Iron...? Vets?

Ok, for those of you a few years out, who have either had bad iron levels and improved them (without venofer infusions) or who have had good results throughout....what kind of iron do you take?

Polysaccharide or Carbonyl??

I'm looking at Vitalady's two capsule types...her own tender iron in the caps (carbonyl) and Cypress Iron (Polysaccharide) . Any one take either of these? How are you doing?

Thanks!!

I use carbonyl but I've never had iron problems.  I know a few people that had really bad iron levels and had good success with heme iron (which vitalady also carries).  It's expensive but I bet not as expensive as iron infusions.

I am 51 and post menopausal - should I be taking an iron supplement?

The ASMBS says you should be getting 36 mg iron a day, whether you get it in your multivitamins or in a separate supplement (women that menstruate should be getting 54-63 mg a day).  Unless your labs show you need more, of course.

What is your iron level first???

  IF it is really, really low then yes the Heme iron. 

No, it isn't really low, and I'm glad because that Heme is super spendy! LOL But it was really low PRIOR to surgery 3+ years ago, I did venofer infusions and it went up, took the chewable tender iron it went back down, then started taking an iron complex from super supplements (called Hema-Plex) and it went back up...last labs about a year ago were (not sure which is the "right" one, so I'm putting all iron related numbers here): Iron Serum 87, Iron Binding Capacity 277, % Iron Saturation 31, and Ferritin 57. I don't know which is "the" number, but suspect its the iron serum, which shows a normal range (my lab shows normal as 30-150).

The dumb part comes in that I started taking the same vitamin in soft gel form because the other one was upsetting my stomach. I didn't know we don't absorb soft gels (the oil suspended kind) very well.

So, while I will double check and see what the next labs say, I'm preparing to find a new iron! If I could continue the ones I was taking (the Hema-Plex), they were obviously working, but like I said, they gave me pouchy ouchies lol. I'd also like to build my iron just a bit more to have some reserves...

They had 85 mg amino acid-chelated iron in them... Anyone know about that kind of iron? I'm assuming it works for us, since my iron was climbing? But I really don't know anything about it?

The ones that vitalady has online are very good.  The carbonyl one that she carries is supposed to not upset your stomach.

I take perfect iron and it does make me some constipated.!!!  most people it don't bother.  Me it does




Tamara

...ugh don't even mention the "c" word! I have been constipated since I got back on track! I think it's all the protein in addition to the supplements. I had been taking the supplements all along, but with stool softeners I stayed regular, now with more protein and less carbs I'm really struggling! Haha no pun intended!

Meanwhile, thanks for the input, I think I'm going to go ahead and try Vitalady's. Shoot...I was just there today too, should have went ahead and grabbed some duh. Next time!

Thanks again!!