I am 28 weeks pregnant and was told my iron is low?

Question

i have read alot on it but my question is why did my doctor prescribe 325 mg of iron that seems like alot since most pregnant women only need 32 mg does this mean my iron is really low i am not sure i also am scared it is going to make me sick has anyone who has taken iron supplements gotten sick from them it says to take 1 hour before or 3 hours after eating i dont want to get constipated is there anything i can do to prevent this from happening thank you

Answer 1

i would talk with your doctor about the mg's of iron she prescribed that does seem high. also raw spinach has tons of iron. i was very low in iron when i was pregnant and after i found out i ate a spinach salad every few days until my next blood test and by the next time i took my blood it was perfect. it was hard for me to take my iron pills and prenatal vitamins because for 1 i couldn't hold much down and 2, it was hard to use the bathroom!

good luck and try not to stress its not good on your little angel

Answer 2

325 is a lot, but sometimes when your iron is low, you really need a boost to get your reserves back up.

As for constipation, well a little may be inevitable, but try to eat a lot of fibre. You may want to take a little Metamucil fibre daily just to keep things regular. Ask your pharmacist if this is okay. Don't take laxatives though, as it may not be safe during pregnancy.

As for stomach ache, iron can irritate the stomach a bit, but it is much better after food. Also, it helps to take them at night because then if you do get nauseous a few hours later you are probably asleep, or at least resting.

Good luck and don't worry - low iron happens during pregnancy to many people.

Answer 3

First, I'm not sure, but your iron supplement may be in a different form than the needed 32 mg. A high dosage like that will increase the amount you absorb (take it with vitamin C and not milk, in case they didn't tell you that already), and get your levels up quickly. If you just started taking 32 mg/day, you'd just be at maintenance levels, not increasing.

To avoid constipation, ask about a time-release version. Increase your fibre intake. Drink LOTS and LOTS of water.

(be ready for a change in colour in your bm, by the way)

Good luck!

Answer 4

He prescribed so much because it's very hard for the body to absorb iron supplements, so it will only be absorbing very little of what he is giving you.

Iron is one of the hardest things to regulate in the body. Once you don't eat enough iron, your body starts adjusting to how much you do eat and not absorbing anymore. It's also ideally taken in food (hidden, you might say). I don't know why supplements aren't better absorbed, but it's a common misconception that just because the supplement contains something that your body is actually going to accept it.

Don't worry too much about constipation aside from dropping a dose of fiber into your food, just to be on the safe side.

Answer 5

You will not get sick from taking iron pills but it will cause (can) constipation. The doctor wrote me out the same milligram of iron after i had my son cause my blood was so low.
Coconut helps constipation so does prune juice.
Your doctor wouldn't have wrote it out to you like that if you didn't need it. Maybe your hemoglobin was very low. Ask your pharmacist about it. I am sure though it will be fine.

Answer 6

My iron is very low and am 16 weeks pregnant and i drink 325mg too. At first it might make you constipated but i mentioned it to the Dr and he told me to take 1 instead of 2 i have also heard that stool softner can help your constipation if you have any. I actually feel fine sometimes i forget to take them but I suggest you drink lots of healthy juices freshly squeezed and your iron will go up quick.

Answer 7

I was once perscribed 500mgs of iron per day. Your iron must be pretty low for them to perscribe this much. But don't fear. I got through my pregnancy with a hemoglobin count of 9.3 - 9.7ppm (11-15 ppm is normal) and never took any iron except that which was in my prenatal vitamins (I have a genetic blood disorder which makes it difficult for my body to absorb iron).

Eat things high in iron! Peanut butter, spinach, red meat, chick peas, ect ect....this will help raise your hemo count!! Good luck!!

The most I can suggest for constipation is to consume plenty of fiber (can you say heart burn?) or talk to your doctor about other options.

Answer 8

The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant. I was taking my pre-natals and an iron supplement and my blood tests still showed I had extremely low iron levels so my doctor had to increase my dosage. I didn't suffer from any side-effects. If you are really concerned, talk to your pharmacist about the dosage levels, they know what is common and what is extreme. Also ask your OB/GYN at your next appointment. Good Luck.

Answer 9

Hi i have had 2 kids and my iron was low with both of them, i was given iron tablets to take which you could buy over the counter. 325 mg sounds like a lot so i would definatley be questioning my doctor before taking any!

Answer 10

I had to take iron pills too. The doctor also told me to get stool softener to take so I dont get constipated for it. She told me which kind to get. Ask your doctor about it. I never got sick from taking the pills. I took Chromagen.