I have the most TMI question about iron supplements and poop ever

Tambcat · February 2012

Do iron supplements make your poop smell minerally? Or like, metallic?

no reason....

jesbeth · February 2012

Yes and it can turn your poop green and even black. Your body absorbs what it needs and you poop out the rest.

angiekay84 · February 2012

I haven't noticed a different smell, but my poop is definitely black. At first it freaked me out, but once I thought about it, I realized it must be the iron.

Tambcat · February 2012

Okay, well no color change yet, but I'll brace myself for that too.

jesbeth · February 2012

Make sure you're taking Vitamin C with it too, you'll probably notice a decrease in the smell because you'll be absorbing it better.

Tambcat · February 2012

jesbeth:
Make sure you're taking Vitamin C with it too, you'll probably notice a decrease in the smell because you'll be absorbing it better.

Thanks for the tip! I take it w/ my prenatal, but maybe I should add more C.

SoonToBeMrsDTS · February 2012

Tambcat:
jesbeth:
Make sure you're taking Vitamin C with it too, you'll probably notice a decrease in the smell because you'll be absorbing it better.
Thanks for the tip! I take it w/ my prenatal, but maybe I should add more C.

You should not take it with your prenatal, you need to take them at least 2 hours apart.

Tambcat · February 2012

SoonToBeMrsDTS:
Tambcat:
jesbeth:
Make sure you're taking Vitamin C with it too, you'll probably notice a decrease in the smell because you'll be absorbing it better.
Thanks for the tip! I take it w/ my prenatal, but maybe I should add more C.
You should not take it with your prenatal, you need to take them at least 2 hours apart.

Really? Why?

AmyJoy728 · February 2012

I didn't notice a minerally smell, but the color change was pretty quick to happen. I didn't know about not taking the iron pill with other vitamins right away, but have been trying to take some vitamins with each meal to separate them.

SoonToBeMrsDTS · February 2012

Tambcat:
SoonToBeMrsDTS:
Tambcat:
jesbeth:
Make sure you're taking Vitamin C with it too, you'll probably notice a decrease in the smell because you'll be absorbing it better.
Thanks for the tip! I take it w/ my prenatal, but maybe I should add more C.
You should not take it with your prenatal, you need to take them at least 2 hours apart.
Really? Why?

The calcium in your prenatal interferes with your body being able to absorb the iron. Maybe that's part of the stinky poo problem??

devious1031 · February 2012

Yes. This is why I only take mine 2wks on/2wks off.

Tambcat · February 2012

Ah, I see. Maybe that's why I need to take an extra supplement in the first place! Okay, I'll start taking it in the mornings.

jesbeth · February 2012

I just saw the post that you take it with your pre-natal, glad someone told you that's a no-no! My OB actually encourages me to take it 10-12 hours apart from my pre-natal, so I take my iron on as empty of a stomach as possible before I go to sleep. Then I take my pre-natal in the morning after breakfast, plus extra calcium and vitamin D in the afternoon after lunch.

Harper'smom · February 2012

Tambcat:
Ah, I see. Maybe that's why I need to take an extra supplement in the first place! Okay, I'll start taking it in the mornings.

I take my iron w/ OJ 30 minutes before dinner. Apparently I'm still anemic and apparently I am supposed to be taking my supplement 3 times a day! I followed the directions on the bottle and apparently I was "told" 3 times a day. I don't know if I forgot or if it was selective hearing but I get a 3rd blood draw for iron in two weeks and I don't know how my body will deal with 2 extra doses. I'm afraid I'm gonna poop rust or something :-)

Tambcat · February 2012

Harper'smom:
I take my iron w/ OJ 30 minutes before dinner. Apparently I'm still anemic and apparently I am supposed to be taking my supplement 3 times a day! I followed the directions on the bottle and apparently I was "told" 3 times a day. I don't know if I forgot or if it was selective hearing but I get a 3rd blood draw for iron in two weeks and I don't know how my body will deal with 2 extra doses. I'm afraid I'm gonna poop rust or something :-)

LOL

funkymonkeyohyeahhh · February 2012

Black poop here, too. I haven't noticed a change in smell though I usually don't pay attention. I've been taking them since the beginning of pregnancy, so I may just be used to it and not remembering what my pre-pregnancy poop smelled like. I definitely remember that it wasn't black though.

mommy~to~mj · February 2012

I'm glad someone else made a post about this because I was definitely thinking it. Mine is dark and green and is way more stinky than usual...however I have not experienced the binding up that is supposed to come with it...in fact it's the opposite. But maybe that's because I've added in a fibre bar to combat that possible side effect.

Steffie17 · February 2012

Yes, I am experiencing the same thing. I take my iron in the morning with OJ and a grapefruit in addition to a high protein and fiber breakfast. In addition to taking it separately from your prenatal, make sure you eat extra fiber and drink more water. It makes going poop a bit easier.

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