Iron and constipation!

[Esssss]

I'm feeling miserable. I'm 9 weeks pregnant and have just been given ferrous fumerate to take for low iron. And it's really blocked me up!! Please can someone give me ideas to relieve me?? I took it later on in my last pregnancy but I don't remember it causing constipation like this!!

Switch to spatone instead. Much better.

Thanks Iggy, I thought spatone didn't have enough iron?

Try the jelly cubes (type thing) they sell in Holland and Barrett for constipation.

I had very low iron and took two sachets a day - brought up my levels quickly when pregnant.
Tablets made me feel sick and constipated so I stopped.

My understanding is that spatone has less iron in because it is easier for your body to absorb. The iron tablets have more but it is in a form which is hard for your body to access hence the constipation and black poo - your body just chucks it out.

Are you on ferrous fumarate tablets or syrup?

Cool thanks iggly, I'm on the tablets..,,

Prunes were my saving grace throughout pregnancy. I used to simmer half a tin in water for fifteen minutes, take the stones out, blend and drink half in the morning and half before bed.

I also used to snack on a small bag popcorn once a day and have weetabix for breakfast.

my iron was borderline low but I refused the tablets as had constipation anyway due to pregnancy hormones. I also took spatone, but the midwife said it wouldn't be as effective.

Yes spatone! Much easier to absorb.

I was really concerned about this having had awful constitution due to iron as a teen.

Apparently the ferrous fumerate doesn't make you constituted in the same way as ferrous sulphate does. So far so good for me, have had Branflakes for brekkie every day too as that really helps.

pregnacare does the opposite to me and relieved my preg constipation. Lots of water, fruit and veggies too.

Another vote for prunes. I've had terrible constipation throughout my pregnancy. I was prescribed iron tablets at 28 weeks and was expecting it to get worse. Eating prunes every day has kept things moving. Lidl to a big tub of pitted prunes that go nicely with yogurt.

I have low iron and have awful problems with taking any kind of oral iron so I'm having an infusion on Tuesday. If it gets too bad that may be an option too though I think you need to be in the 2nd trimester to have it.
Hope you get sorted, pregnancy is hard enough without anaemia too!

Another vote for branflakes EVERY MORNING. I have as big a bowl as I can manage and always 'go' every day. I also eat a punnet of strawberries every day.

I had awful constipation in the early weeks when I was taking pregnacare.

Something interesting to do with prunes that will make them taste a bit like chocolate. They are very effective via this route too.

for a bag of prunes
3 shots of decaff espresso
1 cup of water
cinnamon stick
Prunes
sugar to taste - I usually add about 3 teaspoons

Put in a saucepan and allow the coffee to reduce down to about half - take the cinnamon stick out. allow to cool. You can eat these straight away but if you leave them in the fridge overnight the coffee and sugar go all sticky.

Serve with rice pudding (yes, tasty), yoghurt, mascarpone or ice cream.

My BIL came to stay and accidentally put about half a new crop on his porridge one morning, ha ha.

I can't do iron tablets as I get piles if I'm constipated (non-stop glamour over here) so I take Spatone, like PPs.

If you take it with orange juice the vitamin c helps absorption and you should avoid tea (incl. decaf) within an hour of taking it as tannins inhibit iron absorbtion.

It definitely does work, as it changes me from someone who needs to go to bed at 5pm to someone who can stay awake until 10pm.

If I'm particularly fatigued I take two sachets.

I much prefer FloraVital to Spatone, so if you don't like one try the other :)

Definitely switch to spatone.

I was in a right state with the tablets, nothing eased my constipation at all. My midwife suggested liquid iron and that solved it, no problems since. The dr I saw insisted that it wouldn't make a difference but my midwife just got a different dr to write me a prescription to try and it worked. Definitely switch to liquid.

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful. I've taken some fybogel but no luck yet. My stomach feels like a dustbin!! I'm going to give the prunes a go tomorrow and have a look for spatone

I was given iron tablets towards the end of first pregnancy. I ended up taking one tablet every third day as it was making me so bunged up taking one everyday.

It helped. Now dreading that I'll be on them again the second time round.