Should I take an iron tablet?
madisonweber7897
Posts: 3 Member
Every day my iron intake is lower then the goal. Should I take a vaitamin?
0
Replies
-
Consult your doctor before taking any supplements10
-
Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.0
-
If you are going by your food diary, many of the entries are incomplete. Users enter most of the food entries, and a lot of users don't pay much attention to micros so they don't take the time to enter them.
You should only take single mineral supplements if a deficiency is revealed through a blood test and your doctor says supplementation is the best fix.10 -
If you are going by your food diary, many of the entries are incomplete. Users enter most of the food entries, and a lot of users don't pay much attention to micros so they don't take the time to enter them.
You should only take single mineral supplements if a deficiency is revealed through a blood test and your doctor says supplementation is the best fix.
What she said.
Low iron is easy to find with a blood test. Ask your doctor.
As someone with low iron, it kinda sucks to deal with, so if you don't *have* to boost your iron with a supplement (or gods forbid an infusion *shudders*), don't.2 -
If you are worried about your iron intake you can always just cook in cast iron. It won't be logged, but it is one way to get iron in your body without having to take supplements.2
-
wilson10102018 wrote: »Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
This is absolutely not true. Not everyone with a menstrual cycle is iron deficient, and there are many reasons other than menopause why someone might not have a regular menstrual cycle.11 -
I've never taken an iron supplement and never been iron deficient.
It's somewhat dangerous for a percentage of the population, at least, to supplement iron without a diagnosed deficiency. I never would.9 -
Definitely do NOT supplement unless you are deficient and advised by a doctor. To much iron from supplementation can be dangerous.7
-
Iron is a difficult thing to supplement. Not only do most people (even menstruating women) not need it but the body absorbs very little from supplements. Have you had bloodwork done recently? What does the doctor say? Have you had your ferritin checked? Often that is the problem, not iron.
I was severely anemic (hemoglobin of 5.3, ferritin of 3.0) at one point. It took transfusions of 4 units of blood and 1 unit of IV iron to bring me to a hemoglobin of 9.5. It also took 9 months of prescription high potency iron to bring me up to the normal range. Most effective was dealing with the stomach bleeds that caused it in the first place. I was so happy when I could stop the iron. Taking it meant nausea and restricting favorite foods like dairy, not to mention having to stop my multi vitamin because of the calcium which prevents the absorption of iron.6 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
You should really refrain from giving advice on topics where you have no expertise and post inaccurate and possibly harmful information.13 -
SchweddyGirl wrote: »If you are worried about your iron intake you can always just cook in cast iron. It won't be logged, but it is one way to get iron in your body without having to take supplements.
Anyone anemic reading this should disregard and work closely with their doctor to manage their condition. I've become very unwell several times when my anemia was not managed properly, and was using cast iron before, during, and after.
Additionally, more iron is absorbed from cast iron pans when one is not using cast iron normally - brand new pans, for acidic foods, for applesauce.2 -
If you are going by your food diary, many of the entries are incomplete. Users enter most of the food entries, and a lot of users don't pay much attention to micros so they don't take the time to enter them.
You should only take single mineral supplements if a deficiency is revealed through a blood test and your doctor says supplementation is the best fix.
Yes, I'm anemic, and don't rely on food alone to get the iron I need, but do notice that many foods have incorrect or missing iron counts. For example, manufacturers may list iron in grams, but MFP uses percents, and I have seen when people create an entry and do bother to fill in iron, they use the gram value rather than the %, resulting in a much lower number.1 -
madisonweber7897 wrote: »Every day my iron intake is lower then the goal. Should I take a vaitamin?
NO to an iron supplement. If you look at multi-vitamins they do not include 100% of your daily iron for a good reason. As MikePTY
pointed out too much iron is dangerous.
If you are diagnosed as anemic, then your doctor will prescribe iron.3 -
I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/26577211 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/2657721
You didn't actually read the study, did you? First off, the study was on women in Nigeria, and makes clear that it's conclusions are regarding women in developing countries, who eat very different diets than women in developed countries.
Second, even this study doesn't support the conclusion that "most every woman pre menopause" needs an iron supplement.12 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/2657721
“Menstruation is a major cause of iron deficiency in a specific population” absolutely does not mean “most people who menstruate are iron deficient.”10 -
Get your iron level measured by the doctor and see if you actually need it. Excess iron isn't good for you either.4
-
Iron supplementation it's absolutely NOT recommended for all women of child-bearing age. The only supplement I've ever (as an experienced woman of child-bearing age) seen recommended for all is folic acid, to help prevent neural tube defects.wilson10102018 wrote: »Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.9 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/2657721
You didn't actually read the study, did you? First off, the study was on women in Nigeria, and makes clear that it's conclusions are regarding women in developing countries, who eat very different diets than women in developed countries.
Second, even this study doesn't support the conclusion that "most every woman pre menopause" needs an iron supplement.
I donate blood regularly and have since college. Before menopause, I was frequently on the border of acceptable hemoglobin and was sent home without donating when I was under the limit. I spoke with my doctor about this and he said it was typical and, since my numbers were good mid-month and I was not showing any signs of anemia, I did not need a supplement. His recommendation was to try to keep my iron up via diet and go in to donate during the time of the month that my hemoglobin was up.
Yes, this is an N=1 but speaking with many of my female friends they received similar advice from their doctors. Absent other symptoms, monthly reduced hemoglobin is not a problem.7 -
a2
-
Just my 2 cents about low iron due to pre/menopause/periods:
My GP and gyno have said I have low iron because of my "heavy" periods. Since I had no other symptoms of low iron (no symptoms actually, lol) and I didn't have signs of cancer, gastro bleeding, etc., they just diagnosed "because of your period". I still haven't figured out how I only started to have low iron due to my period when my iron was "normal" during the previous 34 years of "heavy" periods.
IMO, diagnosing menstruation as the cause of low iron is a catch-all for most doctors.0 -
I've never had low iron, even with:
The lower intake of iron as a pescatarian/mostly vegetarian.
Dieting.
Heavy periods in my 30s. (Reduced later with ablation.)
My intake, nowadays, is about half of what MFP shows, which I believe is correct for post menopause. But, my guess is that it has always been around that amount or lower since I've really worked this past year on getting protein up to 70-100 grams from 40-70 grams when I started tracking.
Definitely get tested.
2 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/2657721
You didn't actually read the study, did you? First off, the study was on women in Nigeria, and makes clear that it's conclusions are regarding women in developing countries, who eat very different diets than women in developed countries.
Second, even this study doesn't support the conclusion that "most every woman pre menopause" needs an iron supplement.
I donate blood regularly and have since college. Before menopause, I was frequently on the border of acceptable hemoglobin and was sent home without donating when I was under the limit. I spoke with my doctor about this and he said it was typical and, since my numbers were good mid-month and I was not showing any signs of anemia, I did not need a supplement. His recommendation was to try to keep my iron up via diet and go in to donate during the time of the month that my hemoglobin was up.
Yes, this is an N=1 but speaking with many of my female friends they received similar advice from their doctors. Absent other symptoms, monthly reduced hemoglobin is not a problem.
I am similarly borderline for purposes of blood donation, frequently. I tend to take an iron supplement on days I expect to attempt to donate blood. I'm not certain exactly where in my cycle I might expect to have higher hemoglobin, but I haven't been deferred since I started supplementing on donation days.
Back when I was a teen, every time I went in for an annual Well-Woman exam, it would be suggested that I take a supplement, but when I followed their advice, I had symptoms of iron toxicity. Not something I'd recommend. If you think you may be low on iron, you should consult with a physician. Don't go ahead and take a supplement regularly just because the numbers here don't reflect compliance with Recommended Intake.
If you're interested in your hematocrit numbers, donating blood is a free way to have that done. They'll even give you juice and cookies afterwards. And you get that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you help someone. You could save a life!2 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/2657721
You didn't actually read the study, did you? First off, the study was on women in Nigeria, and makes clear that it's conclusions are regarding women in developing countries, who eat very different diets than women in developed countries.
Second, even this study doesn't support the conclusion that "most every woman pre menopause" needs an iron supplement.
It always amazes me when people post studies that they didn't read and doesn't say what they think it does. The first rule of getting out of hole is to stop digging it.8 -
autumnblade75 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »I said:
Menstruation has been shown to be the major cause of anemia and iron deficiency in nulliparous women. A prophylactic dose of iron and folate supplements may be indicated for menstruating females to cushion the adverse effects of menstruation on hematologic status.Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/44/2/121/2657721
You didn't actually read the study, did you? First off, the study was on women in Nigeria, and makes clear that it's conclusions are regarding women in developing countries, who eat very different diets than women in developed countries.
Second, even this study doesn't support the conclusion that "most every woman pre menopause" needs an iron supplement.
I donate blood regularly and have since college. Before menopause, I was frequently on the border of acceptable hemoglobin and was sent home without donating when I was under the limit. I spoke with my doctor about this and he said it was typical and, since my numbers were good mid-month and I was not showing any signs of anemia, I did not need a supplement. His recommendation was to try to keep my iron up via diet and go in to donate during the time of the month that my hemoglobin was up.
Yes, this is an N=1 but speaking with many of my female friends they received similar advice from their doctors. Absent other symptoms, monthly reduced hemoglobin is not a problem.
I am similarly borderline for purposes of blood donation, frequently. I tend to take an iron supplement on days I expect to attempt to donate blood. I'm not certain exactly where in my cycle I might expect to have higher hemoglobin, but I haven't been deferred since I started supplementing on donation days.
Back when I was a teen, every time I went in for an annual Well-Woman exam, it would be suggested that I take a supplement, but when I followed their advice, I had symptoms of iron toxicity. Not something I'd recommend. If you think you may be low on iron, you should consult with a physician. Don't go ahead and take a supplement regularly just because the numbers here don't reflect compliance with Recommended Intake.
If you're interested in your hematocrit numbers, donating blood is a free way to have that done. They'll even give you juice and cookies afterwards. And you get that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you help someone. You could save a life!
My doctor loaned me the portable testing machine and 10 tests with instructions to test once a week in the morning. Going through 2 full months actually gave me a good feel for my high and low times. IIRC he was actually doing some kind of research but this was the early 90's so I really don't remember.
I give as often as I can and it is even more important to me since I received 4 units a few years ago. My out is in the gallons and my in is only 1/2 gallon so I am still on the positive side.3 -
To expand on what others have said about it being a problem to get too much iron - more specifically, excess iron can block or interfere with the uptake and action of other vitamins and minerals. Free iron will compete with transport bindings for some other minerals like zinc or copper. By trying to treat an iron problem you might not have, you might give yourself a zinc deficiency.5
-
wilson10102018 wrote: »Consult, but know that most every woman pre menopause needs an iron supplement.
Remember how you said you should stay out of threads about keto or macros because you didn't actually know anything about either? Add this to the list.
*Pre-menopausal vegetarian with stellar iron levels*4
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions