When will my Iron supplement stop making me sick?

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abungay
abungay Posts: 85 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Good morning my fitness peeps,

I recently found out that I have low iron and my doctor put me on an iron supplement, I was taking one feramax every morning for a week but was really sick so he changed me to two ferrous glutonate. I have been taking the new one for almost a week now and I am still getting pretty sick, especially in the night time, last night I woke up with cramps in my stomach.

Anyone here who had to take these supplements know when I might start to feel better??

-Ashley

Replies

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    abungay wrote: »
    Good morning my fitness peeps,

    I recently found out that I have low iron and my doctor put me on an iron supplement, I was taking one feramax every morning for a week but was really sick so he changed me to two ferrous glutonate. I have been taking the new one for almost a week now and I am still getting pretty sick, especially in the night time, last night I woke up with cramps in my stomach.

    Anyone here who had to take these supplements know when I might start to feel better??

    -Ashley

    ask your doctor, Ensure you're taking the dose as directed... meaning... If you're supposed to take it with breakfast, take it with breakfast... if you're supposed to take it fasted, before breakfast... take it fasted... before breakfast.
  • nevadavis1
    nevadavis1 Posts: 331 Member
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    I have a problem absorbing iron due to my autoimmune condition so I have to take supplements. Nearly everything made me sick, like waking up in the middle of the night with pains and dry heaves kind of sick. Didn't matter when I took it or what I took it with. I experimented and found one that didn't make me as sick, though it still kind of hurts sometimes--I take two pills at different times of day. The one I take is called Megafood Blood Builder. A friend found taking a liquid iron worked better for her.

    I'm sorry. Taking iron really isn't pleasant sometimes, especially when you need large doses.

    They also have shots. I know many people don't like needles, but I'm so used to them now and sometimes I'd rather have a shot than take more pills.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Definitely chat with your doctor who prescribed them or the pharmacist about an iron supplement that you might tolerate better.

    I had the same issue when I was on prenatal vitamins... No matter what time I took them or with which food, I always felt a little sick (I'm sure morning all-day sickness played a part, too, but I could taste the iron when I was sick, so I think it was the culprit).

    Also note that iron supplements also have the unfortunate side-effect of causing constipation.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    Week next Tuesday.
  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
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    Iron supplements can make some people sick if they have difficulty absorbing it.

    The best sources of iron are iron-rich foods. The iron in meat, heme iron, is easiest for your body to absorb. Iron-rich foods include beef, lamb and shrimp. The iron in plants, non-heme iron, does not absorb easily but it is still a good dietary source. Iron-rich plants include spinach, whole wheat, strawberries and lentils. Eat a variety of iron-rich foods even if you are taking an iron supplement.

    Have you thought about incorporating iron rich foods like liver (3 oz has about 15 mgs) in your diet? (They have it freeze fried in capsules also.) Animal blood (blood sausage, blood ("flash frozen" from a reputable organic source) cooked with bones for broth) is also excellent. When cooked it tastes like meat. (This is the stuff your mom skimmed off the top of the soup). If you are a vegetarian / have other ethical, dietary law objections, blood might not even be an option.

    Elemental iron has the lowest rate of absorption, but is used as a supplement (because it's cheap) and for food fortification; there is little risk of iron intolerance from fortified foods. Iron fumarate and iron sulfate have equal and average rates of absorption. Iron gycinate has the highest bioavailability and rate of absorption.

    Another thing to consider is something called Liquid Ionic Iron (on Amazon). It's water based and it has good reviews. This stuff could be sipped in small doses / held under the tongue for immediate absorption. That might help the nausea.
  • abungay
    abungay Posts: 85 Member
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    Sunna_W wrote: »
    Iron supplements can make some people sick if they have difficulty absorbing it.

    The best sources of iron are iron-rich foods. The iron in meat, heme iron, is easiest for your body to absorb. Iron-rich foods include beef, lamb and shrimp. The iron in plants, non-heme iron, does not absorb easily but it is still a good dietary source. Iron-rich plants include spinach, whole wheat, strawberries and lentils. Eat a variety of iron-rich foods even if you are taking an iron supplement.

    Have you thought about incorporating iron rich foods like liver (3 oz has about 15 mgs) in your diet? (They have it freeze fried in capsules also.) Animal blood (blood sausage, blood ("flash frozen" from a reputable organic source) cooked with bones for broth) is also excellent. When cooked it tastes like meat. (This is the stuff your mom skimmed off the top of the soup). If you are a vegetarian / have other ethical, dietary law objections, blood might not even be an option.

    Elemental iron has the lowest rate of absorption, but is used as a supplement (because it's cheap) and for food fortification; there is little risk of iron intolerance from fortified foods. Iron fumarate and iron sulfate have equal and average rates of absorption. Iron gycinate has the highest bioavailability and rate of absorption.

    Another thing to consider is something called Liquid Ionic Iron (on Amazon). It's water based and it has good reviews. This stuff could be sipped in small doses / held under the tongue for immediate absorption. That might help the nausea.

    I do eat meat, and now have incorporated spinach into supper almost every night. I only recent starting cooking red meat, it never was the fact that I didn't like it, it is that I am bad a cooking it. I always eat beef or steak that my folks cook, but since I've been on my own for 7 years, I rarely cook beef unless of ground beef for tacos, or the occasional steak in the summer. I used to just cook a lot of chicken, since I found out about my low iron I have stocked my freezer with lot of beef, to make stir frys and stews to get more red meat into my diet.

    I wish it was just nausea, I have been getting these sharp pains in my lower abdomen and diarrhea, which is kind of the opposite of the constipation that was supposed to happen. I will try to keep it up for another week and then talk to my doctor again, to see if something else may be causing me to be sick.
  • abungay
    abungay Posts: 85 Member
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    nevadavis1 wrote: »
    I have a problem absorbing iron due to my autoimmune condition so I have to take supplements. Nearly everything made me sick, like waking up in the middle of the night with pains and dry heaves kind of sick. Didn't matter when I took it or what I took it with. I experimented and found one that didn't make me as sick, though it still kind of hurts sometimes--I take two pills at different times of day. The one I take is called Megafood Blood Builder. A friend found taking a liquid iron worked better for her.

    I'm sorry. Taking iron really isn't pleasant sometimes, especially when you need large doses.

    They also have shots. I know many people don't like needles, but I'm so used to them now and sometimes I'd rather have a shot than take more pills.

    I am glad I am not the only one having such a hard time with this. My doctor and pharmacists told me I would get a little bit of an upset stomach but to take it with a little food and orange juice (Vit c help absorption). When I went to my pharmacist last week and told her how sick I was (having diarrhea) she was very surprised about my reaction to it. For a few days after taking the new pills I felt a little better but then it kind of hit me like a truck. I am planning on giving it another week to see if my body will adjust, if not I will have to ask my doctor for another new supplement.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Probably not great if you are trying to lose weight at the same time, but a trail mix of dark chocolate, raisins, and peanuts has a decent amount of iron if you are looking for other non-meat sources.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I take my iron supplement every other day, and I take a probiotic supplement on the days I don't take iron, it seems to help with the stomach pains and gross feelings, though I still get them occasionally. I also take a timed release C supplement 3x/day which in theory helps with absorbing iron more efficiently from food eaten.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    Don't feel like you're stuck with what the doctor prescribes. They often stick to one "drugstore" brand and that's it. I ended up taking an iron supplement made my Natural Factors. It's an Iron Chelate, only 25 mg but more more absorbable and you don't need as much; although I could take 2 a day with no issue. I found it in some grocery stores, like Whole Foods, but it can be ordered cheaply off Amazon.

    My daughter takes a liquid supplement, BlueIron, and it works really well also, but more pricey.

    I don't ever think you "get used" to iron. It either bothers you or it doesn't and it's not like it's a drug that your body adjusts to. It's a very hard-to-digest mineral and it remains hard to digest.
  • jlscherme
    jlscherme Posts: 157 Member
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    I think you are supposed to have orange juice with it.
    You can get the most benefit from iron pills if you take them with vitamin C or drink orange juice. Do not take your iron pills with milk, caffeine, foods with high fiber, or antacids.
    https://www.cigna.com/healthwellness/hw/medical-topics/iron-deficiency-anemia-hw166953
  • abungay
    abungay Posts: 85 Member
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    jlscherme wrote: »
    I think you are supposed to have orange juice with it.
    You can get the most benefit from iron pills if you take them with vitamin C or drink orange juice. Do not take your iron pills with milk, caffeine, foods with high fiber, or antacids.
    https://www.cigna.com/healthwellness/hw/medical-topics/iron-deficiency-anemia-hw166953

    I found out the hard way taking it with milk. Oh my I was sick. I have been taking them in the morning with a fruit smoothie, without yogurt. But in the evenings I take it with my supper, I might have to take it a bit later so I don't accidentally take it with something to make me more sick.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Talk to your doctor. We had to reduce my dosage because of the adverse affects (nausea, severe constipation). I take really small supplements with breakfast and dinner and a bigger one at lunch (with a ginger supplement). I get about 35 grams of fiber and lots of healthy fat (my macros are pretty evenly split). I've been OK.

    I also started eating about 3 oz of red meat 4-5 times a week (London Broil). That made more of a difference in my iron/feritin levels than the supplements. Not sure if you're a vegetarian or not, but that's what got me towards normal iron levels.
  • abungay
    abungay Posts: 85 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    Talk to your doctor. We had to reduce my dosage because of the adverse affects (nausea, severe constipation). I take really small supplements with breakfast and dinner and a bigger one at lunch (with a ginger supplement). I get about 35 grams of fiber and lots of healthy fat (my macros are pretty evenly split). I've been OK.

    I also started eating about 3 oz of red meat 4-5 times a week (London Broil). That made more of a difference in my iron/feritin levels than the supplements. Not sure if you're a vegetarian or not, but that's what got me towards normal iron levels.

    Actually the other morning I made ginger tea to drink after I took my pill and I think it worked to settle my stomach so I think I am going to try some gravol ginger with them too.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    Nausea is a known side effect of iron supplements for some people. Taking it in the evening sometimes helps as can trialling different brands.

    But there are some people who cannot tolerate oral supplements and iron infusions are the alternative for them.
  • Niki_Fitz
    Niki_Fitz Posts: 945 Member
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    I take a food-based iron supplement. The iron is derived from plants and vegetables and it is the first iron supplement I have been able to stomach. I've needed the IV iron drip before, too.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    Try a different iron supplement. I've found that food-based irons tend to be easier on my stomach, and that they don't constipate me like most iron supplements do. Personally, I take Megafood''s Blood Builder, and I really love it. The pills are small, it keeps my levels normal, and I don't feel like crap while taking it.

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