Zinc supplement
Zinc sulfate
Brand names: Solvazinc, Z Span Spansule
Adult dose
Dose: Zinc deficiency: 45mg elemental zinc 1–3 times daily; Wilson's: see zinc acetate
Route: Oral
Frequency: OD–TDS
Clinical pearls
- Used for zinc deficiency states (malabsorption, TPN supplementation, acrodermatitis enteropathica)
- Note: elemental zinc content differs between salts — zinc sulfate 45mg ≈ 10mg elemental zinc
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity
Side effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- GI irritation (take after food)
- Gastric erosion (high dose)
- Copper deficiency (excess zinc)
Interactions
- Iron salts
- Calcium salts
- Tetracyclines / fluoroquinolones
- Penicillamine (separate doses)
Monitoring
- Serum zinc
- Copper levels with prolonged use
- Symptoms of deficiency
Reference: BNF; BAPEN guidelines; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/zinc-sulfate/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Pathways
- Sepsis Screening and Sepsis Six · UK Sepsis Trust; NICE NG51; Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2021
- Unintentional Weight Loss Workup · NICE NG12; BSG
- Chronic Fatigue Workup · NICE NG206; BMJ Best Practice
- Lymphadenopathy Workup · NICE NG12; BMJ Best Practice
- Pre-op Medical Clearance · NICE NG45; ESC 2022
- Secondary Hypertension Workup · NICE NG136; ESH 2023