Question:
My Dr. insist on a particular iron pill and I am throwing up every time I take it.

My Dr. insist on taking a iron pill that reguires it be taken on an empty stomach and with warm water. The warm water is the problem. Every time I take it I throw up the water with a minute or two. I have informed him and he said to dissolve it warm tea. YUCK! Right now the warm water is coming up but the iron pill is staying down if I dissolve it in water then even the dissolved pill would come up with the warm water. Any suggestions?    — Jules S. (posted on April 7, 2003)

April 7, 2003
Hi..first let me say "listen to your doctor"...now that that's out of the way..lol..I have to take a 150mg iron pill every day, and I take it in the morning with a couple sips of orange juice. I don't understand the reason for warm water, maybe ask the doc why it has to be warm, unless he's trying to "melt" the coating on the pill. The orange juice (vitamin C) helps with the absorption of the iron...I had problems in the beginning with my iron pills, too, and I found that taking with juice works best for me...Good luck!
   — lily1968

April 7, 2003
I agree with Denise! I take my Carbonyl Iron with 4 oz. of OJ and a 500mg. Ester C tablet every morning, on empty stomach, before shower time. I had tried sugar free Tang as well as some Crystal Light, but they just don't set well in the tummy. This small bit of OJ doesn't bother me, sugar-wise, and gives me extra potassium, E & zinc (I buy Minute Maid Premium Pulp Free with extra E & Zinc added). Hope you find a solution that suits you! Good Luck. - Anna LAP RNY 7/3/02 -120lbs.
   — Anna L.

April 7, 2003
You didn't say which iron it is that is bothering you. But the empty stomach requirement & pain means ferrous sulfate to me. The Carbonyl or the 150's described here are the best choices that I know. They are well absorbed, and do not cause distress coming in or going out, if you catch my drift. Personally, I never take iron with OJ (too much sugar), but just with a Vit C.
   — vitalady

April 7, 2003
My instructions were a genereic instruction to take "an iron supplement evvery day". I found a chewable chelated iron supplement at the local health food/vitamin store in town. I have had no problems with it, other than the expected mild constipation. This chewable also contains about 100mg of Vitamin C to aid in absorption of the iron.
   — koogy