Iron Tablets

[8abyDust]

Hi,

I have just had a letter from the hospital saying im anaemic. Has anyone had any experiences of iron tablets, I've only ever hear bad things about their side effects?!?!

Thanks!

Personally dreading having to go on them! My iron level is 11.1...been told when it goes below 11 I will have to go on them. I'm already constipation to hell!!!! I think basically they just make you constipated! But will watch until someone more knowledgable comes along :)

Had them all last pg from about 18 weeks going in to get a blood test for tomorrow as believe i need them again (15+5), for me the benefits outweigh any side affects as i am so exhausted all the time.

Should say that i only ever had black poo no serious constipation or anything

I hated them. My iron went down to 10.7 in pregnancy then 8.7 after the birth. The iron tablets made me sick and gave me black poo. So they put me on revolting liquid iron medicine. Wasn't too bad when taken in a drink but tbh I didn't feel any benefits from taking the supplements at all!!! Sorry to be so negative x

I have been on them since about 18 weeks (was on Floradix since 6 weeks and that did nothing) and like a previous poster said, the benefits outweigh the horrible side effects. I would rather have yucky dark poo than be utterly exhausted ALL the time! I have had no constipation at all on them.

I'm taking Spatone liquid iron supplements which is apparently easier to absorb. I add to a glass of orange juice on an empty stomach. No side effects so far but it is pricey. They contain less iron than a tablet but apparently because your body absorbs more of it it's ok.
Suggest you check with your midwife on what to take though. Maybe try it and then get your iron levels rechecked?

Don't notice any effects from them but the ones I take aren't prescription. Couldn't stand the taste of Floridix when pregnant (really hit my gag reflex/ tapped into the nausea) but afterwards I quite got into it.

I take iron, vit B6, evening primrose/starflower oil and fish oil (I'm borderline anaemic, get bad PMT and am stupid) every day with a glass of orange juice. I was able to give blood about 7 months after DD was born so the iron must be doing something...

Okay, thanks ladies.

Does anyone know what your iron reading should be?

The letter says to get the prescription should be at my docs in 4 days...so I'm assuming its not an urgent thing?

Normal is 11-14 but in pregnancy I think they factor in that it will be lower. Mine was 10.9 about 1 month ago but haven't heard anything from MW about it. I'm guessing that means they're not too worried at that kind of level (but I'm already taking iron tablets). The tablets do make me constipated tbh! Not much fun but better than bad anaemia!

Sorry I meant 12-14!!

What Naomi said. Spatone all the way. The tablets the drs give you are shitty things that your body can't absorb the iron from easily. The black poo is all the unabsorbed iron coming back out. No side effects with Spatone.

Get spatone, it's fantastic stuff. Took iron tablets all last preganacy when my levels were 8.2 and they did nothing for me. Iron levels were 10.3 this time round and I got them up to 13 last week by taking Spatone with Orange juice first thing every morning.