Headaches from iron?

Has anyone else had a problem of getting headaches after taking iron? At first I thought it was a coincidence, but each time I take my iron supplement, I get a headache within 5 minutes I typically take it about 20-30 minutes after lunch crushed up in applesauce. Liquid Tylenol makes me sick, so I have to suffer through these headaches for about an hour each day. Maybe once I can stop crushing them it won't bother me nearly as much, but that won't be for at least 2-3 weeks per my doctor. There probably isn't much I can do about it, but I was just wondering if anyone else had this problem. I'm dreading the thought of headaches from now until I stop menstrating. Right now I'm 32, and that's leaves quite a few headaches Julie

Julie... Is the iron prescribed for you? If it is enteric coated and you are crushing it that could be the problem.There are several different kinds you can try. Give your doc a call and tell him...or maybe call the pharmacist and see if what you are experiancing is a common side effect. Are your RBC's low? My doc said that a multivitamin 2X a day would be enough but I have been feeling weak. I bought a natural iron that is liquid but it is so nasty tasting that it makes me SICK afterwards. I wonder if you would do better with a liquid Iron. I do miss Motrin 800's with a passion. I am afraid to try the liquid Tylenol. The bottle squeels at me, "If you take me..you will dump" ...LOL I hope you feel better soon. Hugs, Dana

Hey Dana, I'm taking an OTC iron supplement, but I will check with my doc on it. He and the nurse prac. told me to crush them for the next couple of weeks until I can handle swallowing them. The reason I questioned them is I read online that they shouldn't be crushed. I figured doc knows best Don't get me wrong, I think the world of Dr. Lucktong; he did a beautiful job on me. I don't have bloodwork done until my 3 mth appointment, so I don't know if my RBC's are low or not. I'm actually supposed to take 325 mg of Ferrous Sulfate 2x a day, but I can only handle one headache a day; therefore I am only taking it once. Thanks for the reply! Headaches must not be a common reaction. Julie

Hi Julie. Never encountered this issue, but it got me thinking. How much iron are you getting from the food you eat? Perhaps your Iron levels are a bit elevated to begin with? I'm no doctor (so PLEASE don't treat this as gospel!), but I thought to myself: Iron Spike? (No pun intended!) Did about 30 seconds of digging and found this: (Quote) Iron and manganese comprise an interdependent mineral pair which affects various liver functions (and vice versa), including hormonal balance, glycogen metabolism, red blood cell / hemoglobin production, and others. In contrast to below-normal levels of iron or manganese, which can provoke vascular headaches, elevated levels can trigger classic migraine symptoms, with the iron / manganese Ratio determining the left or right-sidedness of a headache. In the event of elevated iron, any iron antagonist such as zinc, magnesium, Vitamin B2 or E - whichever is the most compatible - will effectively relieve the side-specific migraine headaches associated with iron. Donating blood is another option, which will also lower blood pressure in those where it is related to high iron levels. The opposite headache side responds to reducing manganese, whose level can be lowered through potassium, calcium, Vitamin B6, or C - whichever ones match best individually. Lowering manganese will also improve the liver's ability to break down estrogen, where a higher mean average is a common trigger for migraines that are associated with the menstrual cycle, including high estrogenic-types of PMS. Blood sugar irregularities may also improve once manganese levels are normalized. Most properly diagnosed migraine cases involve congestive liver disease of both large central liver lobes (implicating elevated iron and manganese), which makes the herb Milk Thistle an ideal addition to any other therapy chosen. (Unquote) This info comes from http://www.acu-cell.com/dis-hea.html. Again, I am NOT a medical professional by any means and, as always, your doctor will usually know how to bes address any concerns you may have. Hopefully this info may be helpful. Have a great week! -Paul

G'morning babee!! ..yah yah, I know you're at the office! Just wanted to say, GREAT REPLY!! Your "research link" is dead on - although Ive never personally experienced headaches with iron, Ive heard / read the things in the above link, time and time again. Love you (bunches) ...ME! Pssst... um, you're NOT a real DOCTOR?!? [gasp] .... So all those "exams" were purely for .....?