Best iron supplements

[Eloisedublin123]

Hi all
I know this has been done to death but can someone please recommend iron supplements I can take for low ferritin? I have been on ferrograd c. Just had blood tests and in 9 months my ferritin has only increased by 14 points from 30 to 44. As I’m still tired and hair is still falling out I’m v keen to double it! I’m nearly vegan/ veggie all my life but at this stage (2 years in) would consider eating meat (liver in capsules?) if it really helped. I want to feel WELL!!! Thanks all x

I find Floravital really good. I prefer it to the Floradix version but both are good.

Mine is 12 despite supplements so following!

I’ve just read about liver tablets. I can’t feel this bad anymore. I’m going in! First meat in 30 years

Spa toe with applw vit c. But i take more than one

I’ve been doing spatone for 15 years 🙈

My husband pointed out that my diet could be better. Maybe I should focus on that 100% and also the spatone and also the ferrograd

Diet wise have you given blackstrap molasses a go? You get quite a bit in one tablespoon. Take it with orange juice.

I've been taking Blueiron - it's really quite pleasant to take.
Also found out that wheatgrass and barleygrass are good for iron, so trying to drink these everyday.

Also know several people who have seen good improvement with Floravital.

There's new research on iron tablets (the high level prescription ones) which is linked in this r4 programme.

You could try the regime yourself with bought ones from a health shop.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09ply54

Always take it with vitamin c and avoid tea or calcium containing foods a couple of hours before and after (eg dairy) as this blocks the absorption.

I actually raised my ferritin by 30/40 points in a month by switching to the oatley with no added calcium and eating lots of iron rich foods (but including rare steak) with orange juice/ vitamin c effervescent tablet (or berroca). I ate cheese or had milk in the eve. I did better than I had on high doses of iron tablets I think because of the blocking mechanism that's mentioned in the programme,

That’s fascinating! I just listened to it! Thank you very much for sharing! So did u take 60 mg every second day and also do a high iron food regiment? What number did u start on?

I did t take any iron supplements at all!

I had been taking the high prescription doses. I had a nightmare mix of issues that led to a kind of cfs including restless leg symptoms. Gp said to try raising ferritin from 50 to over 70 (as it did say on the print out that 50 was technically borderline). It took 3 months on 3x 200 mg a day and completely messed up my stomach. Every time I stopped my ferritin would gradually drop down (bad periods) and I could tell, more so from brain fog but I need to add I had other chronic health issues. This was just a tiny factor. by then though I developed severe ibs from the pills.

A different Gp suggested fodmaps diet and just measuring iron before and after one cycle. I knew of a few bits that caused an issue from it but I cut out milk and gluten (had hard cheese). I may have taken spatone with oj, I can't remember; I'm really not sure how much that works.

Gluten wasn't an issue but I was drinking a lot of milk during the day. It was also causing some of the ibs issues.

This programme was on air about 2 years after all my iron chaos.

I'm completely fine now ibs wise though pregnancy seems to have helped that too. I now have days where I consciously avoid some dairy if I'm going to have iron rich food to boost iron. However, my periods haven't returned yet.

There was a thread recently where someone was going to try it and had found other research on it too but I can't remember which one it was.

I think if you read around the research it's to do with maximising absorption. My point is that the body should be able to do it from diet if you're very mindful of what and when, any additional iron tablets might be best taken alternating days and only once a day. Being veggi is a bit of an additional challenge.

I always suffer from low ferritin but since taking Floradix every day, mine is much better. We eat lots of green veg too.... spinach, broccoli, kale sprouts (much nicer than normal kale). I'm vegetarian and mine have always been on the low side but last 2 blood tests (am diabetic t2) were within normal range.

That’s fascinating about your research and journey and thank you very much for sharing! I’d say everyone reading will benefit from reading that! I also like how your doc said your ferritin at 50 wasnt great! Mine was 5 two years ago and my old doctor said it was fine even though I’m Ireland the range is 15-150 and I was super symptomatic. My doc now, this week, said my current levels are now “great” which I know they aren’t. Thank you very much all for your wonderful tips xx

Most people are fine at 50.

however, on my blood test print outs at the time, and actually when I saw an endocrinologist for other things, it was stated as borderline.

I remember reading online at the time that 70+ is normal however I wonder if guidelines have been revised as I didn't see that last time I looked. I personally haven't had a test for a few years now but might ask to double check before I go back to work (which might trigger periods as I will bf less).