Some bloodwork I got done showed a low ferritin level. I’m not anemic but I do need to supplement to build up my Iron stores.
Anyone else supplement? Dr wants me to take 325mg Iron Sulfate a day. I’m looking for recommendations for supplements. I prefer non-heme because I am a vegetarian. I know supplement companies are of varying quality so any guidance would be appreciated, even a dis-recommendation.
As a sidebar, two of the symptoms are night sweats and restless leg syndrome. I’m really hoping getting my Iron stores back up to normal will relieve some of those for me!
I won’t take iron sulfate. Too many GI side effects. I take Iron Bisglycinate. No GI side effects. Absorbed at least as well as iron sulfate. The dosing is lower. I really don’t know the source though, but I’ve found it on vegan websites so I have to assume it’s non-heme. I recommend it to all of my patients who need to supplement.
I recommend it to all of my patients who need to supplement.
Jodi
Dr. Khai recommends BEEF, LAMB and GOAT! Also, cooking in cast-iron cookware. Jen already knows this, but I couldn’t resist replying to Jodi as “Dr. Khai”
Since I can’t cram any red meat into yer piehole later this month… Up your intake of Vit C and eat more spinach (pref both together as Vit C helps with the uptake of Iron in plant and meat sources alike).
Keep an eye on the night sweats. You could be like me: perimenopausal
Nothing to do with iron levels.
(FWIW, I have a similar issue re: calcium so I can relate to your situation).
Jen, I took Ferro-Sequels when I was pregnant, it’s a slow release iron supplement that has a stool softener in it and I liked it. I was waking up in the middle of the night because my legs were twitching so hard I couldn’t sleep. I also experienced night sweats and had insomnia so I have had a preview of menopause and it wasn’t pretty. We’re going to try for baby #2 next year and I will probably go from fertility drugs to pregnancy and without stopping go… directly to menopause. AWESOME!
I hate iron supplements. Yuck. I took ferrous fumarate for a month and then switched to Proferrin for two months. Proferrin is definitely not vegetarian. I’m told tat ferrous fumarate is the easiest for most to tolerate. Neither was particularly good for my insides and I’m happy to have finished taking them. In order to not be completely miserable, I needed to use psyllium on a daily basis. Still, the effects still impacted my running because things just weren’t right.
It’s interesting that the link between RLS and ferritin is so well established and yet I wasted nearly a year with my doctor figuring out the cause. For me the change was pretty quick once I started with the supplements. I’m sleeping great now!
Hey I am a mid-40’s woman and realized I have RLS and night sweats. I take an iron supplement despite my obgyn telling me I didn’t need to. I had someone else tell me to take one anyways. I wonder if it is the type of iron I am taking.
Is there a difference between iron sulfate and whatever other type of iron??
What else is recommended for pre-menopausal women…?? I too am a vegan.
Up your intake of Vit C and eat more spinach (pref both together as Vit C helps with the uptake of Iron in plant and meat sources alike).