THANK YOU for the iron tips!!!

CandelLife

Oh my goodness I wish I had known this years ago! I read somewhere here (I would thank them personally if I could remember where I saw it) that drinking orange juice or having vitamin C at the same time as taking a iron supplement helps it to get absorbed into the body better. I figured, what the hay, I'll try it because somehow I need to be able to handle taking this high amount of iron daily.

Not to be too graphic, but my body was not handling the iron too well and I couldn't take what I was supposed to daily. I'm actually supposed to take 2 daily of Poly-iron 150 but I could barely handle two per week. Now, by taking it with a glass of Sunny D, NO MORE PROBLEMS!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! Joining myfitnesspal has been so helpful in so many ways!

vienna_h

Iron irritates the stomach, hence the gastrointestinal discomfort and side effects.

Vitamin C just helps the body absorb the actual iron, it makes it more "usable" to the body (meanwhile calcium prevents the absorption of iron).

But they are not related. More vitamin C will not reduce the stomach-irritating side effects of iron. Taking iron pills with food may help reduce stomach irritation however, but it is best to take iron on an empty stomach if possible.

I'm glad you're feeling better though, but it's just a coincidence. Keep taking the Sunny D (as long as there is no calcium in it! you have to wait two hours before and after taking an iron pill to have any calcium!!!) because the vitamin C will help you get the most of the iron pill, but it's not what is making you "handle" the iron pill better.

CandelLife

I tried not to be graphic about it but I guess it's not understood unless I say it out loud LOL... Taking the iron pills causes black tar like bowel movements on top of the stomach irritation. Taking the iron pill with a glass of Sunny D... no black tar and less gas. My iron count is way too low as well as Red Blood cell count and platelet count - I need the iron prescription to pull me back up. I may be understanding you wrong, but in my case, yes taking the iron pill with the Sunny D is making the iron get absorbed and thus making me feel better.

vienna_h

I take iron pills too, my ferretin is at 8, but luckily my hemoglobin is still normal. And it makes my poo black, with or without the Vitamin C. Black poo is a totally normal and not harmful side effect of taking iron pills. Vitamin C doesn't affect the side effects of iron at all, only how much of the iron is actually going to be properly absorbed by the body. That's all I'm trying to say. So it's good that you are not getting the side effects of iron, but it's not because of the Vitamin C. But it doesn't matter, the good thing is you are feeling better! But just so you know, in case the side effects do return, adding even more vitamin C isn;t going to help, probably eating some light crackers or toast with the iron pill will.

CandelLife

All I know is I always got the black tar when taking my poly-iron 150 until I tried the advice of drinking orange juice or Sunny D (has no calcium in the one I bought) and now I can take one per day without that awful side effect. But I need to be taking two per day and haven't tried it yet, about to take a second one today and hope for the best. My numbers have to get back up so I can get back on my bike. I hate having that on hold all this time and not seeing the scales move since all I do now is the walking because it's "safe."

bubblygoldfish

I just started to take an iron supplement... but it's "gentle iron". Hope i won't have these issues but good to know about the Vitamin C thing for absorbtion. Thanks!

CandelLife

It's a "pass it on" thing LOL... I started this post to say thanks and now it passes to you to try I hope your gentle iron does the trick for you!