Should I be scared of taking iron tablets?!

[ArtyJennie]

Im 34 weeks and the mw said that I need to take iron tablets as my bloods came back as 10.5. I'm a bit nervous of taking them for 2 reasons. 1). I had hyperemisis and am worried the pills will make me feel/be sick again (I really might fall apart if I have to go back there!) 2). I've read that they cause constipation - which I already have (and a nice set of piles- sorry of tmi) and I'm worried it'll get worse!

Has anyone any experience with iron tablets- whats your experience of side effects?

Will not taking them harm the baby? Or does it just mean I stay Knackered?

The tablets can make you constipated so take them with something like dates/prunes.

Alternatively get some Spatone, Floradix or Ferroglobin. They're liquid iron supplements that won't make you constipated and iron in liquid form is more easily absorbed than the cheap tablets.

Iron is used pretty widely by pregnant women, I've never heard anyone mention any problems for the baby

Not sure about the sickness.
Yes they will make constipation worse. Take movicol, lactulose, fybogel etc
Won't harm baby.
Floradix and spatone are better than nothing but are very low dose.

Spatone. You'll absorb more iron than through taking horrid tablets and it won't make you constipated. The taste is quite metallic but you put it in fruit juice and neck it down. It has stopped me from getting anaemic this preg :)

I took them last time and didn't have any trouble with them at all. Have heard constipation is quite common though, so might be worth trying some of the supplements recommended above.

Good luck

bonzo my understanding is that the liquid forms are lower dose simply because they're more efficient - the body absorbs the iron better, so they contain less than the tablets.

I had a 1500ml PPH after DS, was sent home with 2 boxes of iron tablets but told the MW I'd prefer to continue with Ferroglobin instead. She said that was absolutely fine.

Floradix and graze on dried apricots. Talk to midwife about this approach, but mine was happy with me doing this with DD2, didn't get the constipation i'd had with DD1 taking prescribed iron tablets.

Spatone.

I have been on iron tablets for about 4 weeks now and no constipation at all. I feel much better now, much more energy.

All the midwives and GPs I've seen have said the dosage in liquid forms is too low and I would require tablets. I must say though it has definitely made me constipated and the times I've been on really high doses i've felt sick (but at that point I was severely anaemic so needed very high doses). On low doses though I haven't felt sick. Ferrous fumarate tablets are supposed to be gentler on the stomach than ferrous sulphate so it's worth asking the pharmacist for those.

Floradix is fab. I had a huge energy boost once I started it and no side effect. My midwife told me it was better than any tablets but to take more than the usual dose on the box

I take tablets (about 30mg altogether ) and find a big bowl of bran flakes keep things ticking along nicely!

I've heard good things about floradix but you shouldn't take this alongside another multivitamin as it has other vitamins in it as well as iron.

I've been having All Bran every day (on 3 iron tabs a day) and I've not had any problems, just make sure you drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fruit and you should be ok. Keep some lactulose in the cupboard just in case you need it. I think if you've been prescribed iron tablets you should take them as you want to get them to a fairly healthy level before you give birth if you can.

I have been told that problems with constipation start or increase if you take 2 or more tablets. One should be fine!

AFAIK although the absolute quantity of iron in for e.g Spatone is lower than an iron tablet, the absorption is much much higher. Spatone has half the RDA of iron, but if you allow for the greater absorption it has 100%

If you have been prescribed super high dose iron tablets then Spatone et al may not cut it, but if you are just making sure you get your RDA then are good (Spatone reccomend 2 packs per day if pregnant)

I am meant to take 2 a day but that means I only poo about once a week... So now I am having one a day instead (doc doesnt know) and eating loads more dark leafy greens. Hopefully that will do it!

When you do take your tablet(s) have them with a glass of orange juice (or equivalnet vit c rich thing) as the vit C helps the iron be absorbed more :)

The reason for the constipation with the tablets is the unabsorbed iron coming out. It's not in a form available so readily to your body. Liquid iron all the way. The dose is lower because your body can absorb it.

By the look of all the posts here it looks like you should check with your doc. You don't want to end up not getting the right levels!!

Can't you ask for an iron injection? They do this at my surgery, it had less side effects for me, no stomach ache or constipation.

If not, dates are billiant at helping with constipation, or taking tablets with soluble vitC tablets.

i used to ask for ferrograd.....sustained release so better for absorption and less likelihood of constipation.
my baby is 15 soon though so that may be advice past its sell-by-date!!

Iron tablets have the opposite effect on me, they give me the shits and accompanying stomach cramps.

I took Spatone while pregnant, which increased my iron levels with no side effects.