Iron supplements

Emily Gonzalez51 said:How much time does it actually take to get hemoglobin levels back to normal through iron supplementation? Is it like a month, maybe two?

Well—it really depends on just how low your hemoglobin dropped in the first place! Generally speaking, you’re looking at somewhere between 3 to 6 months.

Amanda Patel said:I’d also say we should definitely throw some young stinging nettles into the mix—honestly, they are everywhere right now! You can prepare them exactly like you would sautéed spinach or Swiss chard, and let me tell you, they are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to iron. I’ve personally tested this out myself—tried it on my own skin, so to speak—and it is just such a fantastic, budget-friendly way to boost your nutrition naturally. It’s truly worth a shot! 👍

Stinging nettles are actually incredibly healthy—though you really have to make sure you harvest them while they’re still young; honestly, you want to grab just the top part of the stem for the best results! I personally love to boil mine up with some dried ribs and potatoes—it turns out to be absolutely delicious.

I just wanted to throw out a quick recommendation for iron tablets that actually work because they're chelated—you know, organic—plus they have Vitamin C and bioflavonoids to help things along. It's called Iron Plus. It’s pretty great if you're dealing with anemia, feeling run down, or just totally wiped out all the time. Since it uses this amino acid chelated form, your body absorbs the iron about 3 to 10 times better than those other non-chelated, inorganic types.

I take my iron supplements alongside fresh bell peppers, cabbage, and salad—basically anything packed with Vitamin C.

I honestly feel like I’d need to go on a massive liver diet just to get my blood counts back where they belong! When it comes to those iron supplements, though, they only seem to pack about 10 mg of iron per pill. If I wanted to actually see some progress, I figured I’d have to crush at least five of them every single day to boost absorption, and then maybe scale back to two daily just to maintain my levels once I'm feeling better. We'll just have to see how it goes! Right now, I'm sticking with Ferum Lek, but as for what I'll switch to later, I haven't got the slightest clue yet.

feralcobra92 said:I honestly think I’d need to eat a mountain of liver just to get my blood work back to normal. As for those iron... whatever tablets, they only have 10 mg of iron. At this rate, I’d have to choke down at least five a day to actually absorb anything, then maybe two later on to maintain. We'll see. Right now I'm on Ferum Lek, but I haven't even thought about what comes next.

My iron levels hit 3 once. My primary care doctor basically kept me on Ferum Lek for two straight years. We managed to drag it up to 6, which was still terrible. Then she stopped the prescription and it tanked back down to 5. Since then, I just buy my own blackberry wine or grab some Floradix tonic, which is around $33, but it works. Currently, I'm using the stuff from Twin Lab.
And look, I eat everything. Veggies, meat... I take Vitamin C... zinc...

I don't know!!!

Chloe Garcia10 said:Hey!

I had some bloodwork done the other day. My iron is down to 7 (normal range is 8-30) and my TIBC is 41 (range 49-75). My iron levels have always been great before. During both pregnancies I was around 15, and 4 months postpartum back in July 2007, I was at 20. This sudden drop really has me worried. My CBC—erythrocytes, hemoglobin, etc.—is fine.
Ever since the 9th month of my pregnancy in 2007, I haven't been feeling right (dizziness, and now weakness, plus insomnia for a month even with meds). I've run a mountain of tests. Most are fine.
What should I do? Any other tests?
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Blood in stool? You dealing with an infection? What’s the hct and ferritin look like? How about AST and ALT?

feralcobra92 said:Does anyone know what the recommended daily doses are for "average" people versus those who need an extra boost—like pregnant women or those dealing with heavy cycles? My current tablets provide 100 mg of iron.

Do those pills of yours include any Vitamin C?

There isn't anything else besides iron in my Ferum, but I just wash it down with this incredibly delicious beet juice I whipped up myself along with some Vitamin C.

Nicole Lee4 said:My iron levels were just as low once! My doctor actually warned me that if I didn't show up for treatment, my limbs might just give out on me. Later, I even met a woman whose iron had dropped all the way down to 2.
Basically, I'm taking supplements now.
And yeah, I didn't listen to my doctor the first time when she insisted I take Vitamin C along with the iron, and I ended up getting sick.

I have to share a little success story—my iron once plummeted to 3, and I think I actually annoyed the ER staff because they were constantly seeing me! I felt like I was fainting every time I moved. For a whole year, I tried all sorts of different pills, which honestly just wrecked my stomach without helping much. As soon as I stopped, the levels would drop again. But then, I discovered something amazing: blackberry wine! 👍 I've been having it for a year now, and my iron levels have stayed between 8 and 20. To be fair, I was probably drinking more than two or three glasses a day. Everything seems back to normal now except for my ferritin, and I guess I still need to figure out how to fix that part.

It seems I am also struggling with my iron levels. Two months ago, my iron was sitting at a dismal 4.2 and my hemoglobin was down to 104. Naturally, I have been taking Feosol ever since; I have about two tablets left, which I combine with Vitamin C. Of course, I’ve also been increasing my intake of leafy greens and meat... From what I can see, one tablet provides 115 mg of iron. About a year and a half ago, I went through a similar stretch where my levels were around 3.xx—though I can't recall the exact number—and I spent three months on Feosol back then too. Years before that, I was on iron as well, I believe it was Ferrum. If memory serves, Feosol is slightly less offensive than the alternatives, though even this leaves me feeling nauseous for about four hours afterward... I take it in the morning. My menstrual cycles are quite unpredictable, as they always seem to shift by a few days. They tend to be very heavy for the first two to four days, lasting anywhere from eight to ten days in total. I have even used Dabroston to try and manage them. Do any of you actually manage to keep things within a normal range? Beyond that, I am perpetually exhausted, constantly wanting to sleep, and I find myself avoiding the sun and the heat because the dizziness and blackouts are just too much... How does one maintain such unfortunate iron levels? 😢

I managed to find a couple of other ways to boost my iron levels, since those standard pills just absolutely wreck my stomach and I can't deal with them. First off, I've been using the NATAL supplement from HIPP, which you can grab at Walgreens $18. It comes with two bottles and a little measuring cup that holds about 15 mg of iron per dose, and I guess I take two of those a day. I also have this homemade remedy: just some freshly grated beets, shredded carrots, and the juice of one lemon. The taste is... well, it's definitely an acquired one, but I think the effect is actually pretty amazing!

Kimberly Jones58 said:I have to brag a little—my iron levels plummeted to 3, and I was honestly starting to annoy the staff at the ER because they were seeing me constantly. It felt like every time I turned around, my levels were tanking. For an entire year, I was popping all sorts of random pills, which just ended up wrecking my stomach for nothing. The second I stop taking them, my iron crashes. But then I discovered this absolute game-changer: blackberry wine. 👍I’ve been drinking it for a year now, and my iron levels have been bouncing between 8 and 20. To be fair, I was having more than two or three glasses a day back then. Everything else has returned to normal except for my ferritin—now I have to figure out how to fix that, too, though I have no clue how.

I went through the exact same thing—iron at 3. I struggled with iron tablets for years, and the moment I stopped, everything would crash again. It felt like I was basically addicted to those supplements just to stay afloat.
Blackberry wine was a total lifesaver for me. A few years ago, we used to make our own blackberry wine at home, and I relied solely on that—just about a shot before meals. My iron stayed at a solid 12, so for a while, I didn't use any supplements at all. Then it dropped down to 7, so now I’m back on it, having about half a shot before lunch. I only take Ferum Lek during my period (for about 7 days), and my labs from yesterday showed an iron level of 11.

Hey there...
I headed out this morning thinking I’d donate some blood,
but they turned me away because my iron levels are too low...
The nurse told me I really need to start eating more red meat,
which is funny because I barely touch the stuff,
so I was wondering if anyone else knows what else I should be eating to actually get those levels up...