Ferrous fumarate/folic acid

Good question, Maybee.
Apparently I'm on the anaemic side of the limit, despite taking over the counter iron tablets with B vitamins, according to a recent blood test. The young doctor said she'd check again in four months to see if I needed to be prescribed iron tablets which sounded a much higher dose than the ones I bought.
In the meantime ?? She didn't seem too bothered.
It's obvious when my haemoglobin levels are low because I start to feel extra tired and light-headed so that's when I take the over-the-counter tablets.
I'll be interested in other replies.

I don’t eat much red meat or green leafy vegetables. I used to have a daily smoothie with fruit vegetables etc but I put a lot of weight on when I was doing that as I packed a lot into each smoothie. Of course Dr Google has scared me now!

Just checking online.

The ones I take have 17mg of iron
The usual prescription is about six times that, I think. 😲

Don't take magnesium when taking iron supplements
Why? I take magnesium for cramp.

It's beginning to feel like that advert - "Nothing works better than A*****n" for headaches.
So take nothing.

I take lots of supplements ( think I’m Holland and Barrett’s biggest customer) but have never taken iron because I believe that taking it unnecessary can be dangerous.

I think you can take it as long as it’s at a different time of day? I take magnesium at night and I’ll be taking the iron stuff in the morning. They’ve only given me one months supply, there isn’t a repeat slip and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next. I am having a steroid injection next week so I’ll ask the doctor then.

Years ago, when I was a young Mum, our elderly (well, he seemed elderly) GP used to say he liked to prescribe his lady patients iron once a year as he thought they needed it, at least those who were having periods.

Yes, I usually take magnesium at night.

I think you are supposed to take iron tablets with orange juice to enhance absorption. Check out on line OP what you must avoid when you take them. Eg tea and coffee and other things.

Anybody noticed that Folic Acid is beginning to pop up as a flour additive in white bread? Another mandated additive, this time in the hopes of reducing birth defects such a Spina Bifida.

I was put on and then taken off Iron tablets when I was pregnant. They made my stomach bleed (while causing horrendous pain), which sort of made them counter-productive.

Aely

Anybody noticed that Folic Acid is beginning to pop up as a flour additive in white bread? Another mandated additive, this time in the hopes of reducing birth defects such a Spina Bifida.

I was put on and then taken off Iron tablets when I was pregnant. They made my stomach bleed (while causing horrendous pain), which sort of made them counter-productive.

Re Folic acid, recently research papers have been published which raise very valid concerns about manufactured folic acid and its efficacy when mass dosing the populous through 'fortifying' products.

MayBee70

I don’t eat much red meat or green leafy vegetables. I used to have a daily smoothie with fruit vegetables etc but I put a lot of weight on when I was doing that as I packed a lot into each smoothie. Of course Dr Google has scared me now!

Have you had your Vitamin B12 levels checked?

growstuff

MayBee70

I don’t eat much red meat or green leafy vegetables. I used to have a daily smoothie with fruit vegetables etc but I put a lot of weight on when I was doing that as I packed a lot into each smoothie. Of course Dr Google has scared me now!

Have you had your Vitamin B12 levels checked?

I’m sure the blood test checked everything, but I didn’t take in everything my doctor was telling me as I’ve got high cholesterol, too and I was still pondering on that when he told me about my iron levels! Of course he wants me to do a poo test, too. I advise everybody else to do every test offered to them and then put off doing it myself because I overthink it and get myself in a state!

Folic acid aids absorption of iron.

During my first pregnancy I became anaemic because I wasn't absorbing the iron tablets I'd been prescribed and had to have iron injections which were awful. My prescription was changed to an iron pill with folic acid which worked. During both subsequent pregnancies I was prescribed the iron/folic acid pills and had no problems with anaemia.

Probably eating green leafy vegetables isn't enough anyway.

Folic acid (B9) is a synthetic vitamin.

I have blood transfusions for anaemia every so often. The only thing that seems to help is Feraglobin+ B12 taken with orange juice. I'm an unhealthy vegetarian.

Well, I have bought some orange juice, perhaps that will help with the iron tablets.

I was found to be anaemic a month ago when I went to donate blood My haemaglobin hadn't returned to normal following my prior donation 4 months before. I am popping 2 ferrous sulphate tablets on alternate days with food and vitamin C, such as orange juice, to aid absorption. Each tablet contains 60mg of elemental iron. I am already feeling better, less tired and energy is returning.

I have to get my haemoglobin up before I can have a knee joint replacement. A few years ago iron tablets caused constipation so I stopped taking them. This time I was prescribed ferrous fumate which suit me much better.I shall have a blood test soon to see how my haemoglobin level is.

So today I went to pick up another box of folic acid. For some reason I was given two boxes of ferrous fumarate but only one folic acid. Before I went away a month ago I asked for another box but they said they would have to message the doctor ( I’m going to be on it for several months so no idea why it hasn’t been put on repeat). I said I’d pick it up when I got back from my holiday. Took my last one today so went to the surgery today to pick it up. When I asked for it they looked on the computer and said ‘you’ve had it’ to which I replied ‘ no I haven’t and I’ve run out’. They looked at me pityingly and said ‘ go home and check’. I said I don’t need to; I know I haven’t got any but don’t bother I’ll buy some from the chemist. Thankfully I didn’t drive home but went to my daughters just around the corner and, on thinking about it it dawned on me that they hadn’t bothered to look on the shelf where the prescriptions are kept. So I went back and asked them to look on the shelf. And there it was . No apology or even a comment like oh dear why didn’t we think to look there. I even had to point out that my name is towards the end of the alphabet and it would be quite a small packet. I despair…

Yes, I was on a months course of folic acid tablets - I eat meat almost daily except Friday . So I can’t understand why I was low.
I haven’t been asked to go back, but in the NY , I will ask for a review.

I started on folic acid tablets this week as it was discovered I am short in vitamin D, folic acid, B12 and my thyroxine levels are low. No wonder I could fall asleep on a clothes line.

I have been taking prescribed vitamin D for many years after breaking my ankle due to osteopenia. Heaven knows the present prescription is re its strength because I only take a capsule weekly. I will return to check the results in 6 weeks.

I have been taking those Ferrous Fumerate tablets for years, prescribed by my Doctor.They are a lot less expensive that way!

So, even though I need to be on these tablets for months they have not been put on repeat prescription but I have to request them each month. I was supposed to pick up my ferrous fumarate last week ( told they would be ready on Friday) but didn’t go because of the weather. My partner went to pick them up today as I wasn’t feeling well. Of course they hadn’t been done. Tomorrow, down to my last tablet and with it being the weekend,I’m going to the surgery with a book and a flask of coffee and will tell them I’m not leaving without my tablets. Tried to phone the main surgery today but they weren’t taking phone calls and, if they were it would only be for repeat prescriptions.