Smiller's Blog

I see no reason not to start the iron supplement as long as you can tolerate it. They tend to be hard on the gut so choose one that is buffered/slow release. Also, drink some acidic beverage with it like orange juice or tomato juice to aid assimilation. And make sure the supplement itself is gluten free. Wheat starch is used as a filler in some pills/suppelments.

I agree with trents.   I can't see any reason not to start now.  I also agree with him on being careful which type to use.  I was given some heavy duty iron pills by my doctor initially which caused constipation and bleeding (fissures).  Another GP suggested ferrous gluconate and that was much gentler on my stomach.   I don't know where you are posting from but in the UK we have a supplment called Floravital which is like a syrup, rather than tablets which is gentle on the stomach.   (Make sure if you are in the UK not to buy Floradix, that has gluten in it!).   

Whatever the supplement, check it doesn't contain gluten.  I mistook Floradix for Floravital and couldn't understand why I felt so unwell!

Lastly, make sure that if you are supplementing you have your iron levels rechecked every so often.  If levels get too high you it can lead to serious health issues.

22 hours ago, trents said:

I see no reason not to start the iron supplement as long as you can tolerate it. They tend to be hard on the gut so choose one that is buffered/slow release. Also, drink some acidic beverage with it like orange juice or tomato juice to aid assimilation. And make sure the supplement itself is gluten free. Wheat starch is used as a filler in some pills/suppelments.

Thank you for the advice and tips. It’s frustrating when you get different advice from doctors and just want to get to feeling better!

21 hours ago, cristiana said:

I agree with trents.   I can't see any reason not to start now.  I also agree with him on being careful which type to use.  I was given some heavy duty iron pills by my doctor initially which caused constipation and bleeding (fissures).  Another GP suggested ferrous gluconate and that was much gentler on my stomach.   I don't know where you are posting from but in the UK we have a supplment called Floravital which is like a syrup, rather than tablets which is gentle on the stomach.   (Make sure if you are in the UK not to buy Floradix, that has gluten in it!).   

Whatever the supplement, check it doesn't contain gluten.  I mistook Floradix for Floravital and couldn't understand why I felt so unwell!

Lastly, make sure that if you are supplementing you have your iron levels rechecked every so often.  If levels get too high you it can lead to serious health issues.

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m in the US. I will definitely make sure there isn’t gluten in the iron. So much to learn, so I appreciate your reply!

Smiler, 

It's a few months out. How are you feeling? My heart goes out to you...I had a ferritin level of 8 measured just a few weeks after your level of 5. Been <5 before and it's no fun. This time around I took iron every other day with a Vitamin C gummy and it totally worked! For some reason it absorbs better that way. If you're taking your iron with orange juice, be careful that it's not calcium fortified as calcium can inhibit iron absorption. 

Good luck, update us if you can!

On 1/4/2022 at 1:07 AM, celioops said:took iron every other day with a Vitamin C gummy and it totally worked! For some reason it absorbs better that way. If you're taking your iron with orange juice, be careful that it's not calcium fortified as calcium can inhibit iron absorption. 

Thanks for your reply. It’s been about 4 months since my Ferritin was 5. I started taking SlowFE iron supplement 5 days a week. It was recommended since it is a slow release iron and can get past the damaged part of my intestine and still absorb. My Ferritin increased to 19 and just a couple weeks ago was up to 30. Still have a ways to go, but it’s good to see it coming up. I really can’t tell a difference in how I feel, but I’m hopeful.