Is Floradix any good?

[CobaltRose]

Hi everyone.

I'm nine weeks pregnant with my first child, and had my first midwife appointment last week. I got a call from the midwife yesterday telling me that the results from the blood tests taken at that appointment show my iron levels are low. She recommended that I see my doctor and go on iron supplements.

Unfortunately I couldn't get a doctor's appointment until next Monday. Instead of leaving it for a week I've decided to try over the counter iron supplements whilst I'm waiting for my doctor's appointment. I'm sure over the counter iron supplements aren't as effective as ones from the doctor, but surely it's better than nothing?

One particular brand that I've seen praised quite a lot is Floradix. Is it any good? I must admit that due to severe nausea and lack of appetite I haven't been eating very well, and what I do eat is mainly starchy crap that's easy on the stomach because anything else makes me feel rotten, but I'll try and make more of an effort to eat a more balanced diet.

Any experiences with Floradix? Did it improve anaemia?

Many thanks

I think if you have out and out anaemia, the only thing that is going to put you back where you should be is medically prescribed iron. However, be warned, it can make you very constipated and since pregnancy often makes you constipated too, you can imagine the effects. I often emerged from the loo feeling I had done a practice run for pushing the baby's out! I was on iron and lactulose throughout my first pregnancy.

For subsequent pregnancies, I did take floradix and also possibly spatone (or that may have been later, sorry, I am talking many years ago now). Both are much kinder to your digestive system and certainly won't do you or baby any harm, but as I said to begin with, I don't think they will bring your iron levels up enough if yours are low. No harm in taking some though whilst you wait for the GP appointment.

It always got my iron levels back up from anaemia to acceptable and quickly in 3 pregnancies. Tasted foul so I glugged it straight down from the bottle.

It works well because it has the vitamins etc in it to get your body to absorb the iron in it. Taking an iron supplement on its own often isn't enough because the body just isn't absorbing it sufficiently

Floradix is good. I also recommend spatone in a glass of orange juice and Feroglobin. They all taste different and they are all at least slightly horrid. It just depends which you can stomach best. Those iron tablets are rubbish and do awful (but thankfully temporary) things to your digestive system. I have found the liquid supplements to work much better and much quicker.

I didn't get constipated on Floradix the main reason for sticking with it.

I have low iron and despite being on iron tablets for a month my levels didn't improve, so have started taking floradix as well on midwife's advice. I can already feel a bit of a difference in terms of tiredness, so it's either a placebo or maybe it's just an easier version for my body to absorb. Will be interested to see what my next blood count says!

I use it when I’m felling generally ugh and cannot shift it. That said, during pregnancy I wouldn’t take anything without speaking to GP/midwife first.

I found Spatone better. I have up with the iron from GP as it made me so constipated I couldn't do a wee!! Then I started 2 Spatone per day and really noticed the difference, no bathroom trouble and increased energy.

I've found spatone very good too.

I have been iron-deficient for most of my life due to an inherited blood problem and agree that spatone is the best I've tried. Metallic orange juice is better than the other options for me. My dad who has the same problem tried something called Blue Iron which he thought was good but he also likes spatone. My sister who has the same issue also likes spatone.

Midwife recommended it to me but warned me not to keep it in the shelf on the door of the fridge. Apparently the magnet does something funny to it.

I would definitely recommend SpaTone it's easy to tolerate and absorb and worked wonders for me.

I was recommended Floradix by the blood donation service, when I was borderline low (not formally anaemic, but close enough to it that they wouldn't accept a donation that day).

I had the tablet form, because I think the liquid smells rank

Sorry, should have said that's when I first took it - I wasn't giving blood whilst pregnant!

It worked brilliantly for me.