Low iron

[cupcakekate]

Anyone else taking tablets for low iron in their blood? I had low iron in my last pregnancy but it was only borderline so my mw just told me to go buy that spatone stuff you put in your drinks, this time I've been prescribed tablets to take twice a day after they found it in my 28 week bloods. Do they make you really constipated?? This is what I keep being told!!

 

[Mjane84]

I just tested anemic, so they put me on something called Slow Fe. Unfortunately, they have constipated me. I tried prune juice so far but no luck.

 

[Logan's Mum]

I found the opposite, first 2 weeks felt nauseous and rubbish. This eventually stopped thank goodness. I eat a lot of fruit during the day at work so probs had enough fibre in diet to prevent getting bunged up. X

 

[fertiliciousx]

Hi, had the same diagnosis at my 28 week bloods. I was advised by the pharmacy to take my tabs first thing in the morning with a glass of orange juice as it helps your body absorb most of the iron but i also heard elsewhere that the orange juice helps to prevent constipation. So far I've been on it for 2 weeks and never had constipation instead i'm going even more frequently
You can try it and see how it goes. good luck

 

[summer rain]

You could always try them and if they make you constipated or otherwise unwell you have other options. It is true that liquid iron supplements are more slowly absorbed, but tablets are not. Ferrous sulphate is very cheap and that's why it is most commonly prescribed but it doesn't mean it is the most effective, and a lot of people are allergic to it as well because the sulphate part is very highly allergenic. Ferrous fumarate is an alternative that is apparently the most absorbed form of iron supplement available, in some cases though it can also cause constipation. I am not sure if its Asda or tesco but one of them sells the ferrous fumarate iron tabs for one or two pounds. You also have other 'organic' forms of iron derived from plants and herbs, these can also be very effective and do not tend to cause constipation, ferrous gluconate is one and there is another one that begins with b I think, something like bisglycinate (?) xx

 

[MrsHBuckley]

I have to take 2 iron tabs a day and my doc told me to take it with food and it will help with constipation. So far I've been ok, it been about 2 weeks.

 

[PurpleIvy44]

I take an iron supplement for anemia as well and was told to take it at night w/oj or tomato juice to help with absorption since I take my prenatal's in the morning. I haven't had terrible constipation and was told to take two if I can handle it didn't want to push my luck so I'm only taking the 1.

 

[Babushka]

You can buy iron tablets that don't cause constipation. My levels were a little low so I try to take one everyday, and feel really lazy when I don't! Also, you have to take plant based iron with vitamin c so make sure you have a glass of apple or orange juice when you take it.

 

[Annie77]

I don't know what your iron levels were but I am on 3 x200 mg tabs per day. My 28 week bloods were 107, went down to 100 by 32 weeks and I got prescribed the tablets. I wasnt taking the whole dose - normally 1-2 and they made me poo black and ruined my appetite. i got tested again last week at 35+6 and it has risen to a massive 104!

So now I am religiously taking them 3x daily with fruit juice & trying to eat more red meat and dried apricots etc but have no appetite. Don't feel at all constipated though which is good. Just worried about having a section with such low iron will make the first few weeks difficult.