How can I fix this I can’t cope anymore

[Happyishs]

In a nutshell always had iron levels on the lower side even with daily iron vitamins. Gave birth loads lost of blood given one pack of iron tablets after birth and told that’s all I would need iron levels where never checked. I finally 6 months later convinced them to give me a blood test. Have felt awful since the birth has impacted me bonding a looking after my baby as I’ve been so weak and exhausted plus’s many more symptoms. Blood test came back as anemic but doctors couldn’t offer me an appointment for 4 weeks. Managed to see a private Bupa doctor who looked at my test and gave me some iron tablets until I could see my nhs gp. The tablets have made me extremely nauseous daily so been told to take 1 every other day instead. I know it will take longer than 2 weeks to see any improvement but I’m so down because of it. I’m currently exhausted weak struggling and now nausea to I can’t cope any longer. I think I’m just going to have to suffer with the nausea until my iron levels are up even anti nausea medication from my pregnancy isn’t working.

There are different types of iron tablets that you can try. You don't have to accept the nausea. Also you can buy iron supplements over the counter. Does your gp use online services, you don't need an appointment to be prescribed iron tablets

https://napiers.net/products/floradix-liquid-iron-formula?variant=40534569681096&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt4C-BhBcEiwA8Kp0CSwj3MUFVmv7HUH-AIWKmecYKyYxwHM937kT0MCXRVkzKgB3RZUCnRoCsNcQAvD_BwE

This is what I took, it is easier on the rummy than iron tablets.

I had a duodenal haemorrhage, didn’t know at the time. I felt dizzy, couldn’t get up the stairs, I think I must have sat down or laid down on the rug and woke up with no idea how much time had passed. Called GP who did an ecg and blood tests, results next day ( and this was during height of Covid) told to go straight to hospital. I was given 3 units of blood and one of iron.
So my symptoms were dizziness every time I stood up, and I collapsed in my home. I’m sure if your symptoms were similar you’d get appropriate treatment.

Eat spinach daily

Also take your iron tablets with orange juice it helps the body absorb the iron better

I had v low iron pp a few years ago. Midwife recommended spatone which was a lot easier digestively. Also a bag of spinach in the blender with a pineapple and enough water to make it drinkable.

Taking the tablets at bed time helps avoid the nausea, I have to do this with my iron tablets

And unfortunately it's a slow process unless you get an infusion ti kick start things but that depends on your circs & the criteria where you are

Thank you I’m currently on 200 mg of iron a day and floradix is only 15 mg so would need an awful lot to raise my levels have also been taking normal vitamin or iron which is 14mg since I gave birth but it’s not been enough to raise my levels at all. Have considered floradox once this is all sorted to help keep my levels up.

I would definitely recommend taking it at night. I also ordered my tablets online (ferrous sulphate?) for quite cheap - cheaper than a prescription because the moment my levels were 1 above normal my dr stopped my tablets. Vitamin C helps you absorb it, so orange juice with your tablets but with your food try to add it with iron rich foods. For example, spinach and steak salad, add lemon juice.

Ask for an iron infusion. I cannot tolerate tablets so have an infusion every couple of years. My stores go up from 4 (at their lowest) to over 250!!

lol I love spinach as much as the next person and probably more but you would have to be eating kilos of the stuff a day to restore low iron levels.

@Happyishs assuming no other issues: I have similar issues feeling ill taking iron, generally low iron and anaemic during pregnancy. I take ferrous iron once a week for a month, then 2x a week for a month then 3x a week for a month etc. Increase iron rich foods in your diet, both animal and plant, and take your iron with a glass of orange juice to encourage absorption. It does take a long time for your iron level to improve. It's worth asking your GP to test your vit B and D levels, too. Generally, supplementing with both is beneficial for most people, but of course run this by your medical doctor.

I had extreme anaemia and required a blood transfusion but ferrous sulphate (apparently very cheap) made me sick so my gp changed it to ferrous fumarate It is advised to take iron supplements on an empty stomach with orange juice as it aids the absorption. Fumarate costs the nhs a lot more so they are not keen to prescribe it. Have you had your ferritin levels checked. I had undiagnosed Celiacs. Blimey, I was poorly with it and it took me a good while to recover. I had to take the iron for many years. Off it now! I eat a lot of spinach etc and whilst I am reducing a lot of my meat I still eat beef now and again.x

Ferrous fumarate is easier on the system than ferrous sulphate, so swap over if you have the latter. It takes a while for levels to build back up - did they check ferritin levels too? You should be checked every three months for progress. If your levels are not coming up, you need to ask for testing for unexplained anaemia, although if you can afford it, try and get an iron infusion first. Are you taking Vitamin D too?

I really feel for you, I experienced exactly same thing. I know how completely exhausted and defeated you must feel. Low iron is awful and debilitating when it gets this bad.

My ferritin levels hovered between 4 and 20 for 10 years after I had a bad PPH from my first's birth.

Low iron is a web - it causes and is caused by lots of different things. I was on 200mcg ferrous fumerate a day for a long time but I wasn't taking it as well as I should have been and it wasn't really making a difference. In the end an infusion really did the trick and now my levels are very high. But I did see a significant improvement on the tablets (I got my ferritin from 4 to 25) when I got better at taking them from doing the following:

I took my tablets on an empty stomach with Urgent-C, a high dose vitamin C supplement

Always took the tablets at least an hour before or after caffeine, dairy, magnesium

Took a probiotic to help my digestive system

I also started to take vitamin D, a broad Vitamin B supplement and liquid B12

Ate as much iron rich stuff as I could, lentils, chickpeas, cacao powder, cherries, dried apricots, lots of green veg obvs, a steak every now and again

I made sure I stayed on top of my hypothyroidism by taking my levothyroxine properly (hypo and low iron are linked and exacerbate each other)

Stopped drinking alcohol and reduced caffeine as I understand these leach B vitamins and iron from your organs

I went on the pill to stop my heavy periods

If you have "always" had low iron levels that is important and means something. I always had too, it was because of my heavy periods and poorly controlled hypothyroidism. You might be celiac, as another poster suggested.

Hopefully some of that will be helpful to you. Keep going and keep trying to get the GP to help you. It's such a struggle and not what you want to be doing right now I know. But if you can get something else in place then you will feel so much better. Sending lots of good wishes to you x

I don’t drink or have coffee so that’s a help I don’t like orange juice or really apple but I’m making myself have some with breakfast. I also have extremely heavy Periods have done all my life due to endometriosis.. 3 surgeries lots of tablets and I’m still In pain and bleeding. They gave me the injection once to stop me bleeding and I bled every day for almost 3 months.

I have endo too @Happyishs. It's just a recipe for anaemia! I always found the Endo Resolved diet very helpful for managing the symptoms. It might be worth focusing onyour endo and trying to get that under control rather than putting your time / energy / funds into addressing the anaemia - otherwise it's just like filling a leaky bucket over and over again! As I say, my ferritin is now over 200 and that's a direct result of my periods stopping due to having a Mirena fitted, and two iron infusions.

PS If you don't like orange juice then a vitamin C supplement will do the trick. The Urgent-C one I like isn't that orangey tasting :-)

Thank you I’ve spent years trying to sort out my endo about to go a pay to see another private doctor so hopefully that will help.

I’ve had to stop the tablets until my appointment next week as I’m so nauseous. Had a little breakdown this weekend husband had an extremely busy week and had to work all of today. He’s self employed and his business is picking up massively but not quite at a point where he can afford a staff member. I’ve been unwell exhausted teething baby No real help and I had just had enough. Husbands been super supportive when home but he’s not been home lots and we could really do with the money. I just can’t cope with how I feel I’m so done. So I just cried to my sister and saw a friend which was just what I needed

I'm exactly the same, my ferritin is 7 and I'm feeling pretty shit but I just can't tolerate the iron tablets due to nausea and diarrhoea 😩 What type of iron are you taking? I find ferrous sulphate marginally better