Oral Iron Supplementation - Advice Needed

[a2jonuk]

Hi all,

I recently joined up here and following my first posts and reading and studying this site I am learning a lot about my condition.

I have recently started on Gentle Iron (Ferrous Bisglycinate) obtained from Holland and Barrett.

It is 20mg and directions state: Take one capsule with a meal -Do not exceed stated dose.

I have just finished watching a webinar on rls.org where the dr advises 65mg taken at night on an empty stomach with 100mg vitamin c to aid absorption.

Is anyone here taking the gentle iron and if so what mg, with or without food and when?

Any advice much appreciated as I appear to be doing the opposite to what is advised by an rls specialist on rls.org.

Thank You.

Andy.

[Hidden]

Hi Andy, I take the same product from H&B and I take two tablets at night, before bed, on an empty stomach and with a glass of orange juice. But I only take it every other night as there is a theory that the iron is more likely to cross the blood brain barrier if you fool your body by not taking it every day. Even if you were to take it every day that's not a high dose - assuming you don't already have iron overload. If you were prescribed iron it would be a higher dose. Best to get your iron and ferritin levels checked first though, if you haven't already done so.

[LotteM in reply to Hidden]

Sound advice from Tattiana. Indeed, get your iron levels checked and ask for the exact results. Especially those for ferritin. Needs to be quite high and not just ‘normal’ - as you undoubtedly know by now.

I just want clarify that the intake of iron once every day or once every other day is not a theory, but a result from a scientific study.

And this way it doesn’t make the iron cross the brain more efficiently, but simply raises the blood levels and body stores of iron equally well as when iron is taken three times daily. Which is the standard advice. The study used the also ‘standard’ ferro(iron)fumerate, not iron bisglycinate.

[a2jonuk in reply to LotteM]

Thank you LotteM, appreciated, hopefully will have drs appt soon and get levels checked.

[moonhunt18 in reply to LotteM]

Just to clarify, is it best to take iron 1x a day? Or 1x every other day?

Thanks

[Lapsedrunner in reply to Hidden]

I do this too

[a2jonuk in reply to Lapsedrunner]

Thank you , appreciated.

[a2jonuk in reply to Hidden]

Thank You Tattiana, much appreciate your reply, I will start taking on an empty stomach with orange juice or vit c.

I am waiting on an appointment with my GP to hopefully get his support and arrange to have ferritin levels checked.

I have had blood tests previously and was told iron was normal but I didn't know about this site then and how normal can be quite abnormal for RLS sufferers and the importance of ferritin levels.

[Hidden in reply to a2jonuk]

One thing I've learned from this site is to ask for a copy of all test results. The GP's receptionist telling you everything is 'normal' can be very far from the truth!

[Hidden]

Hi Andy.

Following my wife's PLMS for the last 2 years we have now managed to stop it. No real ground breaking treatment but consistent attempts with trying multiple vitamins and supplements. The breakthrough came following the regular use of iron bisglycinate supplements; a combination of 2 sources:

1) 1 tablet x 'Iron Support' made by Vegan True. 27mg iron bis but also has high quantities of Vit C, B12 and Folate. [This tablet is taken in the morning]

2) 1 tablet x 'Gentle Iron' made by Piping Rock.com. 28mg iron bis only in the capsule. [This tablet is taken one hour before sleep]

It has now been nearly 4 months of no symptoms and started to show its effects after around 2 months of starting the tablets. We have tried all other combinations of different iron types, magnesium, potassium and this is the only thing that has worked.

Hope this helps; stick at it as patience is the key

Elliott

[a2jonuk in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Elliot, much appreciate your time to reply.

I am glad you have found something that works for your wife's suffering and appreciate you sharing what is working for her.

As you say it takes time and trial and error to find what helps to manage the condition and I will keep at it until I find what will work for me too, must be patient as you say.

[Franklin123 in reply to Hidden]

Hi - read with interest your message. I am quite anxious about the appointment I have this morning with my doctor to talk about supplements. If I come away despondent I will definitely try this.

[Hidden in reply to Franklin123]

All the best with it. It really has stopped all symptoms so give it a go for at least 3 months to give your iron levels enough time to increase sufficiently. Good luck!

[Parminter]

Here is an excellent pdf on iron bisglycinate

puneetlabs.com/Ferrous_Bigl...

It tells you that it contains 19 - 20% elemental iron, but it is highly bio-available.

John Hopkins mentions 325 mg ferrous sulfate twice a day on an empty stomach.

Ferrous sulfate contains 33% elemental iron, but it is much less bio-available.

I will leave it to you to do the sums!

But you need to take more.

[grandpianoman in reply to Parminter]

Why is it that some taking iron (ferrous) bisglycinate take only 27 mg or so, and yet other sources recommend 325 mg ferrous sulfate? That's a huge disparity in dosages. Bottom line question: what is safe dose for iron bisglycinate? I currently take 20-54 mg of it, every other night, but from what I'm reading, I can safely take more.

[Parminter in reply to grandpianoman]

I would take half the amount of iron bisglycinate as I would ferrous sulphate.

Ferrous sulphate is nearly always prescribed because it is cheap and the doctors are familiar with it. But it is poorly absorbed and causes gastric upset .

Ferrous bisglycinate is mostly sold as a supplement, very seldom prescribed by doctors, and supplement-makers have to be extremely cautious. They are not prescribing for disease states.

So, if your doctor asks you to take 325 mg ferrous sulphate, take about 150 mg bisglycinate. It is much better absorbed and causes few, if any, gastric miseries.

You must have regular tests to see how you are doing and act accordingly.