Best B complex and iron supplement brand - I'm going round in circles!!

[tiredBFmum]

Hello

B complex:

I have read a few places that a B complex is helpful with dealing with stress and fatigue. I also want to optimise it for period problems.

SeasideSusie and others have talked about Thorne Research B complex in these two posts....

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

.....but then there seems to be a potential problem with one of its ingredients microcrystalline cellulose according to nightingale-56 in this post below. Anyone know what the issue with microcrystalline is?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I also see some people react badly to Jarrows B complex

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

so dont want to take that one either. Now I don't know what to try for the B complex so would appreciate advice please.

Folate (serum) 9.6 ug/L > 2.9

Active B12 * 166 pmol/L 25.1 -165.0

25 OH Vitamin D 62 nmol/L 50 -200 (take 40-50mcg D3 drops daily)

Iron:

I find most iron supplements make my stomach unhappy so I am looking at 'Spatone' so also interested in people's opinions on that please? boots.com/spatone-natural-i...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

I am also going to try to get over my dislike of liver and buy some of that to help energy and ferritin levels.

I was taking a breastfeeding multivitamin/mineral but am stopping that as I understand it can be counterproductive.

My latest iron results are good I think but in the past ferritin has been down at 12ish which is on the low borderline and I have heavy periods and as I feel the ferritin results were improved with the previous multivit, I want to replace it with something rather than risk my ferritin dropping low again.

IRON 15.2 umol/L 6.6 - 26.0

T.I.B.C 49 umol/L 41 - 77

TRANSFERRIN SATURATION 31 % 20 - 55

FERRITIN 73 ug/L 13 - 150

Folate (serum) 9.6 ug/L > 2.9

Active B12 * 166 pmol/L 25.1 -165.0

25 OH Vitamin D 62 nmol/L 50 -200 (take 40-50mcg D3 drops daily)

Thanks for anyone who has read my ramblings. I am off work with stress and fatigue at the moment and my brain cannot function or make decisions on what supplements to order!!

[humanbean]

Your iron results aren't bad. For an idea of what is considered to be optimal, see this link :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

It can be a bit of a balancing act to get iron levels optimal or as close to it as you can. For example, I can get my ferritin optimal, but when it gets there my serum iron is still too low. But I'm reluctant to push my ferritin any higher than optimal, so I just live with less than optimal serum iron.

I take ferrous fumarate 210mg, one tablet 3 times a week to maintain levels where I can live with them. There is no requirement that any iron supplement must be taken every day. So, Spatone may work for you, but since it is so low in iron you might have to take it every day - and it's horribly expensive when you have to take it regularly.

You could try a different iron supplement, containing more iron, and then find out how many times a week you need to take it to get your levels where you want them. You might need to take it 5 times a week, with the weekends off. Or take it only at weekend and have week days off, or any other pattern of dosing.

Have you tried Simple Iron (iron bisglycinate)? A lot of people seem to be happy with that.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Igennus Super B complex is good quality ingredients. Full dose is two small tablets. Can start with just one, in mornings. Add second in afternoon in few weeks time if levels still need a boost

Your vitamin D is pretty low. Aim to improve to around 100nmol.