iron tablets

[Ejcl]

I have a colonoscopy on Sat morning so am coming off the iron tablets. On holiday til Monday so can’t ask this Q at my local pharmacy.

I’m enjoying having some energy after not realising how ill I’d got. I’m hoping that I won’t drop back too much but no idea how that works. If I were to take a spray iron supplement would that interfere with my colonoscopy?

If I can’t find out I’ll leave it and hope for the best

[Singinglouder]

I think it’s anything containing iron, not just actual iron tablets - I know I had to stop my multivitamins - so I’m guessing not the spray either. I’d take nothing over the weekend, then check with the unit doing the colonoscopy. If you do take it and shouldn’t, iron messes up the whole colonoscopy, and you risk being sent away on Saturday and having to do the whole preparation again…

If you’re gluten free, watch out on the low fibre diet - some otherwise suitable cereals contain a good dose of iron as well. I ended up baking a loaf to get bread that was low enough fibre, and main meals were based either on potato or Warburtons gf crumpets (I’m vegetarian, so couldn’t just go for white meat poached in stock, which a friend does before her regular colonoscopies).

Hope it all goes well. I had one very recently, and the actual procedure was much more straightforward than I’d feared, and completely pain/discomfort free, tho sadly I can’t guarantee that bit. All the best

[Ejcl in reply to Singinglouder]

Thank you for the reply, I’m home again and have reread the info.

One of the things they’re testing for is celiac so need to keep eating gluten.

Stopped taking the tablets on Sat (min 5 days iron tab free recommended pref 7).

I’m going to just eat simple foods this week and hope it’s as easy as possible

[EBEB]

I'm not certain, but I suspect that it would be best to Not take it. I've always been told that we're supposed to be Off all supplements before coloscopies. In the past, I think it was "Off for 2 weeks", but haven't had 1 in around 15 yrs, & things may have changed... If there is any amount of Red or Purple in it, that's a definite No go, as it might turn up that you have blood in your system even if you don't. And, if your system is slow to move things out, like many of us with health issues, then things will linger inside of us... Years ago, when I got a Pill Camera Endoscopy, the pill camera was probably supposed to be out later that day, but it did not pass until at least a couple days later.

[Ejcl]

thank you, decided not to risk anything and will be back on them on Sat post procedure