# Iron supplement and aggression **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039 "2007-08-01T21:27:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/1 "2007-08-01T21:27:27Z")
Is it possible for a prescription iron supplement to affect my aggression / anger level when coupled with cessation of smoking? I was prescribed (not OTC) an iron supplement because at the first check-up I’ve ever had in my adult life my doctor determined that I am “extremely” anemic (his word, not mine). This was back in January. I then quit smoking in February (1 pack per day for around 20 years). I think the combination of these two things has really upped the oxygen level in my blood to the point of my being overly angry. I thought maybe I would get used it but never did. I was just really bitchy all the time. Hoping it wasn’t just because I quit the cigs, I tried an experiment for 30 days by quitting the iron in July. I feel much more like my old self. I do plan on re-introducing iron back but at a lower level. Could too much oxygen make you one pissed-off MF? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/2 "2007-08-02T03:37:21Z")
My inexpert opinion, if that’s what you’re after here, is no. It’s the nicotine addiction, and/or something else happening in your life. Go see the doctor who prescribed the iron and ask. You could have other problems for all we know. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_I\_Am](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sam\_I\_Am](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_I_Am)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/3 "2007-08-03T01:09:48Z")
Maybe the iron fixes some low level fatigue, and gives you the energy to be angry. ---
**Author:** ![carol1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@carol1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carol1220)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/4 "2017-03-09T15:33:20Z")
Trust what your body is telling you no matter what anyone else says. Iron supplements have caused me to feel the same as you felt. Maybe about 30 minutes after I take the iron (Solgar gentle iron 25 mg) I felt really angry. The following day, I tried to take a fraction (1/4th) of the supplement by opening the capsule, and it still caused this overall angry feeling all day. I chewed on ice just to cool off the the anger. Next day, I didn’t take any iron and I was back to my normal tired anemic self. Previous to buying the iron, I went to a hematologist who told me to take iron for my iron deficient anemia so I’m just confused as you are why I’m getting this horrible angry emotional reaction to a supposedly “safe” and “harmless” supplement. Believe me, the doctors have no idea either. They’ll just look at you cross eyed. :dubious: Is this still a problem for you? Maybe there’s another underlying cause. You can email me to let me know if you found anything out about this. I could share more too. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/5 "2017-03-09T15:47:43Z")
No matter how you feel, iron-deficiency anemia is probably not a better choice. If there really is a problem with the iron supplements, simply quitting them is almost certainly trading one problem for a worse one. IANAD, IANAD, etc. (I am not a doctor, I am not a dietician.) ---
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/6 "2017-03-10T14:20:57Z")
Seems the timing of the aggression and my taking an iron supplement was coincidence. I have Hashimoto’s Disease. My symptoms at the time I posted this originally were a result of a thyroid storm. I have since had the right side of my thyroid removed. Things are much better now. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-supplement-and-aggression/414039/7 "2017-03-10T15:58:35Z")
> [@zeldarae](#): > > Seems the timing of the aggression and my taking an iron supplement was coincidence. I have Hashimoto’s Disease. My symptoms at the time I posted this originally were a result of a thyroid storm. I have since had the right side of my thyroid removed. Things are much better now. Thank you for the update. I didn’t think it was the iron. I’m glad you got it figured out. BTW, this is the best kind of old thread resurrection – a definitive conclusion. Perhaps even a happy ending. 😃