October 2015 Moms

Anyone taking iron supplements? Side effects??

It was recommended to me by my doc to take an iron supplement daily for low hemoglobin levels. Everyone warned me to take a stool softener with it but I am having the complete opposite effect! Feel like my insides are going crazy. Anyone else having troubles with supplements?

Re: Anyone taking iron supplements? Side effects??

  • I'm just taking the prenatal vitamin that has iron in it. I have noticed the constipation from the first and second trimester seems to be gone, which makes me happy. However, the heartburn has come to stay.
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  • I'm so afraid of constipation that I won't take an iron supplement. I make sure I get my iron from food. The Shoprite cornflakes I eat each morning has 45% of the daily value of iron I need so I usually have two servings to make sure I'm on track. I'm too scared of iron pills, though. I've had zero constipation and would like to keep it that way LOL.
  • My iron is low also, however my supplement made me very sick.... I have to have an iron transfusion (infusion?) three hours at a time for three Saturday's in a row to get my levels back up.

    Good luck!!!
  • pkfinnertypkfinnerty member
    edited August 2015
    My doc prescribed me an iron supplement also. At first I was so constipated he told me to stop, then my levels dropped again so he told me to start taking Colace until my stool was really loose and then start taking iron with Colace and it would go back to normal. Well I went from black tar like bowel movements to none... like none in 4 days and counting.
    If I were you, I would stop the stool softener.
  • I have been taking the liquid iron supplement (floradix). It is pricey but no constipation or nausea.
  • I'm taking an iron supplement and I've been fairly regularly but I try to always eat leafy greens or something high in vitamin c to get things moving. Too much vitamin c has the laxative effect!
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  • I'm taking prenatal vitamins with iron and an iron supplement and I drink two full glasses of prune juice daily and I have been pretty regular now, hope that helps.
  • I had to recently add an iron supplement in as well and as soon as I started taking it I started adding benefiber to my water three times a day.  So far that has helped to keep things moving!
  • I've been taking an over the counter supplement. My doc told me my iron wasn't too bad low so I don't have to take it everyday. I haven't noticed any side effects. Maybe you should try taking it every other day. You might be getting too much of it.
  • Me!  =;  Dr. said I was slightly anemic.   I had to change mine because the first was making me super nauseous .  I'm on Ferralet 90 which contains a gentle stool softener.  They're not too bad and have been working well for me.  Also, increase in water and prune juice definitely help.  Good luck sometimes it's just a trial and error type of thing. 
  • I have to take an iron supplement too, I was anemic pre-pregnancy so I knew I'd end up having to take them. Danon Activia yogurt has helped with the regularity issues.
  • I'm taking one as well, my doc said my last blood work showed I was anemic. I'm taking a Colace every day to help combat the constipation. I poop about as much now as I did before pregnancy (tmi, but I'm generally an every 2-3 days pooper). Honestly though I'm taking the Colace to help with the hemorrhoids...I've got enough problems with those without the iron plugging me up and irritating me more!
  • My husband said if I take my prenatal and drink 8 oz. Of soymilk a day then it should add up to what I need in iron. I'm still going to mention it to my Dr next week but I'm afraid of iron pills too.
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  • Thanks for all the input ladies! I've gotten some fortified cereals with iron in them and am going to check with the doc next week and see if I can just incorporate more in my diet. Leaving the pills in the cabinet for now :-q
  • I take otc iron and to combat nausea I take a slow release formula at night when I take my prenatal. For constipation I drink a 24oz glass of water w a splash of lemon juice before I go to sleep and a shot of organic apple cider vinegar w a glass of water every morning as soon as I wake up. I've been doing this before I got pregnant and I have zero issues dropping deuces...
  • I was anemic with my last blood work (10.5 Hgb). I started taking Slow Fe as a supplement. I also upped myagnesium to 400mg to combat my leg cramps which have gone away since I started taking that. The magnesium acts as a laxative so I'm not having any sort of constipation with the iron supplement. Miss regular now as I was before I was pregnant which is nice!
  • I'm on Feramax, which I take once a day with my breakfast. I haven't had any nausea or constipation issues at all. My iron levels were at just over half of what they should be before I started Feramax. Haven't had levels checked again recently, but I've noticed I do have a bit more energy than I did before
  • I get anemic really easy and iron supplements make me throw up. I know this sounds funny but flintstone vitamins always work perfect for me. They have a small dose of iron and cause less digestive problems.
  • I am taking iron supplement AND prenatal and apparently my hemoglobin is still low. For the first time in my life i have crazy constipation.



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  • This is pregnancy number five for me and I get anemic in my third trimester with all my kids. I do pre natals and one iron pill a day and am trying to eat lots of red meat too. I actually am going this morning to have blood work done to re check my levels. I'm praying they are up or I will have to do the iron tranfusions which I've never had to do before.

    Constipation was only an issue if I took two iron pills a day.
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