Iron pills

Any suggestions for iron pills? I didn't get any because I had a hyesterectomy in 1991, but my hemoglobin is down a little and after I have it checked today, I might have to take some for a little while. What brands are good ones? Ellen

Hi Ellen, I didn't think I needed extra iron 'cause I am in menopause but when I had my first labs done my iron levels were alittle low. Julie (PMRI) just told me to make sure my vitamins had iron in them. I had not been taking vitamins that contained iron. I will have my second set of labs done this month and I am anxious to see if my levels have changed. If you have to take extra iron, I recommend a liquid that I bought at Nature's Way (it is a great store near Prices Corner). Stuart( the owner) has been very helpful in finding me different things to help me. The liquid is by Floradix. The bottle says Floravital Iron and Herbs Liquid Extract Formula Dietary Supplement. It is non constipating and yeast and gluten free. It doesn't taste bad either!!! I hope this helps. Linda Barrett (sometime poster, full time lurker!)

Thnaks so much...I will check out that store if I need supplements. I never took vitamins before my surgery so hopefully they will help. Ellen

Not sure if this will help you or not but: Ok - rules of thumb for Iron (in case you don't know): Avoid eating cereals, bread etc at the time you take minerals. Do not mix iron with soda, tea or coffee and never take it together with calcium and Zinc, because these three nutrients compete for absorption. Calcium is the strongest of the three. Vitamin E will also inhibit absorption. Taking copper can help absorption. Avoid antacids at the same time! You can take iron with potassium and magnesium - but not calcium or E or zinc. Calcium stacks well with the following: Vitamins C, D and A, B-vitamins, MSM, inositol, carbs, fats and protein. I take mine first thing in the morning w/ a vitamin C - wait about 90 minutes to 2 hours and then have my breakfast and take my multi-vitamin. Calcium I take at night before bed. I take Solgar Gentle Iron - it's chelated for maximum absorption and doesn't cause stomach upset or bowel issues. I get it cheaply at www.vitacost.com 180 capsules for under 20 bucks. That's a three month supply for me. Of course, ask your doc/nut what kind they recommend. HTH, Toots

Tooter! Good to see you waaaayyyy over here on the east coast! Hugs, Tammy

Ellen, I personally take Vitron C - Iron (ferrous fumarate - 200mg) encapsulated in vitamin c (125mg) to better help absorption. The tips that Tooter gave you are excellent to better help absorption of iron. Seems iron is a selfish little bugger and doesn't like to play well with the other minerals and vitamins - especially calcium! I take it first thing in the morning and I have not had a problem with nausea or constipation. IMHO - It is a quality supplement. I am very happy with it. BUT and this is a big but, it is a small pill and the docs and PMRI are suggesting that we take all our vits in chewable form or liquid, last I heard. I have found suitable forms of all my other vits in chewable or sub-lingual form, but have not yet found an iron that works for me other than the Vitron C. My pharmacist special orders it for me but you can find it OTC if you search. It runs something like $10 - 12 for 60 tablets. For me it is well worth the small cost to have something so small and yet so potent (200 mg) that works so well without side effects. But it is NOT for everyone. I had considered trying the Solgar Gentle Iron that Tooter recommends, but then thought again, why change when what I am doing is working? But should the Vitron C stop doing what I need it to do, then the next on my list will certainly be the Solgar. I agree with the chelated theory and even think that it could be a better choice than the Vitron C, but since I have already started the Vitron, guess I will stick with it until my bloodwork or energy levels starts to tell me different. BTW - you can find the Solgar gentle iron at both the Vitamin Shoppes. I think I remember that they ran something like $15 for 180 25mg caps. Hugs, Tammy aka TT/Dimples - whatever OH decides to let me post as this time! I guess I have freaked out the servers with more than one profile eh?

LOL Hi I'm a traveling kind of gal I sure wish we had a vitamin shoppe here! Dang they have good buys! I hear they carry the full line of Solgar products.

Tooter, You have such a way with words ... likely I would have said something to the effect of "I get around" And ... um, well, "a traveling kind of gal" is so much better than a gal who gets around eh? Same premise but TOTALLY different meanings, or at least it could be taken as such. Sorry, my sense of humor is just ... ummm well ... off sometimes, this being one of those mornings! Warning to self ... long day ahead!!! Anyway, The Vitamin Shoppe does have a full line of Solgar both in store and online. Right now they have free shipping on orders over $99 (expires the end of this month). But even without the free shipping, they have flat rate shipping for any size order to the contintental US for $4.99. (www) thevitaminshoppe.com Hugs, Tammy (who is trying to pull the foot from her mouth as you read this)

I used to take a iron supplement, but I no longer do since I too had a hysterectomy in April. But I found my iron pills at Walmart. They are the Spring Valley brand and come in a box. They were about a 1/4 size of a M&M. Very small and easy to swallow.

That is the brand I use. I take them very early in the morning. They are very easy to swallow.