Ferrous sulphate

[gillsky8]

Can anyone help please with the best time of day to take these tablets?

Or any experience with having taken them?

It's all well and good to say take on an empty stomach, but they seem to cause reflux and when one is already taking PPI 's for acid reflux this is no easy task.

Also advised by GP to leave a two hour gap between the two different medications to all the FS to absorb into the stomach.

It seems that it might be ok in this case to take them with food?

Any help or experience with this would as always be greatly appreciated.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

All I can tell you is that 40-odd years ago the cheap ferrous sulphate the NHS used gave me appalling diarrhoea! And I refused to take them!

[gillsky8 in reply to PMRpro]

😝 that’s probably the stuff I’m on then!!!!

[SnazzyD]

It is better to have with a food because it is best absorbed with vitamin C. Though cereal like bran and legumes don’t help it. I have to say that Ferrous Sulphate may give you the colliwobbles. It’s cheap and the first try for prescribing. I found it better on Ferrous Fumarate back in the day.

[darkred in reply to SnazzyD]

Learned a new word: colliwobbles. Thanks. Must add that to my "dictionary." 😄😄

[SnazzyD in reply to darkred]

Yep, this is a site for learning 🙂

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to darkred]

Collywobbles -Good old British saying …. 😊

[PMRnewbie2017]

There's not a simple answer to this one I'm afraid. There are incidences of anaemia being caused by long term PPI use because the reduction in stomach acid reduces iron absorption from food sources. Absorption from tablets can be reduced by as much as 50% for patients taking PPIs meaning that iron doses must be increased or supplementation must be continued for longer. How bad is your anaemia? There are depot iron injections.

How long have you been using PPIs? Are they the cause of your anaemia.

Orange juice will help absorption of iron so could you take PPI in the morning and iron before lunch and dinner? Not ideal, but as you can see this is a tricky one.

[Daffodilia]

Agree with other comments - had these after second baby -husband threatened to divorce me - dreadful wind!

[43tripandskip]

I had to take my husband to hospital for an iron infusion as he has anaemia. He had been taking 3 Ferrous Sulphate tablets a day. The doctor in charge of the department, (he might have been a Consultant) told us that recent research has shown that there is little difference in outcome between taking one 200mg tablet a day or in taking three tablets a day - as my husband had been doing. He said that when my husband started taking iron tablets again (he had to stop iron tablets until his Gastroscopy in a couple of week's time) he can just take one tablet a day. I thought you might find this interesting!

[Blearyeyed]

I don't take the ferrous products myself as they cause me stomach gripes and constipation and aren't easy to absorb.I buy Active Iron , Iron Bisglycinate , Solgar is my chosen product it's easier on the stomach and easier to absorb. It is what is prescribed to pregnant women and older patients as standard in the Netherlands because people are more likely to take it and it is stored longer in the body so you get less anaemia issues.

Unfortunately, they do not prescribe this as an oral supplement on the NHS , my GP checked.

I don't know why they tell people to take it on an empty stomach ( unless you have a specific medical reason for that) , as it makes side effects worse and the supplement spends less time in the digestive system so less of it is absorbed.

I was recommended by a Dietitian to take it after breakfast or a meal or drink including vitamin C. If you take a folate supplement they can be taken together as the Vitamin C improves the uptake of both of these nutrients.If you have some sort of yoghurt of milk product it can reduce the reflux too but you will need consider when you also take other medications. Hope you feel better soon , Bee

[Oh-my]

I had to take daily iron supplements for several months as a result of PMR inflammation and was told to take them on an empty stomach an hour before breakfast. I was also told if I had any issues to have crackers with them or dry toast and failing that have them with my food.

If taking them with food avoid calcium rich foods like dairy as the calcium competes with iron absorption.

Vit C helps iron absorption. Also taking them every other day. My GP was happy if I could manage 2-3 times a week. As it turned out I was fine. No issues. Also some people find they get on better with ferrous fumarate.

Good luck

[Sallyaches]

I have had chronic anaemia for years, it coincided with the start of PMR and find it very difficult to absorb iron.

Ferrous sulphate was useless, I now take a paediatric iron suspension at a lower dose every day. My G.P. has prescribed this and so far have escaped having to have an I.v. Infusion. I had numerous investigations, the gastroenterologist said that I was a poor absorber of iron , my rheumatologist said it was the anaemia of chronic I’ll health, probably it is a bit of both.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sallyaches]

My husband used to get the infusions - far preferable to a dose of iron on a daily basis especially if you are a poor absorber.