is spatone any good?

[mumatron]

iron levels are low.

mw suggests upping iron tabs from 1 to 3 a day. tbh i don't think my stomache will handle that.

is spatone any good? if i take 2 a day and 1 iron tab do you think that would make a difference?

TIA

[mumatron]

should add i'm trying to improve diet as much as poss, but there is only so much spinache i can cope with

if levels not improved by next week i need to go for the dreaded iron injection.

[TwentiethCenturyHeffa]

I used Spatone in my first pregnancy because my iron levels were low and I didn't fancy taking iron tablets. I didn't really think it would work but my iron levels definitely went up (I was having weekly blood tests). I did also change my diet to include a lot more iron-rich food though so it was probably that instead. I quite liked Spatone though, didn't have any side-effects and found it easy to take so figured it couldn't hurt!

[lucy101]

I couldn't take iron tablets at all - they made me feel so ill I was utterly miserable. My midwife thought that spatone was better so I take 2 sachets a day (with orange juice and not within a couple of hours of tea/dairy/carbs - I take it at night) and it is brilliant. I think 2 spatone and 1 tablet might be the answer. It always seems to be in the Boots 3 for 2 vitamin offer by the way.

[Somedaysoon]

My iron levels dropped too 11 at 20 weeks I started spatone when I had blood retaken at 28 weeks mine had increased too 13 so it worked for me

[mumatron]

thanks, will pop over to boots later.

last week levels were 7.9. if i can't get them over 11 i wont be able to give birth in the mlu.

still, have 5 weeks left to get them up.

[plantsitter]

Spatone is good, but if you can eat lots of lentil soup with orange or lemon juice in it too, that ought to boost your iron levels.

[CheeseandGherkins]

I prefer floradix. You can take double doses too. My levels aren't far off yours either, 8.6 last time and started taking it right away. I'm 35 weeks tomorrow.

[mumatron]

is floradix a tablet or a drink, c&g?

[CheeseandGherkins]

Both now apparently. Holland and barratt now sell tablets as well as the drink. I use the drink though as I can't really swallow tablets.

[mumatron]

same here, can swallow them but just don't like it!

will see what can get in boots. hope i will start to feel better in general if levels improve. been feeling shitty for weeks now.

[TwistAndShout]

I used spatone in three pregnancies to boost iron levels and they did go up.

Make sure you drink orange juice (vitamin c) with iron rich meals. Apparently it boosts your body's absorbtion of the iron.

[suzym1984]

Hi!

Sorry to butt in, but I have been feeling really rough the last few weeks, tired, achey and no energy at all. I am currently waiting for the blood tests from my 28 week check. Would anybody mind telling me what the symptoms are for low iron levels? I will start upping my intake before the test results if this seems the likely cause.

Thanks!

[mumatron]

suzy for me, i just feel really washed out. tired, snappy etc

i also have problems sleeping.

oh and restless legs get much worse!!

[mamasunshine]

Yes does work for me. I always feel much better after having a box of Spatone ( 2 sachets a day with juice)

[midori1999]

I have heard it's very good, but haven't tried it myself.

I had low iron in a previous pregnancy and managed to sort it out with diet alone. Dried Apricots and figs are fairly good sources of iron and easy to eat quite a few of. Black pudding is also really high in iron, but obviously also high in calories/fat too and not sure if you're meant to eat too much of it in pregnancy? Cockles are also really high in iron if you like them?

Drinking orange juice at the time you eat iron rich foods and avoiding anything with too much calcium in for a while after eating them helps too.

Lentil and bacon soup is quite palatable and lentils are also high in iron.

[vmcd28]

Hi, I took Spatone for a couple of weeks because I'd been monitored due to blacking out. I'm 39 weeks so haven't had any further blood test results to say for sure if it worked, but I can say that I've felt a LOT better since taking it - a bit less tired, less grumpy and less run down. I was told to have three sachets a day. Always drink with orange juice, cos I hated the mild taste of blood when it was in water.

I'm also a huge Floradix liquid fan. Again, it doesn't make you constipated and is more easily absorbed into the blood stream than tablets

[mumatron]

thanks all.

only been taking it for a few days so don't know if it's helped yet. have a blood test on wed so should know by thurs.

fingers crossed it works!

[rudbekia]

i absolutely swear by Spatone! i started taking it prior to getting pg as i was boaderline anaemic....both blood tests since being pg have shown good iron levels so it must be working. do follow their advice and take it with orange juice - you need the vit c to help absorb it. Floradix is also great, i just personally prefer Spatone. do be careful with caffine intake - too much tea in particular will affect your ability to absorb iron.r

[kelly2525]

Of the 5 different midiwives ive seen in the last 32 weeks, one of them told me to get some spatone, another one told me it wasnt very good.

I did get some, but i dont like the way it makes me feel, and i dont like the way it makes me poo, 5 times a day.

So im not taking it anymore