Monday, August 11, 2008

Fe for Me

I'm anemic. No surprise.

The phone call letting me know the doctor wanted me to start an extra iron supplement was no surprise either.

Picking up the prescription and reading the information label, however, gave me a HUGE surprise. The instructions stated that iron was best absorbed on an empty stomach. Therefore, you should take the pill one hour before or two hours after eating.

Really? That would require a 3-hour stretch with no food. Do they think when I'm pregnant I can really go that long? I'm surely not convinced. Needless to say finding a good time to take this pill has been a bit tricky.

14 comments:

Brenda said...

That stinks! I took Iron for a week and it made me sick! I hope it works for you. Eat your spinach!

Jessica said...

I had to take those with all three of my kids, no fun! You should set your alarm for like 4 in the morning and keep a glass of water by your bed! LOL, it will get you ready for all those early morning feedings!!

Sarah said...

Those iron pills always made me sick. Taking anything on an empty stomach usually does that to me. Good luck to you!

Reba said...

Wish I had the pregnancy excuse for why I can't go 3 hours without eating . . .

Jan said...

That is so not fair Heather. Hope you get your iron up though. You must feel exhausted. And good luck on the eating ;)

goddessdivine said...

Hmmm, maybe if you double your dose, the absorption lost on a full stomach will make up for itself had you taken it on an empty one.

Washington Rimmasch Family said...

I had to take those after I had Tiernen. My Dr. said as long as I don't take them at the same time as dairy I can have a bit of bread or something because they were making me sick. I guess calcium and iron fight each other and your system can only absorb one or the other. So, if you are taking them at the same time you are really only getting one. I don't know maybe there is a difference when you’re prego and post prego. I'm w/ jess take at 4 am when you’re up to go to the bathroom anyhow. GOOD LUCK.

Megan said...

seriously. this is a problem. i too, am taking iron (in a liquid for this time) it does sit better on an empty stomach than the pills did. however, i really don't do an empty stomach either....

Randi said...

Extra iron, eh? That happened to me, too. You know how they diagnosed that there might be a problem? I was chewing on ice. Do you chew ice?

Melissa said...

The people at WIC told me I was anemic with my first pregnancy. They gave me some super nasty iron pills that... ahem... plugged me up. So, I went off of them and started trying to eat food with more iron in it. At my next visit they told me my iron was better... if you can't find a time to get those pills in, diet could be an answer!

Holly said...

That's a bummer. All that iron on an empty stomach makes for a whole lot of feeling like you're going to throw up...at least that's how I remember it. SOrry.

J. said...

I'd take it right before bed. Goof luck! I hate pills, they are the worst.

Kris said...

Good luck with that! I took those iron pills too. Gotta love it.

Kelly said...

I was anemic during pregnancy also...I was told iron supplements are better absorbed when taken with a glass of O.J. -no starvation, no upset stomach.

You can try to take them right before bed if they make you feel woozy (not to mention your tummy is probably empty then) because you'll sleep through the wooziness.

Good luck!!