Food and medication

Iron and zinc and medication

Iron, zinc and other minerals can bind to some medicines in the gut. Keep supplements a few hours from your dose.

2 medicines on our checker are affected. Tap a medicine for every food and drink that matters with it.

Take care iron and zinc with these medicines

  • Levothyroxine · thyroxine, synthroid, eltroxin

    Iron and other minerals bind levothyroxine. Keep supplements 4 hours from your dose.

  • Tetracycline antibiotics · doxycycline, lymecycline, tetracycline

    Iron, zinc and magnesium bind the antibiotic. Keep supplements 2 to 3 hours from your dose.

Foods and drinks that count as iron and zinc

  • Iron tablets
  • Multivitamins with minerals
  • Zinc supplements
  • Magnesium supplements
  • Pregnancy vitamins
  • Spatone
  • Iron-fortified cereal

Common questions

Which medicines does iron and zinc affect?
2 medicines on our checker: Levothyroxine (take care), Tetracycline antibiotics (take care).
Which foods count as iron and zinc?
Iron tablets, Multivitamins with minerals, Zinc supplements, Magnesium supplements, Pregnancy vitamins, Spatone, Iron-fortified cereal.

General information from NHS medicine pages and drug labels, not medical advice. Always follow your prescriber, pharmacist or the leaflet with your medicine. How we check.