Thank you, oh Wise One. We knew we could count on you!


Hope you're finished soon so you can come back to us

You are pretty.  Ya'll are a happy looking couple.

Susan, Thanks for pointing that out to me... There is not hardly any protein at all in them... only 5G
I was not at all sure of how many grams I was supposed to be getting in, but I know I have not been getting near enough in because my hair proves that.... I have been doing a lot f ground deer meat, shrimp, beans, and cottage cheese... But, I need more.... Thank you so much Susan!!!!

Love you so much!!!

When I took an iron supplement, I took Tandem (prescription iron).  I had a small time frame where I was anemic and was able to stop it a few months back.  (It was causing me to have trouble with insomnia.  I got the okay from Addie to go off it for a few weeks then had my levels checked.  My levels were okay, so I was able to stay off it from then on.  I don't take any iron supplement now.)

I took Tandem because of the really low incidence of side effects (nausia, etc that I've had when taking iron supplements as a pre-op).  It doesn't make you constipated or nausiated - so it's a great iron if you have or have had trouble with that.

I apologize ahead of time for the format (puncuation, spelling, run-ons the following will contain).  I don't have time to make it pretty.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN CONSIDERING AN IRON SUPPLEMENT
1) There are 2 types of commonly used iron - ferrous and ferric.  Ferrous is better absorbed - so obviously we want to take that.  
2) Iron your body can actually use is ELEMENTAL iron.  Most iron you buy will show mg of iron per dose.  Some will some mg of ELEMENTAL iron per dose.  Some will show BOTH.  When considering your iron doses, look at how many mg of ELEMENTAL iron is in a dose.  Elemental iron is the iron your body can actually use.  Think of the rest of the iron as just "filler".  (That's oversimplying, but it works for this post.) 
3) There are 3 types of ferrous iron - fumarate, sulfate & gluconate (if memory serves).  Fumarate typically has the highest concentration of ELEMENTAL iron (which remember is the iron mg you want to pay attention to).  Does that mean you should always take fumarate?  No.  It just means that fumarate typically has less "filler" and more iron your body can actually use.  You can still get in just as much elemental iron from sulfate or gluconate - it just may take you more pills than fumarate would to get the same mg of elemental iron.
4) Uncoated, regular (not extended release) pills are recommended.  (Liquid iron supplements may blacken teeth over time.)
5) The more iron you consume, the less iron you absorb.  (No, I'm not drinking.  It's true.)  Your body has sort of a built-in fail-safe when it comes to iron.  (Do NOT take that to mean you can't go toxic on iron - you can.  But your body WILL try to prevent that.)  When you have enough iron in your system, your body tells you digestive track "Hey dudes... we've got enough iron in here - don't let anymore in, okay?"  And the digestive track says, "Okay boss."  Now, he TRIES to keep more iron from getting in.  But hey... he's not perfect.  Some more usually slips through.  Now, not MUCH will slip through - but Mr. Digestive system is watching for Mr. Iron now and is turning him away at the door.  But Mr. Iron is the coward (remember how his nickname is "i-run" because he runs scared when he sees certain other vitamins/minerals - namely calcium - trying to be absorbed.  So sometimes he may show up in disquise - wearing a mustache or whatever - and Mr. Digestive system accidentally lets him through.  (Hence you CAN go toxic on iron - so don't overdo it.)  Now, by the same token, when your body is LOW in iron, it knows that too.  And it rings Mr. Digestive track and says "Hey dudes... we're too low on iron in here - let every iron in you see, okay?"  And the digestive track says, "Okay boss."  Now, he TRIES to let every iron in he sees.  BUT iron is the coward, nicknamed "i run".  So if other vitamins/minerals - namely calcium - are in line to get into the club... he probably turned around and decided to come back another time when he wouldn't have to compete for entry.  (Hence anemia being so much more common than toxicity.)  That's also why people who get really anemic can end up on IV iron - because even when their body tells their digestive track to let every iron in they see it's still not enough.  Just something to keep in mind when thinking about iron absorption.  (I didn't dumb that down for YOU Wendy #2.  I want even noobs to be able to understand that.)
6) Iron is better absorbed with vitamin C. 
7) The tolerable upper intake level for ELEMENTAL iron is 45 mg.  However, ANEMIC adults are routinely given 60 - 200 mg of ELEMENTAL iron daily, depending on the severity of the anemia.  (This is the recommendation for NORMIES - not us.)
8) Iron supplementation will not work overnight.  It typically takes about 2 - 3 weeks to be reflected in your blood work. 
9) Women need more than twice as much iron as men.  (This is especially true for female athletes and female distance runners.  Now THAT was for you Wendy #2!  Your running made me remember that!  LOL)
10) Vitamins A, B & C actually HELP with iron absorption.  Calcium, zinc and vitamin E hinder iron absorption. 

Okay, I made it a nice even # 10 and I'm tired.  Sorry for rambling.  I've been smelling paint too long I guess.  Hope some of that helped. 

Wen

hahahahah Wendy!!! Thats the same thing with me.... Nothing Vanilla or Chocolate for me since those Pre-op HMR  Shakes... YUCK!!!

I do love the Protein packets from Special K that you can buy at WalMart.... I have the Lemon Tea, and pink Lemonade flavors, and I mix them together in my water bottle and thats what I do for my protein.... Plus I get my water in....