Iron Deficiency Anemia

SugarQueen101

Doc's office called with test results telling me that am anemic & should start taking an iron supplement in addition to my prenatal vitamin. I had a feeling that my fatigue was a little more than the norm for 26 weeks pg. Because of this, I'm going to trust my instincts more when I feel like something is going on with my body.

Question: Does anyone recommend a particular kind of OTC iron supplement? 

xtinaxmariex

I've been taking Concept-OB prenatals. My OB recommended them and wrote me a 'script since it has a higher iron content then most other prenatals.

As far as OTC pills, I'm not sure. Sorry

Mac0711

I wouldn't do OTC.  I have always been anemic and the OTC brands never gave me the energy back that they should have.  I am taking prescription BiferaRx and I think they're great.  Within 3 days, I had more energy.  Start taking a stool softener too though because between the extra iron and your prenatal vitamins, things could get rough.  Good luck!

jmd22

I also just got my test results back, also slight anemia, and low Vitamin D levels. My dr's office suggested the Slow-FE brand- like the PP mentioned, it is supposed to be the easiest on your stomach. I have been taking it for 3 days now and no weird side effects, yet. 

MBNB

I was too with my last pregnancy. I think I took liquid Floradix, which you can get at The Vitamin Shoppe or Whole Foods or anything like that. 

jenb_99

SugarQueen101:

Question: Does anyone recommend a particular kind of OTC iron supplement? 

 

I like Now brand. The ones I have are vegetarian formula capsules. The bottle says "Ferrochel Chelated Iron Biglycinate." They claim to be non-constipating. I'm not sure I'd go that far, since everything seems to be constipating to a pregnant woman, but they don't make the problem any worse.

I bought mine from Amazon. I take them for RLS. I only got the 18mg because my iron levels are fine and my multi already has another 18, but you can buy them in other doses.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=hpc&field-keywords=now+foods+iron&x=0&y=0

morsey2011

Besides the supplement, have you also tried increasing consumption of high iron foods? I was borderline last time I went to the doctor, so I googled foods that were rich in iron. Also, I've heard that drinking caffinated drinks with your meals can prohibit the absorption of iron. Just a little fyi, since I struggled with anemia pre-pregnancy.

ksarnold

My doctor suggested Slow-FE. It's an OTC that you can get from just about anywhere. I got a 30 days supply for just over $8.

SugarQueen101

Thanks, ladies! I'm going to try the Slow FE since that's what most people are doing. Yeah, I struggled with borderline iron deficiency anemia prior to pregnancy because I tend to have heavy menstruation. Before I would just take a daily multivitamin & eat iron rich food like red meat & greens. That usually did the trick. But I guess my diet is not able to keep up with the doubled iron demands of pregnancy. 

Looking forward to higher energy levels, but I'll probably still be crunching on ice ;-) Thanks for your help! 

adri77

Target brand Slow Fe.....this is my 3rd pg taking them.