Boosting ferritin levels quickly

[Ismo456]

2 months until due date and my ferritin level is 5 - which is horribly low!
I have midwife appt today and will ask her but just wondering if anyone was in the same position and what worked for you.
I'm taking pregnacare and have started Floradix This week. I have inflammatory bowel disease so iron tablets will likely be too hard on my gut. I feel like crap and am worried that if I’m running on empty already, by the time I’ve lost blood at birth and bled for 6 weeks after I’m going to be like a zombie!

Hi @Ismo456 I am 37 weeks and about 6 weeks ago I was told I was borderline anaemic I have been on floradix this whole pregnancy so I was a bit surprised but apparently it isnt really strong enough. I started taking Ferrograd C which the midwives recommended and its made a massive difference I was about to pass out with tiredness in the middle of each day, was really breathless on stairs etc I had put this down to pregnancy but actually it was the low iron. Ferrograd C is a strong tablet so it can mess with your stomach a bit at the start I took a glass of prune juice every day for the first few weeks and that helped, seems to have settled now. Also I take my tablet with a snack but not with dairy or caffine as it interferes with absorbtion. I think the positives really outweigh the side effects, or at least they do for me. It also worked quite quickly and I started to feel better after about a week. Good luck! Xx

If you have IBD you can take all the tablets, liquids and foods you like, but probably won't absorb them properly! You probably need b12 injections, but no idea if you can have those whilst pregnant?

I had to have a "loading dose" recently which is injections twice a week for a month and now have to have them every 3 months. My colitis, despite being in remission, means I just can't absorb my foods properly.

With IDB anything that messes with your stomach is a no-no. Could lead to a worsening of symptoms and then stronger medication or even surgery.

My daughter, who has IBD, had an iron infusion which boosted her ferritin dramatically.

Would your gastro team not consider an iron infusion?
I've got crohns and had to have one as the iron tablets were truly awful. However I wasn't pregnant at the time.
I now use an iron supplement spray as feel it's absorbed better that any that have to hit my stomach.

I was also going to say an iron infusion, I'm pretty sure they're fine to have when pregnant. Might be worth asking if they'd consider that.

I was told intravenous iron are being offered more and more as a treatment if iron tables are not working after a month or if they are unsuitable for the mother to take. This sounds like the way forward. I would contact your midwife and see what they say - 5 is super low! I was at 14.4 and suffered so badly with palpitations and tiredness and dizziness, you must be really suffering.

I have read up about the intravenous iron, and it can take up to 3 weeks to raise iron levels, and you may need to have another infusion to bring it to the right levels.

I wonder what your haemoglobin levels are with ferritin so low? Did you have that tested too?

Good luck, hope you feel better soon!

@artfuldodgerjack @MumofCrohnie @LegoBear84 Hi what is the test for chrons / colitis / IBD what tests / investigations should be done my GP is no help and I’m not absorbing my food well and came across this thread . Pls let me know anyone . Thanks .

I think usually first test would be a stool sample to check for either infection or inflammation. Unfortunately it can be a long drawn out process to get an IBD diagnosis, and many have to jump through hoops and go through lots of investigations before any clear diagnosis can be completed. Definitely persist at your GP though if you feel you have bowel/digestive issues, and don't be afraid to seek a second opinion. GPs have to be aware of such a wide variety of illness/conditions that some may not feel it necessary to explore further whereas another might. Hope you get the help you need.

I used Spatone when pregnant with dc2. I used to put it in orange juice. I took quite a high dose, it was much nicer than iron tablets.