Anybody Survived Taking Iron Tablets?

[spider8]

I've not been on this forum for a bit due to illness, been diagnosed with anaemia and had iron tablets prescribed. Wow - not nice! The effects on, how shall I say it, the nether regions has been horrendous and it feels like I've spent the last few weeks on the loo! I'm taking 3 tabs a day and have been trying to take them as prescribed i.e. at least one hour before and two hours after eating and not with eggs, wholegrains and drinking tea, coffee or milk............bloody difficult and I've got other meds to take too .
After a very nasty 24 hours of loo-hopping I'm going to try taking two tabs a day and taking them after eating in the vain hope things will improve. You know the saying - 'the bottom just fell out of my world'.......well the world just fell out of my bottom (Yes, I know - too much information!).
I'd really like to see the great outdoors again! I'm seeing my doc on Wed. Anybody been where I am, any help?

[Green Aura]

Sorry to hear you've been having a rough time

I had the most horrendous problems taking iron tablets - exactly the opposite to your problem The Dr gave me liquid iron supplements after I refused to take the tablets any more and didn't have any further problems - I don't know if that would help you.

Hope you get sorted soon.

[Silver Ether]

oh gods I remember those ... really made me ill ... chucked em in the bin took Homeopathic Iron instead and drank a pint of stout ... proper stuff per day ... no more trouble... and far more pleasent. ...

[Darroch]

I have to take iron tablets because I don't absorb it very well and am often anemic. I take one that has vitamin c in it as well as it's supposed to make it easier to absorb?
Anyway, I didn't know you weren't supposed to take them with eggs etc and I often have mine at breakfast time with my tea and an egg! ( OH dear!) I must admit, thought to having no problems with them at all ( except poo is slightly greenish!) TMI?!
I wonder if they're ok because of the vitamin c?
Sorry you're having such problems. x

[oldjerry]

1994,serious skingrafting,Stoke Mandeville hospital several months,iron tablets?,Oh no, an officially sanctioned fridge full of Guinness.

[spider8]

Wonder if the doc would let me have Guinness on prescription .

[citizentwiglet]

I detest Iron Tablets. I have MPD, myleoproliferative disorder where my platelets go a bit mental, and that often leads to them drowning out my red cells making me anaemic, so I need iron tabs. Urgh. As long as I can keep my red blood count over a certain amount, then my haemotologist has allowed me to take Floradix instead. It doesn't have enough iron to counter SEVERE anaemia, but if you can just take the tabs long enough to get your iron count to the level your doctor is happy with, then you might find that you'll tick over OK with Floradix. It tastes bogging, but it doesn't make you feel as wretched as the tablets. And you can actually go to the loo without expecting Yosser Hughes to pop up behind you and tar the roads with your Black Stuff....

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/ ... sp?pid=513

Hope it's OK to post this link - other suppliers ARE available.......!

[fruitcake]

as another regular anaemic you have my full sympathies - there are several different types of iron tabs out there - you dont have to put up with the standard ferrous sulphate that they initially prescribe - whover it was mentioned Vit C is correct - your body needs vit c in order to process iron.

Theres lots of green veg (brocoli etc) v high in iron, as is liver if you can cope with cooking it....

All the v best with getting your health back S8

[battybird]

Hi, I agree with the other posters...always take vit c with them. Most people get the "toilet" symptons as the iron is not being absorbed properly without vit c. Its definetely worth a try. If you try and boost it by increasing green veg, dried fruit etc remember to have vit C with that too! Hope it sorts out soon

[Millymollymandy]

Maybe that's why I've never been affected whilst taking iron tablets cos I always take high doses of vit C every day.

[spider8]

It's worth a try so I'll up my vit c intake and see what happens......or doesn't happen!

[Milims]

After I had my daughter I was advised, by the midwife, to increase my iron intake by drinking stout and eating apricots along with a dose of vit c. It worked and no nasty side effects!

[Thomzo]

I was told to take Floradix as it is much gentler on the stomach. Perhaps you could substitute it for one of the tablets? Can you increase your iron intake through food? Liver and red meat (in moderation), leafy green veg etc etc.

Zoe

[Jessiebean]

isn't that interesting, I avoid taking iron supplements unless I get all "woozy" from anaemia because I am NOT going to the loo when I take them, it gives me the nasty sensation of gestating triplets made of bricks which is worse than the dizzy spells.. I never knew that iron tablets could "get things moving" it must be to do with the form of iron. I take Iron Chelate and I know that the magnesium supplement I take has a *ahem" stimulating effect if I take too many and this is apparently due to one of the forms of Magnesium in the tablet (incidently- don't take magnesium when you take iron either... just to complicate things). My midwife recommended this http://www.martinandpleasance.com/spatoneiron.htm but it was very dear here in Aus so I just ate lots of things and some of those had some iron in them .

[spider8]

Well I've upped my vit c intake and am now taking two of the three iron tablets a day after my meals......if the doc doesn't agree it's just tough as I'm not spending my life confined to the house!
Things have improved a bit and we even managed a ride out around Orkney yesterday and as the weather was glorious it was a lovely treat (I was going crazy being stuck indoors). I see the doc on Wednesday and she'll take more blood for testing so it will be a while before we know the results but I'm not feeling as tired although still forgetful (always was though) and still have the buzzing in my head .