Iron tablet hell!!!

[SparklingNarwhal]

I'm in a real sour and teary mood. I'm 31weeks and I've only been taking the tablets for 2 days and I wanna stop.

For a kick off I didn't even get a consultation about my iron levels, I got a pre-generated text saying my prescription was ready at the hospital which sent me into a panic next I didn't know what it was for. After calling the antenatal clinic they told it was iron but we're only open when I was at work (20 miles away so I couldn't pop in on lunch either) so I waited a week to get them when they're we're opening for day on the Saturday. The chemist asked how I was suppose to take them since there notes just said '28' and she wasn't sure if it was 28 days worth of tablets or only 28 tablets need but remarked my iron level was only 'slightly' below the recommended amount.
The box did read take 3 a day but I looked at the dose it seemed excessive!!! So airing on the side of caution I took 2 a day for Sunday, and today .... And boy today have been a distaster zone!!!!! TMI but I've spent this evening glued to the loo, feeling sick to boot, so I have my seabands on.
This can't be right.
All the side effects, I have them. So I'm done. I'm not taking them. Given I had NO CONSULTATION even after I complained I didn't know what the prescription was for. It feels like they're doing more damaged than good if my body is strianght up finding every which way to reject the extra iron.
I have a midwife appointment on Thursday where I'm bringing this up.
For now I'll stick with iron rich food, orange juice and the prenatal vitamins.

I couldn't deal with the tablets. I take the liquid now which is so much better! Can you get a gp appointment?

go to your gp and ask for an alternative (and a printout of the test result)

what you don't want is going into birth anaemic.

I'll call up the doctors tomorrow, see what I can get. But this the lowest I've felt all of the pregnancy.

Still annoyed I got no consultation on the matter so I do t even know how bad it is or what I'm suppose to be doing.

You can get spatone which is a liquid you mix with orange juice it’s easy on your tummy and shouldn’t make you feel sick.

I read online it's a good idea to take one a day for 4-5 days, then up it to two a day for a similar amount of time and then finally up to three. They can absolutely play havoc on your stomach, especially an empty one and especially without enough vit c.

If that doesn't help, defo ask gp for alternatives.

Are you on ferrous sulphate or ferrous fumerate?

Sulphates can cause the issues you're describing. Fumerate is not as bad.
I had anaemia all three pregnancies but ended up with an iron infusion with third which made such a difference.

I was sick as a dog and had the runs from sulphate.
If your levels are very low you will need something other than spatone oranges and spinach though

I had the same problem. Went on spatone. It was fine.

iron tablets are the work of the devil

second the spatone suggestion. I've taken it with no side effects and levels went up quickly.

Try Flurodix- boosts iron levels without the hellish sickness

What was your iron reading? Mine was 10.7 and nobody flagged it to me, I just noticed it on my results.

I've been taking Spatone for 3 weeks (2 sachets a day) and I feel absolutely amazing.

So much so that I posted a thread about it yesterday.

Highly recommend.

My midwife told me I could use spatone in place of the ferrous sulphate tablets and to just work out the equivalent dose. I think it’s 3+ sachets for 2 tablets but look at the actual packaging.

Mugalag, I don't know my reading like I said I was never given an consulation.
And it is the sulphate version. Don't have any symptoms of low iron so I'm guessing borderline?

@SparklingNarwhal do you have the maternity notes app? They should upload your results to that, if not call the GP and they should give them to you. Such bad practise you haven't been told.

App? Like on your phone or a web portal? I have my notes but my blood results dont normally go in there. Didn't even have the results from GD test, I had to call up (after I panicked due to the 'you have a prescription' text and not knowing what it was for) and they just said it was in normal levels. Most of the time I'm in the dark regarding any tests they done with me.

If your iron is only marginally low then Spatone should be fine and be much gentler on your system. HOWEVER, I would try and discuss this with a midwife before you make that decision. I had a sensible postnatal midwife who let me go with Spatone for mild anaemia and blood loss post birth (thank God).

@SparklingNarwhal it's an app from the App Store. Your midwife can give you a log on.

Also to add my midwife said my levels were normal. Not until I looked myself and saw they were 10.7 and minimum should be 12.

The actual procedure doesn't sound unusual to be honest. I just had a message from the GP receptionist after my 28 week bloods to say the GP had left a prescription for iron tablets. For the GD test I was told that I'd only be contacted if there was a problem.

Taking any supplements with food is likely to help with the side effects. Increasing your vitamin C intake generally will also aid iron absorption.

I wouldn't stop taking them without speaking to someone first. Remember if you're anaemic, then so is baby

I'm not sure my hospital/clinic use that app system mugalug. They never mentioned it but I could bring it up.
Well this morning still in bits, and it's the sulphur in the tablet mixture, I swear it is! So any suppliment that doesn't have sulphur (sulphate) might do the trick, I have an appointment on Thursday with the midwife, until then I'm not touching the tablets. It's just going to a high iron and vit C diet void of coffee/tea and dairy. My diet is half way there now so it should be easy.

Also, never seen my GP. I just moved into the area when I got pregnant and the local clinics have a system for self referral to the antenatal clinic at the local hospital.

The main issue to focus on is your iron level and feeling and being fit.

Vitamin C foods taken alongside the sources of iron help absorption.

Watch you don't take tea / coffee / dairy along with any iron rich food or supplement as they all interfere with absorption. I mention this as I am a tea fiend and so needed to know this!

Good luck.

X post!

Good luck with everything!

Ok first of all, calm down.

It's only a bit of low iron and it's only iron tablets.
We aren't talking blood transfusions and life support.

Low iron is very very common in pregnancy, and iron tablets are known for their side effects.

All you had to do in order to make your life easier was either buy some grime a chemist, or get your GP to send a prescription to a chemist which suited you or discuss your options with your GP, or midwife.

Yes iron tablets have a side effect, some suffer more than others. Some iron tablets are worse than others you just have to figure out what works for you.

Goodness me what a palava over something that could be so easily fixed.

My heightened state isn't so much from a panic on low iron, I've been anemic before in the past due to heavy flow. No, my frustration is from the fact that I'm now ill due to from what I can gather lack of due attention.
The fact I never got results. I got a text for an unknown prescription for an unknown ailment and had to call around the hospital to find out what (that's not an overstated, I was up in the switch three or four times before they got bthe right person). The chemist said I was slightly low and yet the dose of prescription is over 3 times the daily amount a pregnant should have from my own research, research i did because body zero consultation. Also the fact when I said couldn't get to the hospital chemist in open hours and if they could sent it to my GP or local chemist they refused because they need ME to travel 15 miles to deliver the paperwork 10 metres across the hospital.

The low iron, I can deal with. No problem.

The fact I'm now ill and the shitty way this was presented to me, I am not so forgiving.

Anyway, I've vented now. Thanks to everyone for the advise and the alternative iron supplements I can try.

It does sound like a disorganised circus of a system.

Vent away!