Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Iron


num1habsfan

Recommended Posts

num1habsfan Rising Star

i've been on iron pills for a few days now (because of my level being dangerously low).

Maybe it is just my body trying to get used to it, but I really don't feel well..I feel warm (which is NOT at all normal!), worse dry mouthed even though i've been drinking more fluids on purpose, tiredness, shakiness, sore stomach, bad "urgency"...

Anyone else have this problem when starting to take iron?? Or can it be something else acting up?

Do you think this is extreme iron deficiency is connected with Celiac which has not been liking me lately, either??


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



MollyBeth Contributor

This may be a stupid question...but do the pills have gluten in them?

I took Iron pills several years ago before I was diagnosed and they made me so sick I have to quit taking them. Then I switched brands and it got a little easier. You should talk to your doc.

ShayFL Enthusiast

Try either Floridix iron (liquid) they make a gluten-free bottle and it says it on the label or Solgar's Gentle iron. Both are very absorbable and easy on the body.

num1habsfan Rising Star

I am on some sort of generic brand stuff...later today I'll dig out the bottle and tell you which one specifically.

num1habsfan Rising Star

All that it says is "Apo-Ferrous Sulfate, 300 mg"..."Generic Alternative"..."Canadian Made".

ShayFL Enthusiast

THE ABOVE POST IS SPAM!!!

O.k. you are on one of the hardest to absorb and digest Iron tabs.

Floridix Iron (liquid) gluten-free formula or Solgar's Gentle Iron......no upset tummy and absorbs very well.

num1habsfan Rising Star

Maybe my doctor is just trying to get my level up ASAP?? It was at 6...and from what I've been told that's very, very low.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



ShayFL Enthusiast

But you'll have a hard time getting it up with those pills. They are HARD to digest. :(

You can ask your Doc. for intravenous if he wants to get it up fast.

Otherwise, you will be taking those pills for A LONG time and they are an irritant.

Google "iron supplements" and learn about them. The ones I have mentioned arent costly and are better absorbed. But do whatever you feel is right for your body.

num1habsfan Rising Star
But you'll have a hard time getting it up with those pills. They are HARD to digest. :(

You can ask your Doc. for intravenous if he wants to get it up fast.

Otherwise, you will be taking those pills for A LONG time and they are an irritant.

Google "iron supplements" and learn about them. The ones I have mentioned arent costly and are better absorbed. But do whatever you feel is right for your body.

Blah, yeah they are very painful. Even when I take them with food and at the same time as the Vitamin C pills.

He also told me to try BC for a few months, because he believes that will increase it.

*sigh* I wonder what even caused such a drastic drop in the first place!

ShayFL Enthusiast

Celiac and Hypothyroid can both lower the Ferritin dramatically. So can heavy periods, surgery and and bleeding ulcers.

happygirl Collaborator

The post that was spam has been removed.

The correct way to deal with spam is the hit the report button and issue a report to moderators. They are able to deal with issues like this quicker.

num1habsfan Rising Star
Celiac and Hypothyroid can both lower the Ferritin dramatically. So can heavy periods, surgery and and bleeding ulcers.

Interesting...because I did have very, very swollen thyroids...even the doctor saw that (yet somehow bloodwork showed they were normal). Also around the same time I had gotten over a severe bladder/kidney infection (which my doctor was convinced there was blood present judging by the descriptions I gave).

ShayFL Enthusiast

Get a copy of your Thyroid labwork and make sure they tested TSH (3rd generation), Free T4, Free T3 and BOTH antibodies. If they didnt test these you didnt get proper evaluation. And even if they did, many of us (including me) were told we were "normal" for years (me 12 years) when in fact I was very hypothyroid. Finally got a new doctor that used the new TSH range and got me on thyroid meds. It was like someone switched a light on in the dark.

Read here:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

num1habsfan Rising Star

I remember him checking off more than just the TSH, so i don't know. This isn't the first time that i've had a thyroid attack and the tests turned out normal.

By the way, I think I may go home this weekend. Talk to one of my pharmacists about what they suggest I do. I am not enjoying these tummy aches or the fact I can't keep food in my gut.

Di-gfree Apprentice

The gluten-free formula of Floradix is Floravit. It's what I've been taking for 3 months now. Also very important, to absorb iron, is an optimal B12 level. Both my ferritin and B12 are/were low, so I take the Floravit and sublingual B12 tablets. My ferritin was 21 back in July; I started taking Floravit twice a day - my ferritin went up to 31 after a month, or so; and now it's at 45 (my highest ever-recorded). I'm trying to get it up to 70 or 80 (it needs to be optimized to utilize my thyroid replacement, for one thing).

ShayFL Enthusiast

I had heard the Floravit was very good at getting the Ferritin up, so I switched about 2 weeks ago to it from the Solgar Gentle Iron. So glad to hear how fast it is working for you. It makes me hopeful!! Cant wait to retest next month. :)

Di-gfree Apprentice

Shay, I was really surprised. My ferritin hadn't really improved in 10 years since being gluten-free - well, I started at basically zero, and it finally went up to 21, but never higher. I'd never put much effort into taking iron supplements, though - I gave up on pills because they upset my stomach. I hope the Floravit keeps working. Let us know if the Floravit helps you.

Very pretty dog. :)

ShayFL Enthusiast

I took the Solgar Gentle Iron for 3 months (3 pills a day 75 mg Iron) and my Ferritin went from 10 was the lowest to 18. So based on what you are telling me about the Floravit, I can hope for much better results this time. I am taking twice a day as well.

Thank you. That is my Gracie...our first dog that is a "Momma's Girl". She is a rescue.

num1habsfan Rising Star

Blah, I talked to one of my pharmacists. He said that nothing can really be done about it, just have to deal with it and continue taking it with food. Sucks :(

Wonka Apprentice
I remember him checking off more than just the TSH, so i don't know. This isn't the first time that i've had a thyroid attack and the tests turned out normal.

By the way, I think I may go home this weekend. Talk to one of my pharmacists about what they suggest I do. I am not enjoying these tummy aches or the fact I can't keep food in my gut.

I tried all sorts of iron supplements and I couldn't tolerate any of them until I tried the Floravit. I've been on it since April and I'm no longer anemic but I'm still taking it because I'd like my ferritin to get a bit more in the midrange (between the celiac and my heavy periods I ended up with iron deficiency anemia, Floravit has been a great find for me).

  • 4 weeks later...
num1habsfan Rising Star

Just to update, I'm still getting the major side effects like the cramps...Only a few more weeks, then I need to have bloodwork done to test how much it has changed. Lets hope that it has so I can go on a lower strength, or something??

Oh, and I discovered something interesting: eating red peppers helps deal with the cramps, better than ANY other food. I guess because of the super high vitamin C content in them??

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - rei.b replied to rei.b's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      High DGP-A with normal IGA

    2. - knitty kitty replied to rei.b's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      High DGP-A with normal IGA

    3. - rei.b replied to rei.b's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      High DGP-A with normal IGA

    4. - trents replied to lmemsm's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      10

      Finding gluten free ingredients

    5. - knitty kitty replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      6

      Gluten related ??


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,130
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Tony White
    Newest Member
    Tony White
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • rei.b
      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
    • knitty kitty
      Food and environmental allergies involve IgE antibodies.  IgE antibodies provoke histamine release from mast cells.   Celiac disease is not always visible to the naked eye during endoscopy.  Much of the damage is microscopic and patchy or out of reach of the scope.  Did they take any biopsies of your small intestine for a pathologist to examine?  Were you given a Marsh score? Why do you say you "don't have intestinal damage to correlate with lifelong undiagnosed celiac disease"?   Just curious.  
    • rei.b
      I was tested for food allergies and environmental allergies about 7 months before I started taking Naltrexone, so I don't think that is the cause for me, but that's interesting!  The main thing with the celiac thing that is throwing me off is these symptoms are lifelong, but I don't have intestinal damage to correlate with lifelong undiagnosed celiac disease.
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @Kara S! Warrior bread is a grain free bread product. Google it. There are commercial mixes available, I believe, Youtube videos and many recipes. 
    • knitty kitty
      @Colleen H, I have had similar reactions and symptoms like yours.  I started following the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet developed by a doctor with Celiac Disease herself, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.  Her book, The Paleo Approach, is very helpful in understanding what's going on in the body.   Not only do you have antibodies attacking the body, there are mast cells spreading histamine which causes inflammation.  Foods also contain histamine or act as histamine releasers.  Our bodies have difficulty clearing histamine if there's too much.  Following the low histamine AIP diet allows your body time to clear the excess histamine we're making as part of the autoimmune response, without adding in extra histamine from foods.  High histamine foods include eggs, processed foods and some citrus fruits.  The AIP diet allows meat and vegetables.  No processed meats like sausage, luncheon meats, ham, chicken nuggets, etc. No night shades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant).  No dairy.  No grains.  No rice.  No eggs.  No gluten-free processed foods like gluten free breads and cookies.  No nuts.  No expensive processed gluten-free foods.  Meat and vegetables.  Some fruit. Some fruit, like applesauce, contains high levels of fructose which can cause digestive upsets.  Fructose gets fermented by yeasts in the gastrointestinal tract.  This fermentation can cause gas, bloating and abdominal pain.   The AIP diet changes your microbiome.  Change what you eat and that changes which bacteria live in your gut.  By cutting out carbohydrates from grains and starchy veggies like potatoes, SIBO bacteria get starved out.  Fermenting yeasts get starved out, too.  Healthy bacteria repopulate the gut.   Thiamine Vitamin B 1 helps regulate gut bacteria.  Low thiamine can lead to SIBO and yeast infestation.  Mast cells release histamine more easily when they are low in Thiamine.  Anxiety, depression, and irritability are early symptoms of thiamine insufficiency.  A form of thiamine called Benfotiamine has been shown to promote intestinal healing.   Thiamine works with the seven other B vitamins.  They all need each other to function properly.   Other vitamins and minerals are needed, too.  Vitamin D helps calm and regulate the immune system. Thiamine is needed to turn Vitamin D into an active form.  Thiamine needs magnesium to make life sustaining enzymes.  Taking a B Complex and additional Benfotiamine is beneficial.  The B vitamins are water soluble, easily lost if we're not absorbing nutrients properly as with Celiac Disease.  Since blood tests for B vitamins are notoriously inaccurate, taking a B Complex, Benfotiamine, and magnesium Threonate, and looking for health improvements is a better way to see if you're insufficient.   I do hope you will give the low histamine AIP diet a try.  It really works.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.