Iron Tablets

[LessofLisa]

Apologies if this has been posted and answered previously but I'm suffering and need advice

About 10/12 days ago I started feeling nauseous but coped. Last Monday I started taking iron tablets and thought that they would make me constipated......... a week on I'm still feeling terribly sick all day and worse I'm on the loo all the time and daren't leave the house!!

Today I haven't taken the iron tablet but am still feeling sick and visiting the loo.

Has anyone else experienced the same?

 

[WitchInWorthing]

hey hunni .. iron tablets won't necessarily bung you up, but can make your poo look very dark / black. To be honest, if you have sickness and upset tum it sounds like you might have a bug ... I would phone your care team / visit the gp and get it checked out. Keep your fluids up and try to keep some food down.

If you aenemic then you would feel dizzy and weak and exhausted rather than sick from what I remember from being preggars.....

good luck and let us know how you get on..

Hugs xxx

 

[shelbell]

I react to iron in the same way. You'll have to find a different format that works for you.

Your best bet is sugar free ferrous fumerate syrup. There are a few other types of iron available on prescription in tablet form.

If none of these are tolerated, you can try over the counter iron called Spatone, which is gentle on the stomach.

As a last resort, it comes to intravenous iron therapy. 2-3 times a year you spend the day on a haematology day ward hooked up to a drip for 6 hours. Your iron levels are then monitored in between to see when you next need a dose.

That's the stage I'm at now. I couldn't tolerate any form of oral iron. I did suffer with anaemia pre-op, and I have complex health issues too, so please don't anyone think this is inevitable.

You can help your iron by eating plenty of red meat, and breakfast cereals fortified with iron and folate.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[LessofLisa]

Thank you Witch and Shell. I'll speak to my GP. In the meantime I'll stay off the iron tablets and see how I go. I've been on the loo twice already this morning but have to go out today so will keep my fingers crossed!!
The worse (??) thing is that despite my constant trips to the toilet I haven't lost any weight in over a week!
I doubt it's a bug I've got but maybe it's a possibility.

Shell, you look great!! Congrats on getting to your target!!

Witch, do you have an op date yet? Good luck with your 'journey'.

 

[lyzzyanne]

Iron does the same to me, I battled on with mine and it eventually settled down, it is good for keeping things moving through!!

 

[WitchInWorthing]

Witch, do you have an op date yet? Good luck with your 'journey'.

alas, no date but I do have 5 workshops to attend once a week from the start of september to talk about food / emotions / surgery etc so I am hoping that I will be on the list from october and then the waiting game really starts!!!

the spatone is VERY gentle - I used it when I was preggars - you need to take it with vit c (fruit juice) for max absorbtion and there is practically no 'iron' flavour to it

xxx

 

[LessofLisa]

Update - I've not taken the iron tablets this week but am still feeling nauseous. I finally stopped trotting to the loo because I took some immodium yesterday.

My weight loss has also stalled. However I still love my sleeve.

 

[LessofLisa]

Further update: once the immodium wore off the diarrhoea returned.
I phoned the hospital to speak to the care team and ?I now have an appointment for Thursday.
In the meantime I continue to feel really nauseous etc but worse I've put on a pound!!!!

 

[LessofLisa]

Closure - the diarrhoea was caused by my metformin tablets. I've been taking them for 15 years and never had a problem. My GP said to stop taking them on Friday and no more trips to the loo!!
Eureka xx