Hi Sue1979, I have the same problem. I have been taking Elevit for the last 5 weeks and within a couple of days of starting them I had the black #2's & have had them ever since, also find it harder to "go". I've found that taking Fybogel has helped a bit, altho they're still black!
hey guys, i am taking blackmores as well and i find the constapation is ALOT worse after i ov. the increasing progesterone in the luteal phase causes me the "jam up" as well.
this happens in pregnancy too. the black i guess is from the excess iron you don't need.
i agree with missya try altaneting between the multi and plain folic acid,
my stratagy (?sp) i take the multi up until about 5dpo then switch to the folic acid. i also always take with food and drink loads of water.
hth
I too am taking blackmores and have struggled with constipation. This is because of the iron in these supplements. The iron is also what is responsible for making your stools appear darker- don't worry- this is normal.
If you are looking for something to assist with this issue, I can highly recommend you add either 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk (ask at you local health food store) to a glass of water and drink- or spinkle it on your cereal every morning. You can also buy cereals & mueslis which contain psyllium (again- check out the health food store, or the health food section of coles & woolies). It has a weird consistency but you get used to it.
Linseeds are also brilliant. The muesli I buy has both linseed and psyllium husk in it and it has helped me a great deal. Also replacing white grains (white bread, rice, pasta etc) with wholemeal varieties will add additional fibre to your diet (not to mention extra nutrients!!). And eat lotsa fruit & veg!! High carb veggies like potatoes, carrot, pumpkin etc will not help much in the fibre department- you need to consume the more alkaline greens such as spinach, broccoli etc.
I'm under the belief that as said the 'black' is from the excess iron that your body has not absorbed from the supplements.
Just make sure you don't take your vitamins at the same time as any caffeine - especially coffee. And including chocolate, tea etc. Caffeine hugely prevents iron absorption. Try to avoid caffeine at least an hour/two before and after taking your supplements to allow time for your body to absorb it properly.
I have been a vegetarian for more than 15 years and have always had supplements to ensure I get adequate iron & B vitamins. I always found when I increased my intake of caffeine my #2's were blacker from my body not absorbing the iron supplements sufficiently. This has been confirmed many times to me over the years from health professionals and they all recommend consuming vitamin c (ie glass or orange juice) with meals or supplements as this promotes iron absorption.
In saying that.. iron supplements definetely cause constipation so you must be getting some of it! I'm with the other girls and say go for Metamucil or something to help with the constipation.
Well, I've decided to stop the Blackmores. I've been having stomach issues for weeks (bloating and upset stomach) to the point where today I left work early and I'm convinced it's the iron in the supplement (I also had stomach problems that were even worse when I was taking straight iron earlier in the year). My iron levels were up when I had my blood test about a month ago so hopefully I will be ok. So I have bought some straight folic acid and I will try that for a few days and see if I feel better. Unfortunately I just bought some more Conceive Well Gold so I might see if my sis wants it. Otherwise I might alternate between the BMCWG and the straight folate. Has anyone done this? Also do you know if they check your iron levels when you get pregnant so I can make sure mine stays up when the time comes?
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks