i was diagnosed with aneamia ! taking tablets and constipated HELP..............

[bateeha24]

hi has anyone been diagnosed with aneamia at 36+3 ? they prescribed me the tablets together with folic acid 5mg i started taking them 2 days ago and now im constipated it hurts so much to try to do it and im scared of pushing to much as i am this far in pregnancy !

Maybe try prune juice? Talk to your midwife

not prune juice not enough fibre but dried or fresh prunes. they are actually not as bad as they sound just giant raisins really

spatone or floradix

foxytocin whats spatone and floradix and where can i buy it ?

Floradix is herbal iron.....get it from Holland and Barrett. It's less likely to cause constipation than the pills.x

Take a different brand of iron. I found Fefol Spansule to be palatable.

If you increase your fibre, make sure you drink plenty of water to compensate. Constipation is a normal part of pregnancy and altering your diet to include more fibre can often make the situation worse (ime).

Snacks of dried apricot (contains iron) and orange juice (helps absorption of iron).

Both obv also help with constipation

Lots of water, and also lots of fruit and veg should help. Plus fibre in cereals etc. You could try going for a curry too if you are still OK with eating spicy food. Don't strain, it won't help. Also, eat less stuff like white bread, cake, white rice, white pasta - stodgy carbs will only bung you up even more.

With me coffee helps me to go and beetroot....

Floradix - from the health food shop, 10 mls twice a day. My Hb was 9 at 35 weeks, took iron for a week and then got so constipated that it gave me piles. (TMI, I know.....) So I switched to the herbal stuff and when they checked my bloods at 39 weeks my Hb was 11!And I avoided having to take iron post birth, which lessened the dread of that first PPP. (Post Partum Poo)

I know constipation is to be expected, but if you're really, really struggling to poo, you could see your GP for a mild laxative - definitely better than piles, and won't harm the baby. Usual stuff re: fibre, fruit, veg. Also, if you drink tea with iron rich foods it inhibits the absorption of the iron so agree with Ramble about OJ.

I'm still taking the Floradix to help with tiredness, breastfeeding etc.

BTW, I am a sceptical medic who loathes all stuff new age and trendy - but I'll think twice now before prescribing iron tablets again........

spatone the only way to go.

thanks for the advice of floradix will try that

Worth asking for different iron tablets. Was prescribed the standard ones after bleeding badly at birth and six months later iron still very low so given a 3 month course! Standard iron tablets first time round (horrid same problems you are having), second time prescribed something more expensive, but gentler on tummy and no problems. Unfortunately label on bottle worn off so don't know what they were called - ask your GP- definately worth it if you have to take the pills :-)

My MW put me on a strict diet of 2 bowls of Special K a day to get my iron levels up....worked a treat

iron tablets are a bugger, try spatone in a glass of OJ twice a day instead! works a treat, i go no probs (infact better) and anemia improved! get it from boots, they are doing 2 for 3 on vits right now!

I took floridix which I got from Holland & Barret. I didnt take the iron tablets for very long. Once my iron levels came back up, my midwife said it was ok to maintain them with floridix because I was suffering with similar symptoms as you from the iron tablest. But if they were to drop again, I would have to take the tablets again.

That was enough incentive to take the floridix as it tastes like rusty fruit juice, on bad days I took it in orange juice (you need vit c to absorb iron anyway)

I was taking 2 spatone a day from 28 weeks until I had my bloods drawn again at 35 weeks and unfortunately, my levels have actually fallen slightly. For the last week I have been taking 4 spatone a day and snacking on dried apricots and eating fortified cereal ect. I went and bought some floradix today but am not sure if I should take it with 2 spatone a day or not. Is it possible to have too much iron??

A Dr recently recommended Pear Juice to me.

Worked a dream

Activia youghurts
Prune Juice
LOTS of water
Gentle Exercise.

all the above have worked for me in this pregnancy!!!

It's very interesting reading all these posts about iron etc as i am on my 3rd pg now and am only 10 weeks and my iron levels are already 9. I have suffered from anaemia with my other 2 pregnancies and the huge problem is that I just cannot take any iron at all, it just doesnt agree with me! I do have a bowel disease which causes me to be anaemic at the best of times, but as soon as i am pregnant - forget it!
I had an iron infusion at the hopsital last time and have just been informed I will be having one after my scan, hoping all is well.
It is just exhausting when severe anaemia kicks in and even more frustrating when you can't do a lot about it.
At least there are other forms to try now, as in herbal, and these are much kinder to your tummy.
Cereals and lots of water in the meantime for me xx