Anaemic and can’t tolerate iron

[Nowmum43]

I have always been anaemic on and off throughout my life and cannot take iron.
i was diagnosed again in November and said I would try liquid iron, Dr suggested taking this before bed and that should lessen symptoms.
i took it for 5 days and didn’t sleep! I felt so nauseous 24 hours a day, crippling stomach ache with and urgency to go to the toilet.
she said to stop it and book an appointment with a pharmacist. I haven’t as I am not sure what else they can do.
last year I asked for an infusion but as I wasn’t officially anaemic at that point they refused.
just after any ideas how I can up my iron without taking iron!
I am vegetarian but have a pretty decent diet (most of the time)
I am exhausted to the bone and wake up everyday feeling like I’ve drink 10 pints the night before!
I just want to have some energy

@Nowmum43 Just wondered how you’re feeling now? Did the post infusion symptoms take long to go and are you feeling any better generally?

I highly recommend feroglobin as you take it with your main meal and it’s much easier on the stomach. Also, has B12 and B6 in high doses

Who did you get referred to for the infusion? Was it gastroenterology? I'm on the cusp of low Hb, with low ferritin, and get terrible cramping diarrhoea for hours with all the iron preparations I've tried. GP says gastro will reject referrals if your Hb isn't low, but even if it is (and mine might be soon), I am not sure gastro would be interested, without any reason to suspect any issues causing anaemia. Haematology webpage for the local hospital says they don't do iron infusions. I don't think it's because of any internal bleeding or anything, just a combination of not eating much meat, needing more iron because of running more, and small amounts of bleeding from starting oestrogen making me a bit depleted, so a referral to gastroenterology seems over-kill. The only reason i'd want an infusion is because of not being able to tolerate oral iron like I have in the past - I'm sure if I had normal levels of iron stores again, I'd be able to keep them there through diet. But it sounds like if you're post-menopausal, they'd have to refer you, then do various endoscopies etc. And yet it's at the level that normally I'd just take a course of iron tablets and be fine, just that I can't take them any more without series side effects. Can't afford it privately. Trying to get more dietary sources, but it'll take a long time to build back up to normal, and it makes exercise so much harder as well as other symptoms. (And yes, I'm making notes of all the other preparations mentioned in the thread, to try when my system is a bit rested - I've tried quite a few already and seem to have developed a bit of a sensitivity to it)