iron pills and black BM

[choclab]

have taken iron for 2 days and have black poo

is this normal

[choclab]

got results , all normal , thyroid , liver , kidney , FBC ..all within normal range he said , just waiting on iron result .have to call back monday ..

so will see then ...

quite relieved ...but still think im low iron ...

[choclab]

thanks - iv stopped and feel better for not feeling sick , but still tired , had bloods yesterday to check everything again plus iron to , as one doc said to take iron , another said no dont your not amimic ....

but levels are low , heavy periods to ....
just got to wait and see ....

what were your levels

[bigTillyMint]

I have just finished a 3 month course of iron tablets as my levels were low due to extremely heavy periods.
I felt much better energy-wise once I started taking them (obvious if you are anaemic!), but am so glad to be rid of black poo, constipation and constant bloating/

Hope you're OK.

[choclab]

how you all feeling ?

had bloods yesterday will call tomorrow see if any results are in..

[choclab]

thanks , stillchuckinit

hope your feeling bit better today to ...

yes got test today ....

[Stillchuckingit]

Sorry for late reply

Yes, I'm on iron pills but tolerating them badly and they are going to re-test

Good luck with your blood test today

Thanks for more interesting info Alice

[choclab]

thanks again all for replying

sincity-im convinced i may be slightly anemic as had heavy period just after blood test was taken ...
wonder how low you have to be to be it in doctors books !!! if yours was 6 you must have felt dreadful ....do you know what ur levels are now ?

stargazy- 1 ...gosh u must have felt rough to ....hope you continue to feel good and your levels are better .

i do wonder how theses other people have higher levels and how you get them ? how come one person can be high and another low ..?

the highest iv been in last 4 yrs is 14 i think ...

having bloods again tomorrow , liver , kidney , thyroid and he wants to do iron to ...so see if has got lower still ...

[AliceWorld]

Oh how I wish I'd seen this earlier!

When I was first tested, the nutritionist said just get the iron blood tests, but the doc did the whole gambit to be sure. It was just precautionary. So it doesn't necessarily mean anything more. But good to be able to rule things out of course.

And your iron stores are low based on the info I was given. Docs do say 12 is fine, nutritionists (who are trained to know what they're talking about and are the specialists) say it should be way more. And as far as I know if you take iron when you don't need it you just don't absorb it. So it's OK to take. Been taking it for 2 years. This is based on what I was told of course, I'm not the expert.

Can you get the tests done after your period this time?

[eurochick]

I've been on iron tablets (the 200mg ones) for about 3 and a half years. Every time I try to stop them after a couple of weeks I can hardly drag myself out of bed. I am pretty healthy but have heavy periods, which is I think the problem. Apparently I am not anaemic but my ferratin stores are low. The doc said there was no problem taking them for this long.

I tend to miss one or two days a week to give my body a break (because of the constipation) and make sure I eat lots of fruit and veg and drinks loads of water.

[stargazy]

Back to GP tomorrow to find out what my ferritin level is after 6 weeks of iron.Was only 1 (!) -no wonder I felt so dreadful-chest pains and brethless.Hemaglobin ws 11.Have had barium enema and endoscopy and so far only thing found is a hiatus hernia and not too sure this would cause such low ferritin levels? So will just have to see what he has say.I do feel tons better-was so tired and tearful but kept thinking it was the result of an emotionally turbulent and stressful year.Just so relieved to be feeling more like normal in every way.
But the iron did upset my tum for first 2/3 weeks -think I'm used to it now and definitely easier if I take it with a meal.And yes lots of black poos! Drinking far more water and herbal teas.Sure I didn't drink anywhere near enough before-which I now realize was daft as I have a very active lifestyle and job.

[sincitylover]

hi choc - whilst you aren't anaemic your store of iron is low and if it gets lower then you will become anaemic.

I know how crap I felt when my ferritin was 6 and still feel pretty crap now when its considerably higher.

Im going to continue to take iron because with the amount I lose each month with period (they are now shorter but still very heavy) I can't see why it would hurt to take some iron. And if max normal is 150 I could never reach that so can't see how it would hurt. However Im not medically quailified so please just take that as my opinion.

Also as I said my hair also falls out alot and my hairdresser always asks me if Ive been ill or take medication as he can see new hair growing at the top (or something like that) so def think Im under par.

It's horrible all this I know. Some days at the end of work I wonder how Im going to walk about 20 mins to the station. Surey that's not normal.

[choclab]

hi sorry had to pop out ..get bread etc oh and a cream slice to cheer myself up

thanks for message

so did the docs put you on iron pills then ? and going to re test at some point ?


its awful , i now what you mean , the doc said im "normal " but seems low to me compared with others and when i have my period , i am wasted ...feel all wobbly , real bad lack on concerntration i have to plan things round it to ...and double check what iv done/doing ...honest the other week , i wanted to transfer some money from and account to another on line ..but tried , but i couldnt concerntrate so decided to wait till period was over ....

im sure its iron that up with me ....when they did last test i was mid cycle then after blood test done had period ...so no wonder i feel even worse ...more loss .....

just hope its nothing els

[Stillchuckingit]

no expert but yes, think cholesterol should be under 5.2

everything for me came back OK apart from low iron, low sodium and have some protein in urine (but doc wasn't overly concerned about that)

am massively allergic to bees/wasps (knew this but test confirmed it)

only wierd things are low iron levels (have been on pill for 6 months) and that my blood serum was "legerement ictérique" which means mildly yellow in the way our eyes get yellow if you have some jaundice/liver problem. Apparently this can be connected to anaemia in some way I can't remember now!

Just want to get rid of this wobbly feeling. Really awful. Don't feel entirely confident about not passing out in the supermarket. Especially stressful when responsible for dc.

[choclab]

my colesterol was 4.9 think thats ok

[choclab]

oh i see, so all came back ok ,?

[Stillchuckingit]

yes, entire spectrum

all bloods (inlcuding cholesterol) + urine test + thyroid + liver function + allergies

the whole works!! Live abroad so have to pay though (70% reimbursed in our system)

[choclab]

roughly same as me then ...

have u had other bloods to , like im going to have tomorrow ..

[Stillchuckingit]

12 last time they checked (2.5 wks ago) /12.5 for haemoglob

Am booked in to see doc for something else in a couple of weeks though, so will probably get tested then

[choclab]

shiite isnt it ....

have you got to go back when you finnished iron pills for check ?

what were your levels ,

[Stillchuckingit]

Haven't taken pills for long enough yet choclab - so not yet

Not helped by hiatus in taking them while my stomach sorts itself out (taking Floradix in mean tim)

Got to find alternative!

[choclab]

thanks all , and stillchuckinit u sound like me ...have u got to have more bloods done to see how your levels are ?

glitterkitty - yep your right , feels dreadful just had a litttle nap actually , and only been up a few hours .....

taken some floradix instead thismorning ...

hope you feel better soon to

[Stillchuckingit]

I'm worrying too because although I did have horribly heavy periods - I've been on the pill for six months - so presumably iron levels should have recovered by now.

Now worrying in case I'm losing iron for another reason eg bleeding internally because of something sinister. The absolutely worse thing to do is Google!!

The worry is horrible as well as the symptoms so can completely understand why you are feeling so upst choclab. Hope the test goes well for you tomorrow x

GlitterK it says don't take with tea or coffee on my pkt of pills - so assuming they both affect absorption. I'm off to get more Floradix too!

[glitterkitty]

chocolab my levels are just same as yours- I feel for you. It makes life so hard! And in general people dont understand how very horribly tired it makes you. All the time. I just want to go back to bed- but sleep dosent help.

I had upset stomach all the time with tablets but floradix etc are fine for me. And apparently red wine stops absorbation of iron, but white helps it! How does that work then- tannin?

[glitterkitty]

I have spatone (iron water) with berocca (vit b&c) first thing.

Then floadix/or similar high strength iron liquid supplement with meal.

Does coffee affect in same way as tea, anyone know?

So tired right now- my eye is twitching! My problem is remembering to take regularly. Off to take floradix now!

[choclab]

shouldnt have googled