Iron tablets

[elliej83]

Has anyone else been on iron tablets or found an alternative to being on them?
I feel terrible since I've been on them. Physically sick, bungee up and bloated :(

[EreniTheFrog]

They're notorious for that, I'm afraid.. my sympathies. I guess the only real alternative is an iron infusion or transfusion: I was offered both, but I think your Hb needs to be quite low.

[ayria]

I had them in my first pregnancy. Horrible. Can't remember how long I took them before my iron levels were fine but sure I went into labour a few weeks later. When I went to get them from the chemist I was told they make your poo go black! Fun.

Going to try and eat iron rich foods before my iron goes down in this pregnancy! I've been constipated enough!

[cosytoaster]

Iron rich foods + Spatone. I took iron tablets after having DS1, never, ever again!

[DrWhy]

I'm on them now, midwife doesn't think I need them but (brand new) consultant does. I'm taking half the recommended dose and eating a lot of fruit, veg and museli! See to be getting on OK. When I told her I'd been put on them by the consultant the midwife explained that taking them with something rich in vitamin C like orange juice would help absorption but any milk or dairy would slow it. She was also keen on dietary sources of iron like spinach if you were a bit close to the boundary.

[TheInimitableMrsFanshawe]

I was really unwell on them, so I got liquid supplement instead. No side effects but it's the most vile tasting substance known to man. Think mint choc chip ice cream mixed with iron filings

[Havingkittens04]

I was on Spatone, you can get it from most places. We used to pick mine up from the Tesco Pharmacy. We couldn't get it on prescription so we had to pay for it, but I much preferred it to the iron tablets I'd been prescribed x

[Funnyface1]

Wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Pregnancy is bad enough for constipation anyway, add iron tablets and its a one way ticket to piles! Get it from your diet, I did and my bloods have been great this pregnancy. Prune juice is particularly good and helps combat constipation too, win win!

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

I have had success with solgar gentle iron capsules (from Amazon or health food shops). No digestive side effects at all. It is a chelated form of iron.

I looked up how much elemental iron was in the ferrous fumarate I was prescribed and worked out 3x solgar capsules was approx one ferrous fumarate tablet, so I spread them out through the day, always with a small glass of orange juice with a bit of extra powdered vitamin c stirred in to help absorption.

[Spottyladybird]

I'm on them too. They're making me feel sick and giving me diarrhoea!! Last time I had them (after birth of DD) they made me constipated but having opposite effect this time, fun!

Thinking of going back to the doctor this week as I'm feeling so rough.

Sympathies

[ImYourMama]

I'm on them and my poo is resembling black tar (sorry for TMI!) I've found lactulose helps if taken about an hour after the iron pills

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

What are you taking by the way? The first line (and least well tolerated) is ferrous sulphate, then they will try ferrous fumarate. If that also causes issues you can ask for ferrous gluconate which is the gentlest of the standard iron compounds. Failing that I would buy the solgar product I mentioned above or a liquid formulation (but they are much lower dose so do discuss with your GP/MW how bad the problem is/how fast they need to get your iron up)

[elliej83]

I was on ferrous sulphate but I've stopped taking them as I just felt so bad yesterday and feel much better today. A friend told me about spa tone so I've ordered some of that to come with our grocery shop today and will try that and eating more iron rich foods. I was literally 106 and I think 105 was needs tablets so its not like it was drastically low or anything.

[SparrowSG]

Another vote for SpaTone here, no side effects for me on this and it's easy to take and nice apple flavour

[eastcoastmum2014]

I'm about to start taking them and now I'm too scared to take them 😞

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

Don't be, I've never heard anyone say they have caused them stomach etc issues. The important thing is to get your iron up.

PS if you like them, mussels are about as good a source of iron as liver - way better than normal red meat. Have a paella or seafood spaghetti or something!

[Iwantagoonthetrampoline]

I gave up on the prescription tablets last pregnacy as side effects so awful, but then ended up loosing a lot of blood during the birth and got a bit told off by midwife as haemaglobin was very very low post birth. Been trying to preempt with diet and spatone this time and seem to be keeping at a level the doctor is moderately happy with. Holland and Barrett have spatone on offer at the moment (have stocked up on the apple flavour!)

[Lules]

I got a prescription for liquid ferrous sulphate. I could not cope with the tablets at all. MW wasn't that keen as it is a lower dose and I was quite anaemic but it worked well enough to make me not anaemic by the time I gave birth. It does taste vile and you may have to take quite a lot of it but it's worth it.

[sleepyMe12]

Another vote for spa tone, I suffer with constipation at the best of times but have found spa tone doesn't Bung me up at all

[SloanePeterson]

Another reccommendation for spatone here. I'm only 8 weeks but feeling absolutely exhausted, I've been taking these for the last week and they've definitely helped, and have the added bonus of making me drink a bit more as I don't tend to drink anywhere near enough. If anything, taking them with orange juice is avoiding the constipation issue rather effectively

[GypsyFl0ss]

Ferrograd iron ablets are enteric coated which makes them absorbed further along the gut which helps with the side effects. They're about 2.50 a packet from the chemist.

[Iwantagoonthetrampoline]

Didn't mean to make light by saying 'a bit told off' by the way. Just that I didn't appreciate why it's important to try and get iron levels back up, so don't ignore if doctor is prescribing the hardcore tablets.

[April241]

Had awful side effects so stopped taking mine and instead I'm taking Spatone and increasing iron in my diet. Had my bloods rechecked on Friday so hopefully my Hb will come up enough.

[ConvincingLiar]

Spatone worked for me. A friend recommends floradix.

[microferret]

Spatone is good. Also try a supplement with ferrous gluconate, it's easier on the stomach than ferrous sulphate.

Have a couple of squares of dark chocolate each day as well, it's got a lot of iron, and if you eat it with a glass of high vitamin C juice you'll absorb it better. Oh and blackstrap molasses, you can buy it online from health food sites or probably at holland& barratt, it's full of easily absorbed iron and it tastes like treacle. I bake it into cakes and eat it that way.