How can I improve my iron levels?? Iron tablets only getting me so far.

[HGF37]

I found out that I had low haemoglobin and haemocrit about 8 months ago ie I was anaemic (was feeling pretty rubbish so made sense.) I have been on ferrous sulphate ever since. My levels have improved, but only to the cut off point for normal. I still feel extremely weary and would like to optimise my haemoglobin, but how do I do this if the iron supplementation is only getting me so far?? Worryingly, my doctor said its actually not possible to, that the body finds it's own level that it's happy at. I'm not convinced my body is happy!! 😟Can anyone advise? Is there really nothing further I can do to up my levels a bit??

The only thing that worked for me was stopping drinking tea two hours before and after a meal. Tannins block absorption of iron. Same with wheat.

My levels improved hugely when I did that. The problem is usually absorption not supply.

Take your iron with vitamin c to help absorption. Either a glass of juice or a Vit C tablet

The veggie iron is poorly absorbed, but agree take with vitamin c and maybe take a bigger dose, if you look at the box often it is actually 2 or 3 pills for a dose, just double check.

Heme Iron is best but a Google search finds v little to choose from, it’s made from liver and is non veggie.

I agree vitamin C helps absorption.

As the others said, certain things in your diet can help. Reduce and cut tannins as much as you can. Tea, red wine and other high tannin foods. In particular, don't eat/drink them at the same time as taking your iron tablets.

Vit C helps to improve absorption, so take with a glass of orange juice or high Vit C foods like peppers.

I assume its a prescribed dose of ferrous sulphate you are taking, and not and over the counter one or spatone/floradix (shudders 😬)

Red blood cells take 3mths to replicate, so it seems odd that after 8mths, you are only 'just' in the normal range! Do you have any other cause for blood loss? Very heavy periods, bleeding from the back passage? Is your GP doing any further investigations, considering you still don't feel 100%?

I was going to say this about tea, I switched to Roibosh/Redbush tea.

I didn't know about wheat though!

Check for celiac?

Not sure if it would help you but I was eating lots of spinach while pregnant and my antenatal doctor commented how great my iron results were.