Iron Supplements

[knk2011]

So at my 28 week appointment last week, the midwife suggested I go to my GP to get some iron supplements. I booked the appointment and we went, but when I got there the receptionist told me that my doctor was sick but hadn't bothered to phone in and let her know, so she had a waiting room full of patients, but no doctor. (What a douche right?) But she did say rather than waiting for the stand in doctor to arrive, as it was only going to be a pretty straight forward appointment, she could get the doctor write up a prescription for me and I could call in the afternoon to see if it was ready for me to pick up. We were pretty busy that day viewing a house and I completely forgot to call.

I have been busy ever since and have kept forgetting to call about it. I can't call now until Monday and even then it won't be until Tuesday that I can pick up the prescription ( my doctors surgery isn't near by and OH won't be available to take me until then ).

I was wondering, if I were to go into a shop and pick up a small pot of iron supplements, would they be the exact same as what the doctor would prescribe me? I know i haven't got to pay for any prescriptions anyway, but I'm thinking as a quick fix for now, as I'm so tired all of the time and the low iron levels definitely aren't helping my restless legs.

 

[summer rain]

If anything the iron supplements you can buy are better than the prescribed ones, the prescribed ones are usually ferrous sulphate and are less easily absorbed and can cause constipation etc, but they are really cheap to dish out. Some of the supermarket own brand versions are ferrous fumarate which is the best absorbed of all versions of iron and is usually, but not always, better tolerated xx

 

[knk2011]

If anything the iron supplements you can buy are better than the prescribed ones, the prescribed ones are usually ferrous sulphate and are less easily absorbed and can cause constipation etc, but they are really cheap to dish out. Some of the supermarket own brand versions are ferrous fumarate which is the best absorbed of all versions of iron and is usually, but not always, better tolerated xx

But it's no different and wouldn't do baby any harm?
My friend said that she's on some kind of liquid form that she mixes with her morning juice, which would be ideal for me as I have this weird phobia of swallowing pills.

 

[Alyssa Drough]

Floradix or Feroglobin come in liquid form and specifically state they are suitable for pregnant ladies. You can can it from Holland & Barrett.

 

[cupcakekate]

I am on tablets this pregnancy but in my previous pregnancy my midwife told me to put spatone in my drinks to up my iron intake, I just got it from boots xx

 

[summer rain]

If anything the iron supplements you can buy are better than the prescribed ones, the prescribed ones are usually ferrous sulphate and are less easily absorbed and can cause constipation etc, but they are really cheap to dish out. Some of the supermarket own brand versions are ferrous fumarate which is the best absorbed of all versions of iron and is usually, but not always, better tolerated xx

But it's no different and wouldn't do baby any harm?
My friend said that she's on some kind of liquid form that she mixes with her morning juice, which would be ideal for me as I have this weird phobia of swallowing pills.

Pretty much all iron supplements are suitable during pregnancy, sometimes ferrous fumarate is prescribed as well-the sulphate version is highly allergenic and so isn't suitable for a lot of people. The liquid versions are ok but it depends how low your iron is, they tend to up your iron levels by .1 a week on average so say your iron was 10 it could be 11.2 in 12 weeks, if your iron is very low this may not be enough. Tablets tend to work more rapidly xx

 

[knk2011]

My levels are about 10.5 and my midwife said they should be 14-15.
The spatone is what my friend is on I think, how do you measure out what you're suppose to put into your juice?

 

[cupcakekate]

My levels are about 10.5 and my midwife said they should be 14-15.
The spatone is what my friend is on I think, how do you measure out what you're suppose to put into your juice?

Our iron levels are pretty much the same, I'm sure my midwife said mine were 10. In which case I'd suggest you get the tablets, my iron levels when I was taking the spatone were only borderline low so they didn't feel the need to prescribe me anything, whereas this time she has said they are lower than they'd like so tablets are best. x

 

[NewlyWedFifi]

My levels are about 10.5 and my midwife said they should be 14-15.
The spatone is what my friend is on I think, how do you measure out what you're suppose to put into your juice?

Your midwife is wrong. Normal Hb levels for women.

Females: 12 - 15 g/dl
Females during pregnancy: 11 - 12 g/dl

Your Hb will naturally be lower during pregnancy. Only when it gets below 10 is it a big concern.

 

[knk2011]

Now I think about it she might've said between 12 and 14, but either way, I know I need something. My eyes are red with exhaustion

 

[summer rain]

If possible I would take the tablets, spatone does work but very very slowly, and the increase of .1 a week is for the floradix liquid. The floradix tablets are pricey but a lot of midwives recommend them and they increase your level a lot more rapidly, one lady on here was saying her level went from an 8 to a 12 in 6 weeks xx

 

[NewlyWedFifi]

Now I think about it she might've said between 12 and 14, but either way, I know I need something. My eyes are red with exhaustion

Mine is 11.9 and I feel exhausted too so can't imagine how you feel. Hope you feel better soon. Summer Rain's given you some great advice on what type of supplements to get.

 

[SamsMum]

As summerain has said, other brands can actually be better than the Dr' prescribed ones due to the body's ability to absorb different forms of iron.

Whichever ones you get, consume them with Vitamin C rich foods, such as tomatoes, green leafys, strawberries etc, and avoid taking them with dairy/calcium rich foods; Vitamin C enhances iron absorption while calcium inhibits it

xx

 

[Lilyandbump]

I'm taking Spatone. It's great. Comes in individual packets so you just pour the whole sachet in with your Orange Juice. I'm taking 2-3 a day with no nasty side effects caused by iron tablets (i.e. constipation). My Hb levels are 10.9 and haven't changed between blood tests so she said it's fine to just keep taking Spatone but possibly take 2-3 a day rather than the one I was taking. Doctor really wanted me on iron tablets but MW said to ignore him as long as I felt ok and they didn't drop again.

 

[shelx]

Ferrous fumerate for me gave me awful constipation and stomach cramps so i requested something else (second time this pregnancy ive needed them) My GP gave me ferrous sulphate which im currently taking and are great, no constipation and are smaller so easier to swallow and dont taste disgusting. Im sure buying them from the chemist will be just fine, just make sure and speak to a pharmacist. Xx

 

[summer rain]

Different forms of iron work for different people. Ferrous sulphate made me feel like my insides were going to fall out the one time I was prescribed it, it also made me feel breathless and wheezy due to the sulphate part. Anyone with asthma, hay fever and/or allergies is probably best giving the sulphate form a wide berth too. The one I take occasionally is floradix tablets which is ferrous gluconate, no problems with constipation if anything they actually help to keep me regular without giving me diarrhoea. There is also another herbal form of iron that healthspan have started selling but demand has been so high for it, because most other sites selling this form are selling it for 3-4x as much- that they are sold out until the 31st of May at least xx

 

[knk2011]

I think I'll take them with dinner or something, we eat a lot of vegetables here and I'll drink pure orange juice to swallow it. I need something thick to push it down or I always feel like it's gotten stuck.

 

[m79]

I find pregnacare had all the vitamins in if I forget to take them I feel really tired the next day , look up iron rich food , lean red meat, spinach etc. I swear by my supplements !

 

[knk2011]

I've gone off meat :/ lol

 

[summer rain]

You don't need meat to have good iron levels mine are always good and I am vegan (I eat no animal products at all) xx