Arg, iron tablets!

Hmm, bit of a vent but also looking for some tips. I've never ever been iron deficient, never had to take iron supplements. Not even with my first pregnancy. But this pregnancy tests showed an iron deficiency low enough to warrant supplements. So with my ferra-whatever it's called with added vitamin C in hand and armed with knowledge about what NOT to take it with (calcium, tea, coffee, actually preferably on an empty stomach) I thought first thing in the morning would be ideal as I don't eat dinner until late and always have a big glass of milk and a banana before bed to ward off pregnancy cramps and restless leg syndrome. But the tablets make me feel so sick! It's like morning sickness. I feel queasy and have to sit down. Am I doing something wrong? Should I take them every other day to begin with or take them with something else to keep the desire to vomit or flake out at bay?

I struggle with iron in pregnancy too because of the nausea, fortunately I didn't need the supplement, but I know the feeling!!

Have you tried the blackmores morning sickness tablets? They might help?

Have you been eating iron rich foods as well?

Hopefully someone knows more.

Have you tried liquid iron? Much easier on the stomach & I mix mine with OJ so it doesn't taste too bad. I've had low iron during my whole pregnancy & it's only been since taking the liquid that my levels have started to increase, before then they were steadily going down each month despite also taking a pregnancy multi vitamin supposedly high in iron.

Good luck :)

Never take on an empty stomach. I take ferrograd-c (white bottle / red lid) twice a day due to anemia. Makes me hurl BAD if I forget to eat first.

Liquid iron called Spatones is the best!

The one I have is the ferrograd-C. I do eat iron rich foods but I'm not supposed to take it (the tablets) with a meal.

Usually 20 min post food is enough.

Thanks everyone. When I felt so ill I just thought geez! I felt average in the first and second trimesters (prob in part due to the iron deficiency) and the third trimester so far has been cruisey and I was thinking please don't let iron tabs ruin this trimester too!

I switched from taking them in the morning to last thing at night when I'm in bed and about to switch off the light, which gives about an half hour space between my milk-banana and the tab. No issues at all as I am so tired I just pass right out. Thanks again everyone.

How long would it take to build up in my system? And are there links between mood swings and iron deficiency?

Yup, low iron and irritability go hand in hand. It's one of the ways I know I'm crashing. Everyone takes a different time to rebuild their stores. I take months, others take a fortnight. Depends on how low you were to start with, and how efficiently your body processes and stores it.

Thanks Candy M.

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I switched from taking them in the morning to last thing at night when I'm in bed and about to switch off the light, which gives about an half hour space between my milk-banana and the tab. No issues at all as I am so tired I just pass right out. Thanks again everyone.

How long would it take to build up in my system? And are there links between mood swings and iron deficiency?

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I recently had to have an iron infusion due to severely low levels and the supplements were doing nothing. and yes iron deficiency can cause massive mood issues! I couldn't figure out why I was so irritable and crying at the drop hat and my haematologist was the one who told me that it was because my iron level was so low :o

My emotions have been so crazy, but I have also had residual PND and pregnancy anxiety so while I'd love to blame my iron levels not sure that would be entirely accurate. But for sure it wouldn't be helping matters.

fair enough. given you've got underlying issues then yes there are definitely other contributing factors.... but I can guarantee you that the low iron would not be helping things :( 6 weeks post iron infusion and I feel like a different person :o

I've been taking them last thing before sleep and no adverse symptoms at all - yay! Plus a definite improvement in my mood swings. Still pretty tired though.

Hey lady love, i recommend chelated magnesium for the depression and the restless legs :)

Oh really? Noted- thanks Kirley. :)

yep. made a huge difference with restless legs and insomnia between DS and DD....also lots of links to depression depending on your standpoint of alternate health or not :) also had no PE with DD but did with DS and magnesium is given to patients with severe PE i believe. most ppl are lacking in magnesium. With ds the banana craving was evident of needing magnesium ;)

I was having the exact same problem, changed to liquid iron, I've tried floradix but preferred the Spatone and definitely magnesium for the restless legs, the tablets did nothing but the liquid magnesium made me feel like a new person!! But it was becoming expensive so I've changed to a powdered magnesium which I find just as good.

Fwiw i just had a friend recommend to me Fab Iron. She just had baby #5 and said it's the first iron supp she's taken where her HB levels actually went up and it didn't make her too constipated. So i've just started on these cuz i need to get on a supplement to avoid an infusion. there are two kinds. one with zinc and one without it. i went the one with zinc.