Iron Deficiency

I just find a generic Ferrous Sulfate, which is the type of iron my doctor told me to take.  He said there wasn't any reason to pay for the name. 

Multis with iron are not the best choice, as the calcium in them partially (or fully, depending on the formulation) blocks absorption of the iron. A better choice would be a separate iron supplement, taken far away from any calcium (supplement, dairy, etc).

There are also lots of good food sources of iron, such as red meat, fortified oatmeal, prunes/raisins... just google it and you'll find many lists.

And since you're on Synthroid, that will have to get separated that from the iron and from the calcium. (Guess you'll be wearing a watch all day now!)

The following is from the About.com website:

"... Calcium can interfere with the absorption of thyroid drugs. You should take calcium at least two to three hours apart from taking your thyroid hormone. The same holds true for calcium-fortified orange or apple juice. You should not take your thyroid hormone at the same time as calcium-fortified juice."
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/thyroid-drug-faq.htm#5a

"Iron, whether alone, or as part of a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin supplement, interferes with thyroid hormone absorption. You should not take your vitamins with iron at the same time as your thyroid hormone, and should allow at least two hours between taking them."
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/thyroid-drug-faq.htm#7

Blackstrap molasses is good too. (If you like molasses.)

Dee, I hate the staggering of all the drugs with Synthroid and absorption of calcium and iron.  Loads of fun!

Edited by NXS 2009-09-11 5:56 AM

What's your diet like? Do you eat meat? ... I had low iron when I was vegan, I started eating meat again and was fine after a few weeks ...

I do eat meat, but not every day.  I don't eat a lot of red meat, mostly chicken breasts.

I'll have to look up the lists of high iron foods and start eating more of those.  I know spinach and some beans are good, but I'm sure there's more.  My mom suggested getting some liver, but there's no way I can eat liver. 

Hello

I had the same issue when trying to donate blood in the past. 

Eat Spinach.

Kevin

It depends what you are looking for as far as dosage goes...I think in general ferrous gluconate is about 35mg elemental iron, ferrous sulphate is about 55mg elemental iron, and ferrous fumarate (the big gun) is about 100mg elemental iron...prenatal supplements also have a high load of iron--about 27mg elemental iron on average...

I have had IDA for about 8 yrs now. When I was training 25hrs a week for swimming I was taking palafer which is the 100mg of iron...however, now that I am not training to that level I have been taking a generic 55mg. I found that the palafer was giving me some unpleasant GI cramping and bloating. You are pretty low, so I would say a multivitamin (even a prenatal one) is probably not going to be enough. Your best bet would probably be the 35mg or 55mg. But it depends on your diet and how much you are training...

I'm frequently anemic, but I don't eat meat. I take a pill called "Hemaplex" because it's vegetarian and has a pretty high concentration of iron.

I get nauseous if I take it on an empty stomach or just with OJ though, so I usually take it with a dairy-free meal.

I dont know what the numbers mean, but if you're not severely anemic you could try iron drops - they're supposed to be easier on the stomach.