Did the nurse mis-advise me?

Any nurses/doctors here?

So I went to get my blood results, and previously they told me to just get some iron tablets (supplements),so I got some from Aldi (90 Iron tablets for 90p)

The instructions say to not exceed the daily dose of 1 tablet/day. She told me that the medicine they normally giveis 200mg

The iron tablets contains 14mg of iron supposedly

The NHS website says that is an "OK"amount as well:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Iron.aspx

She told me that I should be taking it at least 3 times/day - excess consumption can apparently cause laxative effects...

Reply 1

seaholme

The NHS website is giving you the iron requirements per day. You are presumably deficient and so need more than your requirements per day to replace the iron you do not have and also help build up your iron stores.

The ferrous sulphate tablets they normally give are 200mg tablets which contain 65mg of iron. They are designed to give you more iron than your daily requirement.

High iron consumption actually usually constipates rather than has a laxative effect. It can also change the colour of your poo. If there's a laxative effect I wonder what else is in the tablet! I expect the warning on the packet telling you only to have one per day relates to the fact that they're meant to maintain iron for people who are for one reason or another refusing or incapable of eating it in their diet - if you have way too much iron you can actually iron overload yourself which is undesirable, so it's legit to put it on the packet. You also don't want to give people a load of bowel symptoms that they don't need.

Reply 2

A321

14mg is way too less for someone who is deficient in iron. Definitely stick with what the nurse has advised you on.

Reply 3

The_Internet

Original post by A321

14mg is way too less for someone who is deficient in iron. Definitely stick with what the nurse has advised you on.

Cool thanks. Going by the NHS and what it says on the tablets, I didn't really want "laxative effects" :biggrin:

- though I think I've brought this on myself (For a good cause, but still I've brought it on myself)

Original post by seaholme

The NHS website is giving you the iron requirements per day. You are presumably deficient and so need more than your requirements per day to replace the iron you do not have and also help build up your iron stores.The ferrous sulphate tablets they normally give are 200mg tablets which contain 65mg of iron. They are designed to give you more iron than your daily requirement.

High iron consumption actually usually constipates rather than has a laxative effect. It can also change the colour of your poo. If there's a laxative effect I wonder what else is in the tablet! I expect the warning on the packet telling you only to have one per day relates to the fact that they're meant to maintain iron for people who are for one reason or another refusing or incapable of eating it in their diet - if you have way too much iron you can actually iron overload yourself which is undesirable, so it's legit to put it on the packet. You also don't want to give people a load of bowel symptoms that they don't need.

As a side note, just wondering where you'd recommend I get my tablets from? As I hear that the supplement market is pretty unregulated (And I don't have a prescription for one - and I think it's probably cheaper for me not to get a prescription :biggrin:

)

This is what I've already got:

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/aldi-price-comparison/Vitamins_And_Supplements/Activ_Max_Everyday_Health_Iron_Tablets_90.html

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

A321

Original post by de_monies

Cool thanks. Going by the NHS and what it says on the tablets, I didn't really want "laxative effects" :biggrin:

- though I think I've brought this on myself (For a good cause, but still I've brought it on myself)

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/ferrous-sulphate-tablets-200mg/prd-nnj

Reply 5

The_Internet

Original post by A321

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/ferrous-sulphate-tablets-200mg/prd-nnj

I don't really want to be buying medicine online, though thanks for that :smile:

- besides, surely Id need a prescription for that one, because it LOOKS like it's prescription only

Reply 6

phoebe17

Try going to your local pharmacy and asking for Ferrous Suphate tablets (200mg).
You should be able to get them without a prescription but if not go back to your GP. :smile:

Reply 7

Ronove

When I had to take iron supplements (on doctor's orders) I got a prescription for Ferrograd, which the pharmacist, lovely guy that he is, refused to give me using the prescription since it would have been £7 or whatever that way and they were available without for about 50p.

Reply 8

The_Internet

Original post by A321

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/ferrous-sulphate-tablets-200mg/prd-nnj

Original post by phoebe17

Try going to your local pharmacy and asking for Ferrous Suphate tablets (200mg).
You should be able to get them without a prescription but if not go back to your GP. :smile:

Original post by Ronove

Thanks all HOWEVER today, I got a call from my doctor saing to come down - so I did, and he prescribed me some ferrous fumarate. Bloody expensive they are!

Though Lloyds pharmacy has them for £0.02/tablet (online) They cost more in store, because I have the Galpher ones..... 305mg tablets - 3 times/day!

Reply 9

phoebe17

Original post by de_monies

Thanks all HOWEVER today, I got a call from my doctor saying to come down - so I did, and he prescribed me some ferrous fumarate. Bloody expensive they are!

Though Lloyds pharmacy has them for £0.02/tablet (online) They cost more in store, because I have the Galpher ones..... 305mg tablets - 3 times/day!

Ah well at least it's getting sorted!

Reply 10

A321

Original post by de_monies

That's good. It's worth the money though :smile:

Spoiler

Reply 11

Ronove

Original post by de_monies

When you say they're expensive, did you use the prescription to get them? They really shouldn't be expensive at all if you just don't use the prescription for them.

Reply 12

The_Internet

Original post by A321

That's good. It's worth the money though :smile:

Spoiler

Well, last night, I felt really "alive" and hopefully they give me enough energy at the gym, to help bring some weight down. Im not particularly looking forward to that :frown:

Original post by Ronove

When you say they're expensive, did you use the prescription to get them? They really shouldn't be expensive at all if you just don't use the prescription for them.

I bought them off prescription though thinking about it, it'd be cheaper ON prescription, because it's around £3 something for a pack of 100, and I was prescribed 252 tablets

Lloyds pharmacy didn't have their cheaper ones, and gave me the Galpher ones (Galpher being branded, and costing more - they're also marginally more expensive than local chemists)

Otherwise, Lloyds pharmacy would have charged me £5.04 for 252 tablets