Spatone Liquid Iron

[Carol-mc]

Wondering if anyone has tried Spatone to give their iron levels a boost? Can you take it with Pred? Am on 12.5 at the moment. I know the Ferrous Sulphate will be a lot stronger but don’t like the side effects, Spatone seems to get a lot of good reviews, find it difficult to make decisions these days!

[HeronNS]

I used liquid Salus Floradix iron supplement . I think it was iron gluconate. It appears to have worked, don't need supplement any more (took about a year). Unlike calcium there didn't seem to be any problems taking it with pred, I checked, but it was not to be taken with calcium.

[Carol-mc in reply to HeronNS]

That’s good to know, I don’t take calcium, so maybe give it a try. From my days in H/B I remember Salus was a tried and tested brand, didn’t think of that, but memory not the greatest at the moment!

[HeronNS in reply to Carol-mc]

I hadn't heard of Spatone so it might be better? Should be possible to find out which is best or whether it matters. All the best.

[Carol-mc in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you, going to talk it over with my GP on Friday before doing anything, (it was her colleague who prescribed the Ferrous Sulphate) Am discovering this illness has its complications!

[piglette]

Have you been diagnosed with low iron? I get my iron level tested every so often with my ESR and CRP blood tests to check it is OK. It is not a good idea to take extra iron if you do not need it.

[Carol-mc in reply to piglette]

Yes, GP says I am aneamic, have been taking iron-rich foods, saw a different GP as mine on holiday and he gave me prescription for Ferrous Sulphate tablets. Would rather take something with less side-effects. Had bloods done last week so should see where my iron level is now.

[piglette in reply to Carol-mc]

I don’t understand, I thought Spatone was iron sulphate and had the same side effects?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

It is - water with a high level of iron sulphate in it. With a very fancy website to market it as "natural".

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Ah you mean you are paying extra for the water!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

But of course!

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

I took liquid iron because experience with tablets of iron sulphate years ago would have made me a non-compliant patient this time. It was my doctor who suggested it. Strangely, it's another product I can't get at the pharmacy, but it's available at the supermarket and at health food stores. Sometimes I wonder if the pharmacy chains really want us to get well.

[piglette in reply to HeronNS]

Remember drugs sold at pharmacies have to go through stringent tests. It seems a lot of supplements sold at supermarkets and health food stores do not need these checks.

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

But I can't get Vitamin K2 for heaven's sake! And for many years I couldn't get Calcium citrate! That's ridiculous!

[piglette in reply to HeronNS]

Have you asked them why they don’t stock those products?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

No demand... That's what I'm always told

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

That is a much better way of saying it.

[Carol-mc in reply to PMRpro]

Possibly a lot of people don’t know what they are for, compared to every-day sales of multi-vits etc. They are still available in good health food shops.

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

I can't remember. Probably not, as it's just as easy to pick them up at another store. Oh, and they don't carry the Floradix iron either.

[Carol-mc in reply to HeronNS]

Just a thought, Solgar ( well-known brand) sell both Vitamin K2 and Calcium citrate.

[HeronNS in reply to Carol-mc]

My calcium citrate and K2 are both made by Natural Factors (British Columbia).

[Carol-mc in reply to PMRpro]

I thought each sachet of Spatone contained 5mg elemental iron and that the Ferrous Sulphate tablets are much stronger, my prescription is for 200mg tablets. I didn’t realise the Spatone would also have side effects, nothing is simple is it!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Carol-mc]

If it has iron in it - it may well have similar side effects! In fact - anything that is effective for the desired effect is also likely to have some less desirable effects!

I used to change the red wine I drank if I wanted a bit more iron (the terroir or ground makes a difference to the amount of iron in the grapes) and if I drank a bit too much it had the same effect as the iron tablets! But at least I'd enjoyed the wine...

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Red wine definitely sounds a better alternative to tablets. They don’t sell that in pharmacies either.

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

cbc.ca/radio/ideas/alcohol-...

Red wine as being good for you is smoke and mirrors by the wine industry. Enjoy it, but don't rely on it for health effects.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

I can assure you that it was nothing to do with marketing - I can tell by the effects on my gut and Hb level!

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

It may be the wine helps you absorb more iron from your meat.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

Don't care - it improved my Hb level and that was the aim

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

But they sell sugary drinks and rubbish with artificial sweeteners. They used to sell tobacco products until just a few years ago, too. I ask again, do they really want us to get well?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

Who are the mysterious "they"? I've never seen tobacco in pharmacies - though they do sell an awful lot of junk masquerading as having health benefits or "curing" things...

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

Nova Scotia. Don't know about rest of country. Tobacco sold in supermarkets too. Then the government regulated it more stringently so it was held in locked cages behind the checkout counter, then out of sight, and finally only available in separate smoke shops not accessible from the main part of a supermarket, and not in corner stores, which really miss the revenue, or pharmacies. This change did happen a number of years ago.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

They are still sold in supermarkets here in Italy - but only certain ones with a salt (I think) and tobacco licence! Or kiosks on street corners.

[piglette in reply to HeronNS]

Not in UK pharmacies and I am pretty sure they never sold tobacco.

[Carol-mc in reply to PMRpro]

What a good idea! I used to enjoy a nice Red!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Carol-mc]

So did I - but PMR or pred put the mockers on that, they don't taste right! Have to be very careful what reds I drink anyway - I have an allergy to something, mainly in heavier reds Our local lightweight stuff is fine though.

[piglette in reply to Carol-mc]

Hi Carol, they are not stronger, 200mg tablet will contain more ferrous sulphate than a 5mg sachet. It is like getting a small bag of sugar or a very large bag of sugar, they are both sugar. Eating a large bag at once will have more of an effect on you!

[Carol-mc in reply to piglette]

Did I put that wrong way round! I meant the Ferrous Sulphate tablets will be much stronger than the 5mg sachet, Sorry, often have brain fog these days!

[piglette in reply to Carol-mc]

I was just saying they are exactly the same strength as they are the same thing, it was just that the quantity in one was greater than the other.

[HeronNS in reply to Carol-mc]

I had no side effects from Floradix. I don't have it in the house any more, but after a bit of searching on google, it's 10 mg ferrous gluconate, but I don't know if that is the daily dose, or the single dose, it's supposed to be taken a couple of times a day. Without food, I'd forgotten that. It was interesting fitting in everything when I was taking maximum doses of iron and calcium, which shouldn't be taken together, and calcium can't be taken with pred either but should be taken with food, and pred has to be taken with food. I think what I did was take iron when I first got up, and pred a little later, but too soon, at breakfast, and then in the middle of the afternoon. I took calcium at lunch, supper and bedtime. That evening dose of calcium helps me sleep.

[AndrewT]

Dear Carol,

Yes, you CAN, take Iron supplements but do 'Be Careful', they can be Constipating- sometimes VERY much so. I would strongly recommend talking to you Doctors/Consultants, before taking 'anything' that is not actually prescribed.

Please do let us know, will you.

AndrewT

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to AndrewT]

Or, alternatively, they can do the other thing! I was prescribed ferrous sulphate when pregnant, as was the habit in those days and the result was horrendous abdominal cramps. Switching to a different product (more expensive of course) solved the problem,

[Carol-mc in reply to AndrewT]

Hi Andrew, yes, I have an appointment with my GP this week, so won’t do anything until I’ve spoken to her. Also going to speak to my medical herbalist who has quite a few clients with PMR, sometimes she gives me more information than the GP, especially with regard to nutrition.