Help I have an embarrassing question(pos TMI)

[missya]

Hi

To cut a complicated story short I found out just over a week ago that I'm pregnant when I went in for a chest infection to my Dr.
She has put me on antibiotics, and as I always end up with thrush whilst on them I got some Acidophilus (sp) caps to try and prevent it.
On the same day I also started Elivit pregnancy vitimins which contain the following:
Folic Acid
Vitamins B1,B2,B5,B6,B12,
Vitamins C,D3,E
Biotin
Nicotinamide
Iron
Calcium
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Copper
Manganese
Zinc

My question is I suspect that the iron has caused some constipation which it tends to do to me anyway but when I do finally manage a 'Number two' it's so incredibly dark green it's black. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for TMI but I was wondering if anyone knew if anything i have mentioned would be causing this.

I'm thinking of stopping the Elevit for a couple of days and just take folic acid tabs and see if that improves things, any ideas would be gratefully received.
Cheers Missy

[briggsy's girl]

the iron will usually cause darker bowel movements if your body already has enough in storage. i don't know that it would be the only thing causing the constipation though - the growing level of progesterone will do the same....

[MantaRay]

Constipation is pretty normal in early pg as your digestive system slows down to allow extra nutrients to be absorbed. It sounds like you don't need the iron though, and too much iron wouldn't help. I recommend a bt before taking anymore iron. I have high iron and taking supplements for me is pretty dangerous.

[squidipa]

yep i had that pr0blem taking extra iron i just upped my water and took a supliment.

[Alan]

Hi Missya
BG is correct. The iron in Elvit and your hormone both can cause constipation. Try increasing your fibre and fluid intake. If things do not ease then you can also try some coloxyl and senna tablets.

[ktgirl]

I found when pg I was also a little blocked up I put a bit of benefibre in my water. It completely dissolves and is tasteless. It certainly helped me.

[nelly]

yep iron does it! I was the same first pg and found lots of fluid intake, muesli for bfast and positioning when you sit on the toilet. Put your feet up on a stool, back straight and angle a bit forward from the wait apparently it straightens out the curves... esp when you get bigger.

[satya]

It will be the iron causing the dark greeny black number 2. A previous poster suggested that this only happens if you have sufficient iron storage when taking iron tablets, but that is not the case. I have an ferritin level of 11 right now which is quite low (shouldn't be lower than 22) and as soon as I went back on iron (also had to take it when I was pregnant) I got the odd colored number 2's again.

[CathyS]

I was constipated for a little while there. I have fruit salad every day now (and sometimes I throw in a prune).

I have never taken Elevit (only Blackmores or Cenovis pregnancy vitamins with the last two pregnancies). I don't know if elevit has more iron in it? But I remember the orange bottle of iron tablets I had to take with my first 2 pregnancies made the stools dark green and hard

[angelaartsstudent]

My body doesn't absorb iron at all so I've been on supplements since 5 years old. I have a reeaaalllyyy slow metabolism (as does my mother) to the point where my husband checks to see whether I am still alive at night as I breathe so slowly LOL. Becuase of this I have very slow digestion also and "regular" for me is once a fortnight!

I take Ferrograd C which you don't need a prescription for but will have to ask at the Chemist. I find it reduces consipation better than the supermarket brands of iron.

Also - fibre, fibre, fibre, fibre! It's a pain in the backside to take (no pun intended) but really saves a lot of stress and bother later on if you know what I mean! I take Metamucil capsules...5 a day. They are huge but tasteless so it's not too bad.

[angelaartsstudent]

Maybe try a child's iron supplement? They are more gentle. Incremin (sp) is a yummy thick red iron supplement I took as a kid amoung other things and it's very common...it has a yellow box with a giraffe on the bottle. Available from the chemist.

[missya]

THANK YOU !!!!!!! all so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
I have so much going on at the moment the last thing I want to stress about is the colour of my number twos!!! it sounds like it's only the iron so I can handle that.
Thanks again, Missy

[puppies]

Yep the Iron is causing the colour in your poo. Same for me. I drink about 2 maybe 3 bottles of water a day and that helps with the slow movements. Good luck and congratulations.

[snowchickie79]

I had the same thing happen taking Elevit. I changed to Blackmores P&BF Gold at around 14weeks on OB suggestion as it has Iodine in it which Elevit does not and the issue went away. The colour changed back to normal and stopped giving me problems..

[Elyse84]

I am having exactly the same thing happeneing to me at the moment. Its horrible!! I spoke to the dr and the pharmacist about it, its pretty normal. I have continued taking the Elevit - but i now take it with a glass of orange juice (apparently this helps) and either one or 2 metamucil fiber capsules. Which the pharmacist said are very safe to use during pregnancy. And i have also increased the amount of fluids i am drinking. I have found this has helped me no end! hope that you feel better soon. x

[kawazuki]

its the iron.
dont worry. its how the body gets rid of excess iron. just like when you take b group vitamins your urine goes fluro yellow.