Question:
Is this Iron?

I was reading the label on my multi-vitamins to see if the Iron was ferrous sulfate. The only thing I can find is ferrous fumarate on the ingredients list. Is this the Iron? And if my iron was low, at 30 two months ago, now 20, how many mgs. of iron should I be getting a day? Increased dose to 36 mgs. aside from what I get in my food. Is this enough? This vitamin thing can be difficult to figure out!!    — [Anonymous] (posted on February 5, 2002)

February 4, 2002
My surgeon recommends one of the following 1 x a day in addition to the multi-vitamin: Feosol-325mg (ferrous sulfate) (65 mg iron) Fergon-240 mg (ferrous gluconate)(27mg iron), Slow FE -160 mg(ferrous sulfate)(50mg iron), Niferex-150mg or Niferex Elixer 10cc per day, or Iron gel capsules(generic iron) I personally take Fergon 240 mg 1 x daily. Hope this helps you. I was confused about vitamins too. I am 2 months post op. Good luck !
   — [Anonymous]

February 5, 2002
I was low on Iron and B-12, so a friend of mine that is a doctor and that also has had the surgery recommended that I take 100 mg of Iron a day. I got a perscription for iron since I have been diagnosed as anemic due to the low iron and B-12. I also get a B-12 shot once a month. Take those vitamins, I was not very active in that part of my post-op and have had to increase my pill taking because of it. Once you develop a low level in iron it takes quite a while to build it back up. Good luck and I would call your dr. to get what he precribes you do!
   — Tawny F.

February 5, 2002
Ferrous fumarate is presumed to be a good iron for us. But the amount in the mutli is not much, as well as being overwhelmed by all the minerals in the same pill. If you are proximal RNY, you might consider taking another iron, such as carbonyl form, maybe 50mg ELEMENTAL iron (which is equal to 325mg iron salts in sulfate form). Check the back of the box for serving size. Usually TWO pills = 50mg elemental. But if you are well below normal in iron levels, you might want the polysaccharide form (150mg elemental per PILL) to pick you up til you get fresh labs. You are probably not getting more than 10% from your food sources.
   — vitalady