Question:
Can someone explain the iron requirement to me?

My Dr. wants me to take 325mg. Iron, twice a day, for a total of 650mg/day. Like an idiot, I twice bought the wrong stuff, first as a pre-op, not knowing what to look for (it was ferrous sulfate); and then post-op, when I COULD NOT read my dr's handwriting on my hospital's Patient Discharge Instructions sheet. I showed this sheet to a pharmisist for help, but the idiot had me buy the wrong stuff (ferrous sulfate) which I only realized once I was home and had already opened the pkg. I had a recent visit w/ my nutritionist and she looked at that instruction sheet and recognised right away what the dr. wanted me to take; the brand name was written right there (why couldn't that dumb pharmisist see that?). SO, I FINALLY bought my Iron - Fergon (ferrous gluconate). Anyway, upon reading the label, and this has been confusing me all along, it says under Supplement Facts, "Amount Per Serving: Iron....27mg." Under Ingredients it says, "240mg. Ferrous Gluconate equal to approx. 27mg. elemental iron." So my question is, if a dr. tells you to take 650mg. iron/day, are they going by the elemental iron, in which case I'd need to take like 24 pills/day; or are they going by the ferrous gluconate amount, which means just about 2 pills/day? I'm assuming that it's the latter; he did say to take 2 pills/day. I guess what I really wanted to know is what's the difference between "Elemental Iron" and the Ferrous whatever? Btw, I'm 19 days post-op (open distal RNY) and haven't started my iron yet :( I know there's a certain way it should be taken & I don't know how, and I want to take it right. Sorry if this question sounds stupid, but I was never good in chemistry & this sounds like a chemistry question.    — lalasmommy (posted on June 9, 2001)

June 9, 2001
Surely your doctor didn't mean for you to be taking that many pills a day, so I'd go with the gluconate amount for now, and call his office to be sure. As for how to take it, vitamin C makes it absorb easier, so if you have that, take them together on an empty stomach, or drink a swallow of watered down juice with the pill. I don't take iron, but I also hear it makes you a little sick feeling till you get used to it. Try first thing in the morning, since you need the empty stomach. Also, take measures to avoid constipation caused by iron.
   — Amy K.