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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Iron tablets and far far TMI

28 replies

mixedmama · 15/11/2007 10:08

I have been given some iron tabalets from the GP (am 33 weeks pregnant). Havent been told exactly what my iron levels were or anything just got a message to pick up the prescription.

On Tuesday I was very sick and was visiting the toilet LOADS. My ante-natal group suggested it might be the tablets. I was fine with them yesterday and today have been a little sick but have consistently been needing the loo for a number 2 since Tuesday and when i do go it is green, bottle green - is this normal???

My MN antenatal group have suggested taking Spatone instead, which I am prob going to do, do I need to discuss this with MW / GP first???

OP posts:

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Lulumama · 15/11/2007 10:09

hmmmmmm

iron tablets usually make your poo black and can constipate you , so this might not be anything to do with the tablets

spatone is far gentler and nicer

i would speak to GP , you might have a bug though.. also ask what your iron levels were, as they might be borderline

a lot of women get physiological aneamia, from teh increased blood volume in pregnancy , it is not neccesarily anything to worry about

morningglory · 15/11/2007 10:12

Agree that i's odd. My experience with iron tablets is that it blocks you up. The green colour could be from the tablets. Might be two things going on.

Marina · 15/11/2007 10:14

No, just bin those fecking tabs and get the Spatone

Those ferrous sulphate tablets cost about 1p for 500 and they have this appalling effect on a huge percentage of people. I think it's a total disgrace that a better, more digestible and presumably more costly chelated iron supplement is not offered on the NHS . Green squits and no improvement in your blood counts either, nice.

GPs will laugh derisively about Spatone. My mother's GP implied it was rubbish. But, as she had the same problems with those tablets as you did, and urgently needed her blood count improving so she could have an angiogram for a suspected heart artery blockage, I told her about Spatone and it worked in just a few weeks.

Hope you feel better soon mixedmama and make them put your adverse reaction to that cheap crap on your notes so you're not prescribed more of it post delivery.

bambi06 · 15/11/2007 10:14

i recommend spatone anyway

Marina · 15/11/2007 10:15

x-posted
My MW told me, after I thought I was dying, that reactions to ferrous sulphate can go either way. Constipation is the commoner of the two but plenty of women also experience greeny-black diarrhoea and feeling absolutely dreadful with them.

Original poster

mixedmama · 15/11/2007 10:17

Marina - that makes me that they can just fobb us off with stuff like that as if there isnt enough discomfort, being sick etc involved in pregnancy.

Will be binning them shortly as today I seem to be being sick today again....

OP posts:

Lulumama · 15/11/2007 10:19

that is interesting marina.. and horrible

i know plenty of women whom spatone has helped

hope you are feeling better soon

WillyWonka · 15/11/2007 10:19

I had a terrible time with my first prescription of iron tablets but not constipation. Instead I'd have a 2 minute alarm in which I just had to get to a loo before everything just "exploded" out on arrival (not great when I was in meetings at work and had to waddle along a corridor with several sets of keycoded doors on the way).

Went back to my GP about it and was prescribed Ferrograd instead, which are a slow release tablet, and had no problems after that.

fedupwasherwoman · 15/11/2007 10:26

You could nalso try "blackstrap molasses" from your health food shop. I think it has way more iron than some other natural supplements.

MegBusset · 15/11/2007 10:39

I had mild anaemia in pregnancy but just took Pregnacare tablets which have iron in them and don't have the nasty side effects.

I have also heard good things about Floradix liquid, though haven't tried it myself.

sabinar · 15/11/2007 10:47

another Spatone fan here - it makes a huge difference to how well/energetic I feel and I haven't had any negative side effects at all (except when I think I'm better and stop taking it!)

Naetha · 15/11/2007 11:49

My Dad's a GP and he recommends Spatone. Just make sure you drink it with orange juice - it helps the absorption of the iron, and also makes it not taste like you're having a nosebleed

LadyOfWaffle · 15/11/2007 11:50

I had green poo when I was on iron tablets, it was so so weird! When I stopped, it went.

Original poster

mixedmama · 15/11/2007 11:57

Naetha - that made me laugh about it tasting like a nosebleed.

OP posts:

moocowme · 15/11/2007 12:14

would agree, get spatone.

Original poster

mixedmama · 15/11/2007 13:20

Have thrown away the pills and bought the Spatone.

OP posts:

meimango · 15/11/2007 13:23

I've been on Spatone - 2 sachets a day - due to low haemo levels for the past 3 weeks and can really notice the difference. No bad side effects so far. I still taste the metal with orange juice - so have switched to blackberry juice for the vitamin c kick. Picked up 3 huge boxes for 2 at boots. Good luck!

elibumbum · 15/11/2007 15:23

Iron tablets kept me 'regular' in late pregnancy -I would know if I had forgotten to take one as things slowed down IYKWIM! Wasn't green though! Good luck with the spatone - I've heard it is very good.

chunkypudding · 15/11/2007 17:15

and they make you fart. and they make your farts the stinkiest things possible (well, I just thought, if we're going for TMI...)

Original poster

mixedmama · 16/11/2007 09:05

PMSl chunkypudding.

Had my first does of spatone today so fingers crossed for that. Think I may have added too much orange juice tho as I was like a 5 year old worrying about what it was going to taste like.

OP posts:

beeper · 17/11/2007 09:44

just had a letter from the hospital saying I have low iron

hb 114 MCV 83.6 ferratin 19

I am quiet exhausted but then I am homeeducating and out and about...I thought it was just pregnancy. they want me to go on iron tabs but I am not going to.

Are my levels low.....any advice would be appreciated.

Highlander · 17/11/2007 09:45

you need to find out exactly what your Hb and MCV levels are. A low Hb in pregnancy in itself is not an indication of aneamia. Falling MCV is.

NICE no longer recommend vitamin or iron supplements during preganacy but you'd be surprised how many GPs and midwives still dish out iron tabs like they were sweeties.

An Hb of 10.5 at delivery is considered optimal. Any higher (12) is associated with poor outcomes for mum and baby (small study of 200 in BMJ couple of years back).

BearMama · 17/11/2007 23:44

SPATONE - THANK YOU (shouts with glee) I had those horrible iron tablets too and had to stop but really need to find an alternative as I nearly fainted today.

dd666 · 17/11/2007 23:48

iron tablets did same too me goose green and 2/3 times a day oh and dp says they gave me the most awfull wind

expatinscotland · 17/11/2007 23:57

TOTALLY agree with Marina Thu 15-Nov-07 10:14:10.

Those tablets had the exact same effect on me!

Spatone much better.

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