Pregnancy and iron levels

If anyone has experience with this, please weigh in before I give my doctor a call tomorrow. I'm in my second month of pregnancy, and my physician prescribed a Previa supplement, but recent tests showed I have mild anemia. Following that, he put me on Ferrum chewable tablets. He didn't specify whether taking these alongside the Previa—which contains 26 mg of iron—is actually safe, especially since the Ferrum provides 100 mg. Is there any risk of complications from taking both? I've been on this regimen for two days now and am worried I might be doubling up on my iron intake. Any insight would be appreciated...

I really hope someone reaches out with their own experience, but honestly, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just give your OB-GYN a call and ask them directly.

Technically, you're fine taking both Previa and iron—I’m assuming you ended up with the Iron supplement from Ferrum Lek—so don't sweat it. Your body is basically screaming for more iron during pregnancy, plus you're going to lose a decent amount of blood during delivery anyway... so there's really no need to worry about an overdose here. The real trick is making sure you take some Vitamin C alongside the iron to actually help with absorption. And for heaven's sake, don't take those pills on an empty stomach; they can be brutal on your stomach if you do.

But seriously, though, make sure you run it by your OB-GYN first. 🙂

Wait, isn't the whole trick with iron to take it on an empty stomach? I thought you weren't supposed to eat anything for at least half an hour after taking it, unless you're having some orange juice to help with absorption?

If it's hitting your stomach hard—it definitely will...

Casey Palmer5, I actually got the exact same advice from a doctor just last week—take your iron after you eat so it doesn't absolutely wreck your stomach, and if you can, pair it with a Vitamin C tablet. That's the word...

Joseph Jones85 said:Casey Palmer5, I actually got that exact same advice from a doctor just last week—take your Iron after eating so it doesn't wreck your stomach, and try to take it with a Vitamin C pill if you can. That's it.

Casey Palmer5 is right!
During Previa, Iron supplements are taken orally and on an empty stomach.
Treatment usually starts in the second half of the pregnancy, with the goal of ensuring every Previa reaches delivery with a hemoglobin level of at least 13g% (130g/l).
The dosage depends on how severe the anemia is. It's standard for a Gravida to take about 100 mg/day of the supplement.
Everyone reacts differently to these things, which is why there are so many different types and combinations available.
Best,👋
Nathan Hayes31.

Nathan Hayes31 said:Casey Palmer5 is spot on!
Iron supplements should be taken orally and on an empty stomach during pregnancy.
Treatment usually kicks in during the second half of the pregnancy, with the goal being for every pregnant woman to head into labor with a hemoglobin level of at least 13g% (130g/l).
The dosage really depends on how severe the anemia is. Generally speaking, it's enough for a Gravida to take about 100 mg/day (1.8mmol/d) of the supplement.
Everyone reacts differently to these things, so there are plenty of different types and combinations out there.
Cheers!👋
S.

Well, then I guess I'll have to let this doctor—who is supposed to be some big-shot specialist, mind you—know that he's out here spreading total misinformation to his patients. I'll send him this link... honestly, maybe a quick click through this will do more for him than years of medical school ever did.😉

It’s probably just the way they recommend taking the iron supplement in the instructions...

David said:Casey Palmer5, I actually got that exact same advice from a doctor just last week—take iron after meals so it doesn't wreck your stomach, and ideally pair it with some Vitamin C. There you go.

It’s like you’re refusing to see the point. For maximum absorption, you take supplements on an empty stomach. Period. But if you can't handle them because they're destroying your stomach, then yeah, take them after food, knowing full well you'll get less out of them. This isn't about your specialist spreading misinformation; it's about weighing the side effects against the results.
S.

Just to add my two cents—they didn't tell me I had to take the iron on an empty stomach.

placidjackal97 said:Just adding that I take iron, and nobody ever told me I had to do it on an empty stomach.

I wouldn't have mentioned it either, honestly, mostly because I wasn't sure you'd actually get it.
Whether you take it before meals if you can handle it, or after if the supplement makes you sick, doesn't change the fact that absorption is what matters here. Taking it before a meal is better for absorption. But hey, it's not life-threatening to take it after eating if taking it on an empty stomach gives you stomach cramps...
It comes down to the actual principle of how it works, which apparently both you and that clueless David can't seem to wrap your heads around.
Hell, you could probably just apply it rectally for all I care, if that's what works for you! 😕 😎
swiftbison7.

From what I understand, the only iron supplement in America where you don't have to take it on an empty stomach to actually see results is those Ironclad chewable tablets.

Anything else you take after a meal basically just ends up being flushed right out of your system.

Nathan Hayes31...take a deep breath and chill out🙂

Look, don't go losing sleep over drinking "too much" iron. Your body's actually pretty smart about it—the iron gets reabsorbed in your small intestine just in the amount you actually need, and any extra? It just gets flushed right out. It’s not like those fat-soluble vitamins where things can spiral into hypervitaminosis or some crazy overdose situation.🙂

Everyone reacts differently, obviously. Some people are fine, others feel like garbage. It's common knowledge that ascorbic acid helps with absorption, so a lot of folks swear by taking it with Vitamin C. If you've got a sensitive stomach, though, don't be a hero and try taking it on an empty stomach, or you're definitely going to feel like crap.

It’s about the principle—something you and that clown David clearly can't wrap your heads around.

So, which vitamin or mineral are you lacking that’s got you this worked up?

I was actually reading the instructions last night—it says to take it either before OR after a meal.

I've been taking that Ferrohel syrup, and the label says you absolutely have to take it on an empty stomach.

I stick to iron micro-tablets—even though my doctor suggested I might be fine just switching to spirulina after my last clean blood test.

Bringing this thread back to life. I just got my blood work results back today, and my doctor says they aren't looking good. Hemoglobin is at 109.
hematocrit 0.33 micro + RDW 15.6

Can anyone help me make sense of this? Aside from the hemoglobin, which clearly points to anemia, what else am I looking at here?