Wife having trouble since taking iron tablets.

[Concernedhubby]

Hi. I’ve never did this before and don’t even know if I’m in the right place.
My wife and I are about to start ivf and the nurse gave her iron tablets to take. Since taking them she’s had terrible stomach pains that come and go. She’s currently taking antibiotics for something else and never takes time off work but has rang in today and I can hear her really upset on the toilet. I don’t know what to do. Any advice please? Thanks in advance.

You can buy ferrous fumarate from the pharmacist - no need for a prescription (and cheaper).

One sachet of Spatone has 5mg of elemental iron. One 200mg tablet of ferrous sulphate has 65mg of elemental iron. I work closely with a Haematologist at work and she strongly discourages people from wasting their money on it. Floradix isn't much better at 10mg of elemental iron per dose but at least it is double that of Spatone.

What kind of antibiotics is she taking? I had awful trouble with some antibiotics I had for an ear infection - went back to the GP and she said it was a common side effect. Might be worth another trip to the GP.

Agree with poster below that your wife could be reacting to the antibiotics! They can have a dreadful effect on the gut! So probably best to finish those before addressing iron issue. And consult gp!

Tinypause, it is not just about how much elemental iron is contained in the supplement, it is also about how bio-available that iron is.

pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c95e/ae3b050cf9301fc75338bd132b8193a20782.pdf

The cheap ones that the doctor prescribes as a first option don't agree with some people. I take ones called Galfer which seem gentle on the stomach. I buy from a chemist online as they're cheaper than paying the prescription fee.

Antibiotics such as erythromycin are absolutely terrible on the stomach. I was in agony, so it’s more likely to be that. Iron either gives you constipation or the runs.

Definitely ask for ferrous fumerate. And don’t bother with spatone etc. I that for ages and was deficient in iron until the prescription stuff took effect.

Antibiotics can play havoc with gut bacteria and iron supplements can give you constipation. I got anaemic when pregnant and had Spatone instead of the iron pills I was given. It's good for boosting iron levels but with fewer side effects.

I would suggest Kefir for the gut bacteria and Spatone.

I agree get the chelated iron bisglycinate. It's the only one that doesn't give me horrible nausea after taking.

Also curious as to which antibiotics she's taking.

Both antibiotics and iron give me an upset stomach. Your poor wife must be feeling pretty awful.

Good luck with your IVF journey.

It might be a good idea to take a prebiotic & probiotic supplement for a few weeks once the antibiotics are finished too.

Glad you're being proactive...I had to have iron supplements and ended up in a&e with a gel pessary (?) being administered don't know what it's called but it was embarassing to say the least!

Long term anaemia sufferer here (due to autoimmune conditions). When I was pregnant I had to have daily iron injections as the tablets made me so ill (the doctor prescribed them and the nurse gave me one each day in the buttocks!)

Long term I take ferrous fumerate 210 x 3 a day but if my stomach isn’t very happy then I drop to one a day and then increase again. It’s not nice but the chest pains I’ve had with anaemia are so scary I wouldn’t wish that on anyone either!!

Over the counter iron products are nowhere near as strong. Do not try them, they could actually lead to the anemia getting worse as they don’t have enough iron compared to the prescribed ones.

thank you all so much for your help. you have all helped us a lot. x

Spatone mixed with OJ gentle on your stomach

I'm might be an antibiotic side effect rather than the iron

Agree which antibiotic? I'm allergic to penicillin and my doctor always prescribes erythromycin which upset my stomach far more than any iron tablets - the last time I had them I was on the toilet then being sick within an hour of taking them.

Erythromycin , particularly base, can give terrible gut spasms. I find that the stearate or ethylsuccinate are easier on the stomach. Doxycycline can be bad as well.
However, I only have to look at an iron tablet to be constipated- and that includes a multivitamin with iron .

@Daisymay2 I had a course of doxycycline recently a week after a course of amoxicillin and in between times a shot of penicillin in hospital. I could hardly stay out of the loo while I was on the doxycycline

Maybe I should get some probiotics.

Hi everyone. Sorry. I know this is super late as we now have a 5 month old daughter haha. Anyway my wife asked me to post on here that she was told to drink orange juice with her iron tablets and this worked a treat. She wanted me to share the info in case anyone may find it useful. Thanks again.

Congratulations