iron tablets! (may be TMI)

Water water water water

also

fiber fiber fiber fiber!

And if you are eating a lot of protein dont forget the water!

Or youll get an A+ in constipation!

Colace works too!

Go to the pharmacy. Ask for Coloxyl and Senna for the constipation. How long have you been bleeding for?

I went on iron tablets a long time ago (personal choice) and they did the same thing to me. I have gone back on them (as I am always pale) and so far so good. But I am also taking peppermint tablets and drinking loads. Usually 10 bottles of 50cl a day. I used to struggle with my bowel movements. I am still not as regular as they say you should be but I do go more regularly now. I also take acidoPhilus. Hth

wow you def should not be bleeding!!
unless your unsure whether your cycles have adjusted and it could just be that?
i take a benefibre drink to help out in orange juice, usually does the trick but if not
the iron tablets do not need to be an everyday option every 2-3 days is fine to have normal iron stalls
..but water and lots of it to keep things regular..but please see a doc about the bleeding just to rule out anything

If the bleeding is not "normal" for you, then you need to get this checked out. Is there any chance you are pregnant?

I agree with previous posts increase your fiber and water intake to reduce constipation risk

Also have a look at your Vitamin C intake as vitamin C need assists in the absorption of iron.

I have to take iron tablets because even though I eat meat, I rarely get enough iron in my diet, and even when I get enough from my diet, I tend to get anemic over and over. Some types of iron tablets are more easily absorbed. Have you ever heard of loravit (it's a liquid supplement?) As you slowly take in more fiber, you get used to it. Keep in mind you'll need to drink a LOT of water, and don't rely on laxxatives too often or your bowel my get lazy (mine is from an injury). I also find doing jumping jacks (not right after you eat) helps to get things moving and there are certain abdominal massages you can do. Up the water, fiber and exercise and speak to your doctor about the bleeding if it doesn't go away (could it be spotting from stress?)

Some people also find that heme-based iron supplements work better. If you are a vegetarian or vegan you will not want to take a heme-based iron supplement because they do get the heme from animal sources (non-heme iron comes from plant surces but is harder for humans to absorb). Here is a site: http://bifera.com/

If you are a vegetarian you might like floravit. I am not sure if they sell it in the states, but I take it.

Elemental iron, which is the type of iron supplement most medical doctors prescribe, is very hard for the body to absorb and does cause quite a lot of constipation. Blackstrap mollasses, on the other hand, has a LOT of iron, as do iron enriched cereals and certain plants.

Also keep in mind that certain foods can help your body absorb more iron from your food (iron enhancers) and certain foods (like soy, whole grains, coffee, tea, etc) will actually inhibit your body's ability to absorb iron.

I had iron deficiency anemia on and off for over half a decade and even had to get iron shots for a long time. I was sent to a hematologist, all of it. The iron pills I was given never really helped me personally. I still struggle with low iron but by eating really iron rich foods and cutting out coffee and some other foods I haven't been badly anemic for awhile (although my hemoglobin is generally abnormally low). If you don't want to eat red meat, fish or chicken, oysters have a LOT of heme iron but you may feel better about eating them (not sure if you are a vegetarian/vegan or not).

Good luck. If you are going to take iron supplements, I recommend taking heme-based iron supplements or floradix/floravit because elemental iron is not that easy for your body to naturally absorb and will make you quite constipated. Good luck!

My iron levels are low and my doc put me on Ferrous Fumerate, a type of iron supplement that is easily absorbed. It's not that expensive either.
for the constipation factor.... this sounds gross but I make a "poo puddin'". 100% bran, prune juice, ground flax seed and applesauce in a blender. I take a couple spoonfuls in the morning and in the evening. It's a great way to sneak in the fibre.

Hey, I know the post is a bit old now but just wanted to say I also had pv bleeding when taking iron supplements. I'm on the pill too and know exactly how my bleeding pattern should be but when I started supplementing I had light spotting most evenings (I took the supplements in the morning). When I stopped taking the tablets the bleeding stopped too. You're not alone in this!

I also started bleeding once I started taking 325 mg of Ferrous Fumarate, so you are NOT alone.
I"m going to try to lower the dose and see what happens. Most likely, my body is having trouble detoxifying metals (MTHFR defect), but I need the iron, so I have quite a dilemma that I need to figure out. I may seek out advice of a holistic doctor to get their thoughts on this.
If anyone has any insight, please share.
Many thanks!