Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Iron overdose??

15 replies

Bluebellysmell · 22/05/2018 19:13

I'm on iron supplements 305mg x2 daily for ferrus fumerate.
I've just by accident doubled my dose for today 4x 305mg.
I've called triage who told me not to worry, but didn't check with a Dr.
Tried googling but can't get relevant info.
I'm hoping that this is seen by someone with medical knowledge who can reassure me.
I'm petrified I've hurt my baby less than a week from due date!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

moofeatures · 22/05/2018 19:19

Midwife here. You’ve already spoken to “someone with medical knowledge who can reassure” by calling triage. You might have an upset tummy or a black poo or two, but it’s not going to be a problem at all.

Original poster

Bluebellysmell · 22/05/2018 19:33

I know I have, but there was lots of noise in the background and I just want some reassurance.
She kept saying up to 3 capsuals a day was safe, but I've had 4 capsuals.

I googled and the info I saw said iron overdose was very dangerous in a child and could prove fatal, but didn't give quantities.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bluebellysmell · 22/05/2018 21:47

Bump

Anyone else?

I'm wishing I'd made myself sick as soon as I realised but triage advised not to.
Thinking

OP posts:

Original poster

Bluebellysmell · 22/05/2018 21:48

posted too soon

Thinking I need to stay up all night to monitor movements, it'll kill me if I've harmed him. Its my ivf miracle after multiple losses.

OP posts:

ILikeMyChickenFried · 22/05/2018 21:54

Up to 3 a day is I think normal dosage? I'm on 3 a day. I wouldn't have though 1 extra tablet would do any harm which is perhaps why the midwife you spoke to kept saying 3 was normal?

You could always call 111 and speak to someone else for further reassurance?

You don't want to be staying up all night monitoring movements, he will be out keeping you up soon enough and you need your sleep now whilst you can get it.

Dvg · 22/05/2018 21:55

You will be fine But don't take your iron for the next 2 days to clear it All, you may find your poo different but it won't harm your baby unless you did it frequently, just the once won't cause any problems but you may feel abit sicky as your body clears it all.

brogueish · 22/05/2018 22:49

You've spoken to triage and a mw on here has reassured you - what do you want to hear that hasn't been said already by perfectly qualified people?

Original poster

Bluebellysmell · 22/05/2018 23:27

I don't know what I want to hear, I just want to know he's ok. This is far from my first pregnancy, but it's the only one to get past the first trimester, and now I'm worried I've harmed him.
I've not felt movement for the last hour, it was lightish the hour before that, so I know I've probably harmed him, I'm going to try the cold drink and lie down for 30 minutes, if nothing then drive myself in to triage.

OP posts:

SK166 · 22/05/2018 23:34

The toxicity levels for iron are much higher than you could possibly achieve from 1 extra capsule. I understand how vulnerable you must feel after your pregnancy history but try to be calm. Your own body is the first line of defence against anything that would harm your baby...as others have said, worst you can expect is slightly heightened gastro side effects for a day. You’ll metabolise it no problem and your baby will be none the wiser.

AnnieOH1 · 22/05/2018 23:42

As someone with genetic iron overload avoid vitamin c and have some decaf tea/coffee. Avoid any iron rich foods for a couple days. All that said its primarily to make you feel you're doing something. The body usually can't process high levels of dietary iron in one go so you'll just pass most of it anyway. You will be okay.

Iron overload is your iron storage level generally, you can be anemic and in overload at the same time. You will be okay.

Original poster

Bluebellysmell · 23/05/2018 01:14

I've had a couple of fetal movements and not sure what to do, I have decided I need to stay awake for a couple more hours just to note his movements though.

I've also checked BNF and according to that the midwife is wrong, as is the poster above. The maximum daily dose is 1-2 Ferrus Fumarate (Galfor), There are others which have a lower dose of 210mg so you can have 3 of daily.

I just have this feeling that I won't get to meet my boy, and now I've done something stupid and harmed him that will likely be true.

OP posts:

Namechange97543 · 23/05/2018 01:21

Give triage a call back and explain how very anxious you are about this.
I really doubt you have harmed baby, and of course you haven’t done this deliberately. Accidents happen.
I am worried about your anxiety and would advice ringing your usual midwife/team in the morning too

Smurf123 · 23/05/2018 01:48

Why don't you go in and get baby checked out. If you think movements are different nd already have been for a couple of hours you should go in now not wait for a couple more.
You are one week from due date so not really early and baby will be fully developed already.
I was induced with my ds at 37+2 after reduced fetal movements. He is now 11 weeks. It was a scary scary time - like you I had had several first trimester losses before this one.
Every midwife and doctor (except one) told me they would rather see me 10 times a day even if everything was perfectly fine and normal than for me to sit at home and worry. (The one doctor wasn't particularly helpful who told me I was being silly and to stop worrying first trimester losses weren't the same as reaching 35 weeks pregnant - midwife was horrified at what he had said)

moofeatures · 27/05/2018 05:17

Bluebellysmell, I'm a bit worried about you. Your posts sound incredibly anxious, which isn't surprising given your previous pregnancies, but you also don't sound able to rationalise that anxiety with the (entirely correct) advice you've been given. It's entirely your personal choice to share with us if this is a long standing issue or something which developed during pregnancy, but I really feel you could do with a bit of extra support. Babies are tough but also extremely unpredictable and prone to doing some frankly weird shit: I worry that your anxiety is likely to get a lot worse when he arrives and he starts revealing his full capacity for (mostly entirely normal) newborn strangeness. I hope your midwife has recognised this and will be vigilant for signs of PND, and I also think perinatal mental health team (PMHT) could be a really good source of extra support for you. I hope you and little one are okay

CherryBlossom23 · 27/05/2018 05:53

As a long time taker of iron supplements, there's no way you can OD from one extra tablet. Like others have said just skip a few days and you'll be fine. The body doesn't even absorb all of the iron in supplements at the best of times so it will excrete the excess and you'll be fine. Your extreme anxiety about this is doing more harm right now than one extra iron tablet so you should really have a chat with someone about that if possible.

Flip