iron. Iron supplements can often cause side effects like nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, and metallic taste—but over the years I’ve come across several ways to reduce or prevent these and even up effectiveness. 1. Lower the Dose ✅Start low, go slow: Begin with a low dose (e.g. 25–50 mg elemental iron) and increase gradually if tolerated.Many studies show alternate-day dosing (e.g. every other day) may improve absorpt