Correct way to take iron tablets

[Wombat27A]

Was told to pick up a prescription of iron tablets, as my iron levels are low.

Asked the pharmacist if it would interfere with other tablets and when to take, etc. He said no problems and to take with food.

Read the leaflet and it says it does affect uptake of levothyroxine and to take on an empty stomach. No caffeine at the same time.

Read the NHS guidelines and it says empty stomach before meals.

I'm now trying to jiggle 5 pills a day (1 thyroxine, 3 iron, 1 statin at night) and food intake and my poor little brain is fried by the inconsistant information.

Is there a correct way to take iron supplements? Ferrous Fuminate (sp?) The pharmacist also said to take 2 and the box says 3.

Should I have a blood test after 4 weeks like the Nice guidelines suggest? GP said to take for 3 months.

I've done a search for this but most posts are about iron in preganancy, I'm menopausal and definitely not pregnant.

Hi, I take ferrous fumarate for low ferritin levels. I take one every day or every other day. I have side effects if I take more than this, and research I read was that if you take too much iron the body doesn't absorb it anyway. I always take it with vitamin c. I do not take it near caffeine or dairy as this reduces the absorption. Hope this helps .

Do you take your thyroxine early morning. Does your prescription say you need 2 or 3 tablets a day.

I take my iron first thing with OJ, then my thyroxine after breakfast. It’s a routine that makes me remember to take them.

I take iron tablets prescribed from the GP. Ferrous sulphate. To be honest I give little thought to whether I've eaten or not. I think it's minimal the difference it makes (something to do with the level of absorption). The reason it says to avoid caffeine is that, that reduces the amount you absorb. I neck my morning tablet with a coffee though 🤷🏾‍♀️.

The standard dosage is 3 per day to begin with. I only take two a day though as I have stomach issues and can't really tolerate 3. It just means that I take each course of tablets for longer. (Generally it's a 3 month supply at a time when taking 3 a day).

Have you taken iron before? If not, don't be alarmed if it effects your bowel habits, can go one way or the other! It will also turn your poo pretty much black, that's normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

And my Gp refused to check my levels, just said to take the tablets prescribed.

Take it with a glass of orange juice as VitC aids iron absorption.

Caffeine impedes iron absorption.

I was advised by a pharmacist that all vitamin and mineral pills need to be taken with the highest calorie meal as it helps with absorption. That could be why the NHS advice is before a meal.

I cannot comment about your medication, it might be best to ask your GP.

Thyroxine usually taken in morning then I leave a gap of 4 hours and take iron. Pharmacist kindly told me how to space my meds. Iron with food so it’s less harsh on your stomach. Add vit C/ OJ to aid abortion. Avoid caffeine as it impede absorption of iron.

Yeah you should take with food as it helps with absorption, loads won't be absorbed and it gives you dark poo 🤣🤣just a warning if you get a shock x

I couldn’t handle 3 iron / day. My stomach reacted badly. So I started on 1/2 to get used to it

Ha, yes, I have the black poo today!

Actually, that's really helpful, folks.

I'm going to check the dosage with the GP, plus get the results printed as they didn't give me any detail. I had a phonecall late Friday pm to pick up the prescription on Sat and I didn't think it was fair on the receptionist to ask loads of questions.

I've re-read the leaflet and it says you can eat with food but not caffeine, eggs or milk, so I'll do that as it's easier.

I take one a day with a berocca first thing

Just to add the lifecycle of a red blood cell is approx 120days so that’s why most gps would advice to take a full 3 month supply before rechecking levels.

As long as you aren’t symptomatic with anaemia, the 4 weeks may be too soon for a blood test as you will need to take for a minimum of 3 months ifysim.

I’m another one who takes 2 a day even though I was prescribed three times/day - morning with orange juice and evening after my dinner

It was a surprise as I've actually been feeling well, other than sore hands & feet, which I assumed was arthritis. Hence the visit to the GP. The only symptom off the nhs list is a slight difficulty swallowing.

Been out & bought oj. 👍😊

Iron is very poorly absorbed. It will interfere with thyroxine absorption so take that first then iron a couple of hours after. There have been recent studies to suggest that oral iron supplementation is just as effective given three times a week rather than twice/three times a day. You just tend to get more side effects then rather than any benefit of ‘extra’ iron.
Has your GP investigated why your iron is low?

Hi, I take my thyroxine at night with various other pills because I red not to take thyroxine with coffee within a few hours etc. I take my iron in the morning with vitamins.

Read

Been taking them on and off for a very long time. Current advise, avoid levothyroxine at the same time. Don’t take on empty stomach (can cause nausea and does for me), take with vitamin c. Avoid milk/dairy while taking.

Some people find alternative days work best for absorption.

You shouldn't be taking your thyroxine on a full stomach. I take mine before bed, having not eaten since, say, 7pm. That seems to work for me and avoids that hour wait in the morning.

I take my thyroxine first thing. I will wait to take the iron. This thread has been very helpful. Much happier.

No investigation, just a short call to say my iron is low, take pills & then have more tests in 3 months.

DD had to take them for a while before surgery - advice from the hospital pharmacist was to take it at night as then less likely to cause constipation/tummy issues and always to take with orange juice to help with absorption.

If your levels aren’t extremely low and your GP says it’s ok then I’d be inclined to take Spatone instead. It’s far better tolerated than the tablets (no constipation, or black poo!) and easier for your body to absorb as it’s just a naturally occurring iron rich water. They don’t taste great but DD much preferred it as no side effects compared to the tablets

I thought caffeine wasn't relevant to iron absorption: it's tannins in tea you want to watch out for. Don't even have decaff tea with iron supplements.

I have it in my head that rice also impedes absorption.

I know something chelated with the iron, so it's inactive. I must have assumed caffeine, I should have checked. Ta. 👍

The correct way is one iron or two tablet alternate days in the morning, with Vit C for example an orange juice, is more effective than having 3 a day everyday.

Because science, apparently.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098299720300364

Is that for folic acid though, op is on ferrous fumerate.