Iron supplement and side affect?

[Asmafiqi]

I am a mom of four children.One of my kid his ferritin serum is low 16 and we are doing gaps diet.I just stared iron supplement for him few days ago and the brand is called spatone iron.He is almost 4 and he has autism. The last three days I notice his old symptoms came back rocking,humming and laughing. He lost old that symptoms 10 months ago when we change the diet.I am worried now.Please help!!!!!

[Hidden]

Does he have RLS..?

[Asmafiqi in reply to Hidden]

I don't know really but I know he moves around the bed the last three day with iron supplements but I never notice leg cramp or sleeping problem before.He is low verbal so i can't tell if he is in pain.I feel like the supplements are waking him up lately but otherwise he is a good sleeper.

[Bajatom in reply to Asmafiqi]

Lots of information on autism and food here;

nutritionfacts.org/topics/a...

[Asmafiqi in reply to Bajatom]

Thank you.

[Bajatom]

You are welcome. We have a deaf daughter and had no communication with her for 8 years until schools allowed sign language 45 years ago. Then her language exploded. Some autistic kids respond to sign language and it helps their language and speech. Many online resources. My younger brother has an autistic daughter. Though low verbal they discovered she has perfect pitch and beautiful voice. Singing helped her develop language. It is a tough job raising a handicapped child. You have my admiration and prayers.

[Hidden]

Congratulations on improving your son's symptoms with diet. If he were my son I would stop the Spatone. Because iron has been so helpful to me and my RLS I have read up on it. Iron supplements are poorly broken down and poorly absorbed with the possible outside exception of ferrous bisglycinate. If the iron that you give your son does not get absorbed into the bloodstream then there will be a lot left over to feed the bacteria in his intestines and slow down motility. This sounds like what might be happening with your son. So the GAPS diet has a beneficial effect on the bacteria in his gut and thus the symptoms of autism, but then the iron might mess that up. Just a guess. Can you give him more iron rich foods such as lamb? Or if the doctor really insists on supplementing can you afford to try the ferrous bisglycinate which is a more absorbable form of iron because it is already broken down?