Iron supplements

My bloodwork came back as just under the borderline of being anemic, so my doctor recommended that I take Ferro-Sequels iron supplements. From what I was reading, a pregnant woman needs 30 mg of iron -- but these pills have 50! I see my dr. on Wednesday, so I can hold off on taking these until then, but I was just wondering if any of you take iron pills and if so what kind (and how many mg of iron you're getting per day). I'm sure that my prenatals also have iron, so I'm afraid of getting too much ... ?

And if you do take them, do you notice an increase in energy? (Or is that just wishful thinking? )

Thanks!!

 

From past pregnancies, the iron supplements you receive from the Dr. is ferrous sulphate. They are a little more difficult for the body to absorb but they also cause major constipation which I try to avoid. For my last 5 pregnancies I've taken Energizing Iron by Enzymatic Therapy or Ultimate Iron by Enzymatic Therapy and never had that problem. They are food based instead of mineral based and easier for the body to absorb and since you are low the extra won't hurt. So far my irons been good as long as I stay on them and have more energy then when I'm low. I'm prone for anemia so these have been helpful over the years. HTH's!

 

I tested anemic at the beginning of the pregnancy, and have been on iron supplements ever since.

If you were taking your prenatals regularly before the test, then it means that the iron in those isn't sufficient for what your body needs, and that's why you would take a supplement. Your needs for iron go up in pregnancy, and even more so in twin pregnancy.

My prenatals have something like 30 mg of iron, and my supplements have almost 50 mg - and now my levels are fine.

My OB recommended SlowFe, which is a slow-release formula. It's supposed to help decrease the constipation side effect, and so far I haven't had ANY troubles. And yes, my energy level DID go up, but I was also anemic enough to be getting dizzy and feeling faint before I started in on the supplements.

So, unless for some reason you weren't taking prenatals, you need the extra iron and start in on the supplements!

 

Just like the PP I too was recommended Slow-Fe

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp...=BUY-PLST-0-CAT

I've been taking them for about 4 months now for my anemia and never had a problem

 

as soon as we found out we were having twins my dr rec iron tablets on top of preg suppl.

I read that when your preggers w/ twins you need like 80 mg iron daily, which is what my preg vit and iron tablets supply me with daily, not including my regular daily intake.

i think the only down fall to too much iron is constipation, which can be helped by drinking lots of fliuds and eating fruit. I think this is right without checking it. see what other posters say.

 

Thanks for the replies! Ferro-Sequels are also slow-release and are supposed to be gentle on the tummy, so I guess I'll give 'em a shot!

 

I too took them, but it was long ago and I don't remember the dosage. I just know that I had to get a prescription for them. I also had to start taking a stool softener at the same time, due to the fact that iron can cause constipation. I did not notice any sudden bursts of energy but I did notice that my restless leg syndrome totally went away once I started taking the iron!!!

 

in barbara luke's book she reco's 45mg/day, so 50 does not seem unreasonable. especially if you're deficient. best of luck!