Tips for making iron tolerable

[CulturalBear]

Does anyone have any tips for making iron tablets tolerable please?

I had lowish iron stores back in February, and was prescribed three tablets a day. Well, that was never going to happen.

If I take one tablet in three days, I get umm constipated. Tummy ache, very uncomfortable.

If I take more than that, I often get an unsettled tummy as well and lose appetite etc. I'm so sensitive that during pregnancy I had to especially find a multivitamin without iron in it because event he multivitamin dose would upset my insides.

Several months down the line, and I've been having some very heavy 8-day periods thanks to the coil (such joy). I'm currently waiting to find out how bad the situation is after having bloods taken on Thursday.

I know it's pretty bad though, I've got pregnancy-style knackeredness on stairs, occasionally getting lightheaded, metallicy taste in mouth (not dissimilar to morning sickness - yeurk) and my tongue is in a state - it's burning all down the sides and I've got lots of mouth ulcers.

So - anyone got any tips for getting iron in? Any ideas how to take them? I don't drink a huge amount of tea or coffee - but trying to find a window of three hours clear in order to take a tablet is pretty hard work.

Is there something else I can ask for? I've got a feeling doc is minded to prescribe a laxative and be done with it but I'm sure there's a better solution.

Laxative - try movicol

Take it with orange juice to get the best absorption from it.

Try a different iron preparation - I was far better with ferrous sulphate, than I ever was with Pregaday.

Try liver and bacon once a week - buy it ready made from waitrose or Sainsbury's if you are squeamish about cooking it.

I have low iron and am on iron pills 3x a day , i to can feel sick with them and dodgy tummy but i have IBS so not sure if pills or just me ...

i eat before taking mine , take with water , or orange juice , and im trying to eat lots of green veg , spinich , brocoli , red meat ..

If you can afford it buy spatone liquid supplements. Never made me constipated and worked well.

i to have ulcer in mouth .. think can get then due to low iron ..i just got iglu its a paste and used before and really helps .

hope you feel better soon

Thanks - orange juice is a non-starter unfortunately - anything acidic/spicy/sparkly is agony at the moment with my tongue as bad as it is.

I am currently on ferrous sulphate (or should be). That's the bit I'm struggling with!

I'm not sure about liver and bacon - I don't think I've ever (consciously) eaten liver apart from in pate - the thought makes me yak. And DP would run a mile as well. Not sure how desperate I'd need to be to overcome that one

Thanks for the thought tho!

When I had to take ferrous sulphate after giving birth my midwife told me to step away from the lactulose and try eating a teaspoon of golden linseeds everyday.
I put them on my cereal in the morning. Apparently something like lactulose takes water from the gut to soften stools, so obviously isn't good for hydration.

And ditto what other posters have said re vit c and greens

Try ferrous fumerate. You can buy it OTC and it is the most gentle on your stomach. I take mine at night just before I go to bed. I haven't had caffeine with them then. I also take all 3 at once.

I find it takes a few days to get used to it so my stomach is uncomfortable for a few days week at the most then it is fine. Perservere and see it that helps.

This may all depend on how good/bad your results are.

If ferrous sulphate doesn't work you, ferrous fumarate or ferrous bisglycinate may and your GP could prescribe either of those.

Alternatively, if your ferritin is right at the bottom of the reference range (

I hate ulcers too ballofworry - I get them whenever I'm rundown, hormones can also make them worse. At one point the other week I had four down one side of my tongue, two elsewhere in my mouth, and my tongue generally feels like I've burned it, with swollen tastebuds all round the sides.

It means I'm more likely to bite my cheek/lip as eating and talking are both torturous tasks - and then I get more ulcers! (I have sharp teeth anyway).

I looked at Spatone before but it is so expensive. Sounds stupid, but I don't feel like I can justify spending that much on myself. Although, I might see if the doctor can prescribe it - I'm out of the free-prescription window now (boo), so if I could reduce it to 'just' £8 whatever it is these days, that makes it more justifiable.

That's interesting RockinD - I never got to see my results from Feb, so will be keen to find out exactly what they are this time around. I like to know the detail, and enjoyed the luxury of being able to analyse the different results when I was pregnant (oh how I miss being able to see my own records at the snap of a finger!). Ironically, my iron levels were fine during pregnancy.

Remember that you are always entitled to see your test results, with the reference ranges. Under the Data Protection Act, your results are your data.

Never allow any HCP to tell you that your results are ‘normal’. To many this just means within range and that really does not always cut it when it comes to alleviation of symptoms.

Just spoken to GP reception and levels are 'a bit below normal' so they generated the exact prescription I already had.

Explained there are issues with that one, so they're going to speak to a GP and call back later. Not sure how I can get my exact results though - if I ask, would they be able to post them to me, preferably with Feb results for comparison?

Will discuss some of the ideas mentioned here if/when they call back. Many thanks for the help.

You can ask them to print them out, the new ones and the Feb ones, and go and pick them up or authorise someone else to pick them up on your behalf.

Alternatively, if you're having a telephone conversation with a doc, ask for the results and the reference ranges. He/she should give them to you over the phone.

If they've done lots, like a full blood count, then ask them to print them for you to collect.

Once you've got 'em, come back and post 'em?

my ferritin was 9 so im on iron pills ...starting to feel better i think as did feel so bad ...
taking ferrous fumarate 3x a day , seem ok on the tummy to

Well now I'm more baffled!

Just heard back. Apparently my levels were 10 in February and are now 14, where an ideal range is 15 and above.

Not actually anaemic, but iron stores depleted.

They said they can try me with ferrous fumarate instead, or I could try 'a good diet and an over the counter supplement and see how I go'.

I've said I'll look at the OTC stuff as that'll probably be cheaper.

So it's good news that my iron isn't that bad apparently - but slightly worrying that I feel so crappy if that's not to blame .

Appreciate the tips on here, will give them a try.

mine have never been higher than 15 in last 10 years or more i have been 8 at one point some years ago then i hoover around 13/15
i have a docs appointment next week so will wait to get results hen rather than now as i know i will worry ...my red count was 24 which is 1 below "normal range " so hoping that will be ok next wk to
anxiety sufferer to ...so high at mo ...

14 sound good to me , i did feel total rubbish few weeks ago , soooo tired, foggy thinking , that kind of stuff ,
i to get heavy periods on a short cycle ...so thats why doc thinks has happened ...
ulcers can be a sign of iron diffecency also i think , get that iglu and see if that helps

If your range starts at 15 and your result is 14, your iron stores are not just depleted, they are seriously depleted and your GP should be tackling this issue with a little more gusto. You are currently below range FGS.

Howver, see how you go with the ferrous fumarate. You can buy them OTC - only a couple of quid. Start with one tablet a day and work up towards 3 if you can. I never got above one, which is why it took me four years to raise my levels.

Your target is to get that ferritin level up to at least 70.

I hope your GP has asked you to go back for a re-test in three months. If he hasn't - go anyway!

Supposed to be 70! Well I guess that's why I feel a bit crap then lol.

Thanks very much for your advice x

Been lurking here due to own iron deficiency at one time, remembering problems finding palatable OTC iron. These days I find Tesco Multi-vit with Iron don't give any side-effects, and are keeping my iron at a good level - worth a try?

I take a liquid called feroglobin, it's orange flavoured and no too gross. I suffer from IBS so was very worried about taking iron during pregnancy, but also aware that I need to keep my levels up as I'm planning a home birth and they won't let you if your levels are too low. I've been taking the liquid the whole way through and my iron level was better at my 28 week bloods than when I booked in so it obviously has some effect.

gosh 70 !!! my ferritin has never been above 15 in about 12 years maybe longer ….
i had to take iron through my pregnancies ….

some people do have trouble storing iron maybe thats me ….
everyones different i guess