Iron supplements - HELP, PLEASE!!!

Hi everyone - hope someone can help me.  I am having the same problem that sweet Linda was having a few days ago - constipation.  I do have to take 150 units of iron every day, thus the culprit.  What Iron does everyone take and where do you get it.  Is some more constipating that others?  Any help you can give me sure would be appreciated.  I don't post often, but try to catch up with everyones lives a couple of times a week.  I had RNY in July '07 and reached my goal last fall after losing 125#.  I feel great - but would feel soooo much better without this constipation.  Any help and advise you can give would sure be appreciated.
Thanks!
Randa

I take ferrous sulfate ... that's what I was told to take by my bariatric doctor. Plus I take Vitamin C with it to help with absorption. But that caused terrible constipation at first. So I started taking a stool softener at night and that was the only thing that helped with the constipation ... I was already taking a fiber supplement because of diverticulosis, so I knew I needed more help. I eat plenty of salads, but even that didn't help because of the iron. So try a stool softener just before bed. If that doesn't work, try one in the morning and one at night.

I hated taking another pill but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Hi Eileen - I have been taking stool softeners and still having a problem.  Now that I think about it, I could probably eat more salads.  Thanks for your help!

Randa

Randa,
I take Tender Iron from vitalady.com.  I also take magnesium and it really helps with constipation.

I take 300mg Tender Iron with vit C.

I take mag oxide 4x per day with my calcium groups. Not everyone needs 4, so don't go by that. Customize to fit you. I already had a family history of it. The iron changed NOTHING, for me.

The ferrous forms are more brutal and ferrous sulfate is the worst. The ASMBS finally took a position on that and said no fe sulfate, but they didn't rule out the other ferrous forms.

I'm just going by what worked for us (us = me, my dh, support groups, etc). The ferrous forms were more irritating to the whole GI system.

Let me clarify, that's 300mg elemental iron.

The ferrous forms are iron salts, so when they say 325mg, that's iron salts, or about 65mg elemental iron.

If the number you've been told is 150, that is probably elemental iron, not salts.

Hi - thanks for taking the time to help me with my "problem".  I didn't know of your website.  Went on this a.m. and ordered  90 caps of the Tender Iron, Magnesium, and some chocolate sauce.  Thanks again for your help!

Randa

Not sure what you ordered. Tender isn't caps, doesn't come in 90. It's 400 tablets. ? But I can see where the choco sauce would make it go down better, either way! LOL

After your post, I wasn't sure what I had ordered either .. .  But, this is what I ordered: 90 tabs Tender Magnesium, 400 tabs Tender Iron, and the chocolate sugar free sauce. 
Thanks again for your help!

Randa

ok, makes sense. be sure to take the iron with vit C, an hour apart from caffeine, dairy, whole grain, egg or any other vites, minerals or meds.

the mag you can take with calcium

the choco sauce, well, goes without saying, it goes with EVEYRTHING!