Ferric Complex: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Ferric Complex is a parenteral iron replacement sold in the U.S. under one brand, for hematologic pregnancy complications and iron-deficiency anemia. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Parenteral Iron Replacement
- Treats
- Hematologic Pregnancy Complications and Iron-Deficiency Anemia
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- Ferrlecit
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How ferric complex is dosed
From the FDA label for Ferrlecit (application NDA020955). Other ferric complex products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Adult Patients - The recommended adult dosage is 10 mL (125 mg of elemental iron) diluted in 100 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride administered by intravenous infusion over 1 hour per dialysis session or undiluted as a slow intravenous injection (at a rate of up to 12.5 mg/min) per dialysis session. ( 2.2 ) Pediatric Patients - The recommended pediatric dosage is 0.12 mL/kg (1.5 mg/kg of elemental iron) diluted in 25 mL 0.9% sodium chloride and administered by intravenous infusion over 1 hour per dialysis session. ( 2.3 ) Do not mix Ferrlecit with other medications or add to parenteral nutrition solutions for intravenous infusion. Administer in 0.9% saline. ( 2 ) 2.1 Important Administration Instructions The dosage of Ferrlecit is expressed in terms of mg of elemental iron. Each 5 mL sterile, single-dose vial contains 62.5 mg of elemental iron (12.5 mg/mL). Do not mix Ferrlecit with other medications or add to parenteral nutrition solutions for intravenous infusion. The compatibility of Ferrlecit with intravenous infusion vehicles other than 0.9% sodium chloride has not been evaluated. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration before administration, whenever the solution and container permit. If diluted, use immediately. Ferrlecit treatment may be repeated if iron deficiency reoccurs. 2.2 Adult Dosage and Administration The…
Ferric Complex side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the labeling: Hypersensitivity [see Contraindications (4) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] The most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥10%) in adult patients were nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, injection site reaction, hypotension, cramps, hypertension, dizziness, dyspnea, chest pain, leg cramps, and pain. In patients 6 to 15 years of age the most common adverse reactions (≥10%) were hypotension, headache, hypertension, tachycardia and vomiting. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC at 1-800-633-1610 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥10%) in adult patients were nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, injection site reaction, hypotension, cramps, hypertension, dizziness, abnormal erythrocytes (e.g., changes in morphology, color, or number of red blood cells), dyspnea, chest pain, leg cramps and pain. In patients 6 to 15…
Who shouldn’t take ferric complex
Ferrlecit is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to sodium ferric gluconate or any of its components. Reactions have included anaphylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Known hypersensitivity to sodium ferric gluconate or any of its inactive components. ( 4 )
Ferric Complex drug interactions
Drug-drug interactions involving Ferrlecit have not been studied. Ferrlecit may reduce the absorption of concomitantly administered oral iron preparations.
Every ferric complex product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Ferrlecit.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is ferric complex?
Ferrlecit (Sodium Ferric Gluconate Complex) is a parenteral iron replacement used to treat Hematologic Pregnancy Complications, Iron-Deficiency Anemia.
What kind of drug is ferric complex?
The FDA classifies ferric complex as a parenteral iron replacement. Given by injection or IV, these supply iron directly into the bloodstream wrapped in a protective carbohydrate shell. The iron is gradually released, picked up by the protein transferrin, and delivered to the bone marrow, where it is used to build hemoglobin and treat iron-deficiency anemia. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take ferric complex with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run ferric complex against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does ferric complex come in?
Across the brands we track, ferric complex is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic ferric complex?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled ferric complex product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Ferric Complex: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ferric-complex
- MLA
- “Ferric Complex: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ferric-complex.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for ferric complex on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.