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Table 2 Frequency of individual symptoms irrespective of whether mild, moderate or severe (days per week)

From: A rapid, simple questionnaire to assess gastrointestinal symptoms after oral ferrous sulphate supplementation

 

Iron

Placebo

 

Symptom

Treatment

Wash-out

Treatment

Wash-out

pvalue#

Nausea

1.1 ± 0.6

0.1 ± 0.1

0.2 ± 0.1

0.4 ± 0.4

0.2

(−0.3; 2.5)

(−0.1; 0.3)

(−0.1; 0.5)

(−0.5; 1.3)

Heartburn

1.0 ± 0.4

0.3 ± 0.3

0

0

0.03

(0.1; 1.9)

(−0.4; 1.0)

(0; 0)

(0; 0)

Abdominal pain

2.0 ± 0.6

1.0 ± 0.7

0.2 ± 0.1

0

0.02

(0.5; 3.5)

(−0.7; 2.7)

(−0.1; 0.5)

(0; 0)

Headache

1.1 ± 0.5

1.6 ± 0.6

0.2 ± 0.2

0.1 ± 0.1

0.15

(−0.1; 2.3)

(0.2; 3.0)

(−0.3; 0.7)

(−0.1; 0.3)

Breathlessness

0.1 ± 0.1

0.5 ± 0.3

0

0.1 ± 0.1

0.3

(−0.1; 0.3)

(−0.3; 1.3)

(0; 0)

(−0.1; 0.3)

Diarrohea

0.4 ± 0.3

0.3 ± 0.2

0.3 ± 0.3

0.4 ± 0.2

0.8

(−0.3; 1.1)

(−0.2; 0.8)

(−0.4; 1.0)

(−0.1; 0.9)

Constipation

1.0 ± 0.6

0.7 ± 0.5

0.2 ± 0.2

0

0.2

(−0.3; 2.3)

(−0.4; 1.8)

(−0.3; 0.7)

(0; 0)

Change bowel movements

1.3 ± 0.5

1.5 ± 0.3

0.4 ± 0.3

0.4 ± 0.2

0.15

(0.1; 2.5)

(0.7; 2.3)

(−0.2; 1.0)

(−0.1; 0.9)

Black stools

4.1 ± 0.7

1.3 ± 0.4

0

0

0.0004

(2.4; 5.8)

(0.4; 2.2)

(0; 0)

(0; 0)

 

p = 0.002

   
  1. Values, derived from boxes ‘C’ and ‘H’ of the questionnaire (Figure 1), are shown as mean ± standard error (95% confidence interval) for the two groups.
  2. #significance value (p < 0.05) between the frequency of each symptom for the Iron treatment period versus the Placebo treatment period.