Anyone have to take iron pills for low iron?

[Imzadi]

I feel your pain!!! I had my iron-deficiency sneak up on me too! I just got to the point that I couldn't cope with anything mentally challenging, couldn't/wouldn't do ANYTHING on the weekend because I just lost all my get-up-and-go, I was freezing in the winter to the point that I severe chills/shakes and low body temperature in my house if the heat wasn't cranked up. I went from doctor to doctor and no one though anything of my hemoglobin being slight under the norm. Said I shouldn't feel as bad as I did and I was just "depressed."

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention the low body temperature and my fingers and toes going numb from cold.

Now I'm seeing it was never getting the anemia properly handled all these years. ALL these symptoms were discussed on the Runner's forum. There is such a difference in being told, "You have anemia and it's caused by low iron count, as opposed to being given a list of all the symptoms that amenia causes.

I haven't had a ferritin test yet. I'll make sure to get one done when I finally do go to my GYN for testing. It's probably still very low, and my GYN probably would have freaked too at my number. But, I don't need to be told I went from slight anemia to full blown anemia when I have so many symptoms.

 

[tikilyn]

Thanks everyone!! After reading all the post this is what I've come up with. I had a total thyroidectomy in October. My former Endo didn't start me on any thyroid meds for two months. He kept telling me I was still hyper, eventhough I had no thyroid. I got fed up with him and this is all my fault but waited another two month before going back to the doctor to get myself on the meds. That was four months of reallllllly heavy periods plus another two months of heavy periods while my body got used to the thyroid meds. So six months of heavy periods probably did me in!

Right now I'm still feeling sick to my stomach but not as bad as last night or this morning. As long as I keep food in my stomach I'm good. I guess I'll check out other forms of iron pills, liquids and whatnot.

Thanks everyone. I can't wait for the day that I will start to feel normal again.

 

[amid chaos]

After finding my hemoglobin at 7.7 and my 14 year old DD's 7.8, we have taken over the counter Slow Fe iron. we take it with meals and OJ. Neither one of us have had any problems and our hemoglobins have both gone up to close to normal levels in a month or two.

 

[Christine]

After finding my hemoglobin at 7.7 and my 14 year old DD's 7.8, we have taken over the counter Slow Fe iron. we take it with meals and OJ. Neither one of us have had any problems and our hemoglobins have both gone up to close to normal levels in a month or two.

My daughter tolerated SlowFe also.

 

[Nette]

I started taking Feosol. It's over the counter and it's what my doctor recommended. I have to go back for another blood test to see if it has made a difference. I can tell that it has, but I tend to forget to take it daily.

BTW, I haven't had any adverse side effects from taking the iron tablets. I do make sure to eat something when I take it. Vitamin C aids iron absorption. Try taking it with OJ.

I take Feosol as well. Be sure to get the RED pills not the black triangular ones. The red ones give me bad tasting burps, but the black ones make me have severe stomach cramps (not lower ab... in the actual stomach). I take my iron with an EmergenC every day. (I need the B vitamins too)

Talk to your doctor. Maybe he has some suggestions.

When I was pregnant the iron in my prenatal vitamin was making me very constipated. My midwife suggested I eat Total cereal every morning instead. I got the same nutrients, and some fiber to boot.

Good luck!

I also take a Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc supplement before bed every night (helps w/ restless leg as does the iron). It keeps me "regular" IYKWIM.

I hope you feel better soon. There is NOTHING wrong with taking vitamins to get what you need. Food these days is not NEARLY as nutritious as it was when farmers did crop rotation, etc. It took me years to realize that, but I really do feel better with the vitamins and they aren't just "expensive pee" as I used to believe.

 

[RitaZ.]

I take Feosol as well. Be sure to get the RED pills not the black triangular ones. The red ones give me bad tasting burps, but the black ones make me have severe stomach cramps (not lower ab... in the actual stomach). I take my iron with an EmergenC every day. (I need the B vitamins too)

I didn't know there was a black one. Feosol has been surprisingly gentle for me. I used to take SlowFe; that was harsh. I don't think that worked as well,for me, as the Feosol.

I'm 44. I never had anemia when I was younger. Never. One thing that doesn't help me is that I lose my appetite before and during my cycle. All that loss and I'm not replenishing my body. I hate every aspect of it.

 

[Nette]

Oh yeah! And I forgot to mention that when I first went to get the pills I couldn't find them and asked the pharmacist. She led me straight to the Feosol and warned me against the generic. DH tried to convince me to buy generic last time... I just won't do it... the black feosol was bad enough!

 

[bumbershoot]

Many people love Floradix. It's a liquid at the health food store, it's expensive, but it works very well. Doesn't taste bad, either. And it doesn't stop your bowels from working.

I

I found out later that while the cereal is fortified, iron absorption is seriously blocked by two (of many) things: wheat and milk. So, when you're eating your Total (or Cheerios) you are getting very little of the iron that is put into that product.

Iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach because so many foods block the absorption. Tea is another big blocker. But if you can't take it on an empty stomach then something is better than nothing. It is best to pair it with a Vitamin C food like an orange. You can also get iron combined with Vitamin C (Vitron C) for higher absorption but I'm told that this one is big on causing constipation.

Good points!

And another is that if anyone is taking their iron, or eating iron-rich foods, with orange juice, make SURE that it is not one of those Calcium-supplemented ones!!!!!

Neither my grandma or I drink milk with it, but I don't buy "wheat" as the total absorption blocker you indicated it was.

Besides I'm from the camp that beleives Vitamins you ingest naturally work far better than popping pills.

She didn't indicate that one thing was a blocker; she said that TWO things (among others) cause "very little" to be absorbed.

And she wasn't saying that one needed to supplement...



I personally have always had very good Iron levels, since I went veggie. While my friends were knocked down by low iron while they ate steak for iron, I have done fine. Well there was one time of my life with very low iron, but it wasn't b/c of my veggie diet.

It's always very important to find out why there's low iron, b/c there are at least a few very different conditions that can cause that lab result, and VERY different ways of taking care of it.

 

[Imzadi]

My daughter tolerated SlowFe also.

I was wondering about taking a slower iron pill. That's why I decided to cut up my pill and take it twice a day.

I take my iron with an EmergenC every day. (I need the B vitamins too)


I also take a Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc supplement before bed every night (helps w/ restless leg as does the iron). It keeps me "regular" IYKWIM.

I've been looking at the EmergenC packets, especially as I have a hard time swallowing pills. They have one with extra glucosamine that I'm thinking about getting.


Which Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc brand are you taking?

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

oh i hope you start to feel better soon! i developed colitis when i was 15 and since i was loosing so much blood between that and aunt flo, you got it, i was anemic. my specialist didn't need to send me for b/w she could tell by looking at me! it was that bad. she started me on ferrous sulphate rite away. that was 16 years ago. i was exhausted all the time, and even now if i get worn down i know what's going on.

i don't know about the green tablets as im on the red, but they can be known to cause contipation, so be careful there, and yes pair them with food! my doc often gave me a b12 injection since i was so tired all the time. my doc also had me start on a multi vitamin and folic acid when i was that young.

take care of yourself!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I joke that I'm "a quart low" - my iron level is usually about a 9 on a 12-point scale. I never had the fatigue that others have, but I'm usually cold all the time and doctors always comment on how pale I am. Phlebotomists, too, mention how pale and watery my blood is.

My doctor said no way to SlowFe or Feosol. She said, "You're going to take 325 mg ferrous sulfate every night before bed for a week to get your stomach used to it, then you're going to take 650 mg every day to get your counts up." I was NOT happy, as I've tried taking iron in the past and it left me with severe constipation, vomiting, and my lips turned black. I told her about that and she waved her hand at me, saying, "I've never heard of that."

I bought NatureMade iron, and while I've had some problems, it really hasn't been all that horrible. My count is 13.8 after my last blood test in June...she had me keep taking the 325 mg for now, though, because my red blood cell size wasn't quite up to snuff. She said once I finish, though, I can just take a women's vitamin that has iron in it.

 

[tikilyn]

I am taking 325 mg ferrous sulfate. I think I'll just go with a different type. Maybe get the flentstones ones to start off with. I'm starting to finally feel better but still a little nausous to my stomach but nothing compare to earlier! I'm not taking them tonight. I have a 6 hour car ride tomorrow and noway could I do that with a nausous stomach. Sometimes I feel so broken. It's like the drs. fix one thing then another one pops up.