Iron Supplements & Nausea

[MidwestGirl 8]

Ok, so I started my Vitamins this week, now that I'm 4 weeks out. I had been taking 4 of those chewable Bariatric Advantage vitamins a day - yuck! Here is what my pharmacist at the bariatric office gave me:

B12 500 MCG - 1x daily

Calcitrate (Calcium citrate + Vitamin D) - 2x daily, 2 pills each time

Ferrex 150 (iron) - 1x daily

And I bought the Flintstones Complete for my multivit, which I take 2x daily.

I have been taking all of these since Monday, following the rules about (preferably) taking them with meals, not taking Iron & Calcium together, not taking iron w/ dairy. I haven't yet started taking the iron with Vitamin C (which the dietitian said makes it absorb better), but I can't yet have most of the vit C rich foods. Anyway, so I'm taking it 1/2 hr after Breakfast with Water. And it's making me nauseous. :crying: I've read the threads for what some of you are taking for iron. I don't think there are any chewable iron supplements on the recommended list from my pharmacist, but I go back for my 4 week appointments next Monday & plan to ask then whether I can switch to a chewable. I was just wondering if anyone else got the nausea feeling? I can't take it any closer to my meals because of the 30 minutes rule, but I don't know what else to do! My horsepill calcium & the B-12 tablets are fine. It's just the iron that's messing me up. Any insight/advice is greatly appreciated! :blushing:

[thinoneday 445]

Hey Midwest, I take a chewable Iron and they are really yum. . . they are Bariatric Advantage iron Passion fruit. . .I really like them, my doctor sells them, I think Tiff actually posted a website for ordering BA Vitamins. . . I also take 2 chewable vitabands, 2 calcium citrate, B12 sublingual, and of course the iron. . . no problems with nausea here. . . good luck, hope you find the chewables. . .

[MidwestGirl 8]

Hey Thin! Thanks for the advice. I just called my dietitian because after googling the Bariatric Advantage Iron supplements, I saw that they come in three different flavors, each is a different amount/dosage, so I wasn't sure which one they suggest. But they said they sell the lemon lime flavor which is apparently 60mg in each chewable. I am going to get some on Monday & am so excited! She said that people who do the chewables usually have less Constipation too, sorry TMI. :blushing: Wow, I'm really excited about the whole not-having-nausea thing. And I like that the supplements include Vitamin C so I don't have to worry so much about eating them with the Vitamin C foods. Thank you again! :crying:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

That is really good to know. I need to switch my Iron too. I'd like to know that it's being abosrbed and not take it for nothing.

[MidwestGirl 8]

Ordered the Bariatric Advantage chewable Iron in lemon-lime the other day! The dietitian gave me a sample and they taste pretty good! They're super lemony. I made this face. :001_tongue: haha. Oregon, if you're looking to switch I would second Thin on the BA chewables! Also ordered the Bariatric Advantage calitrate chewables in chocolate. Yum!!!

Anyone else know anything about getting Vitamin C with Iron to absorb the iron better?

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

The pharmacist toldT me to take it with orange juice. I asked the doctor and he agreed.

[mb20mom 9]

Ya, it's really hard to take Vitamins with food when you can't drink with your food! My Multivitamin w/iron makes me nauseous the second it hits my emptly stomach. But if you have to stop drinking 15 mins. before your meal, how do you avoid taking it on an empty stomach? And waiting an hour after the meal seems too long and my stomach might be empty by then. Today I gulped it down with my yogurt and it felt okay, just not my favorite method. I may have to try chewables after all.

[youknowit 11]

Anyway, so I'm taking it 1/2 hr after Breakfast with Water. And it's making me nauseous. :crying:

You might want to try Slow Release Iron (there's a link below). You might need to take two to get to the same dosage as the 1 tablet you're taking now, but they don't bother me, and I've been taking Iron, unfortunately, for years. This is the only one that hasn't given me tummy problems like the regular pills:

Buy Slow Fe Slow Release Iron, Tablets Online at drugstore.com

I have also seen chewable iron, but it's kind of expensive and I doubt very tasty, I've never stretched myself to try it.

Bariatric Iron supplements For Your Gastric Bypass Diet

Lastly, you might want to look for a good chewable Vitamin with iron. Most adult chewables have a 50% daily dose of iron in them, I also take the adult chewable everyday (which includes iron) and one of the Slow FE, that seems to work for me....

Hope this helps! :biggrin0:

[MidwestGirl 8]

Ya, it's really hard to take Vitamins with food when you can't drink with your food! My multivitamin w/iron makes me nauseous the second it hits my emptly stomach. But if you have to stop drinking 15 mins. before your meal, how do you avoid taking it on an empty stomach? And waiting an hour after the meal seems too long and my stomach might be empty by then. Today I gulped it down with my yogurt and it felt okay, just not my favorite method. I may have to try chewables after all.

When I told my dietitian that I was waiting 1/2 hr after meals to take my Iron, she said "Who told you to wait?!" and I said well.....you always say we have to wait to have a drink. And she felt really bad and said that I could take it with a sip of Water during the meal if that helped. After trying the sample she gave me however, I just went ahead & ordered the chewables. They are probably more expensive than regular Iron capsules because at least the ones I ordered are the Bariatric Advantage, but I think it's worth it! :lol0:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

The reason you are supposed to take it with orange juice is Iron is better absorbed with acid in the stomach. So, you can't take it within 2 hours of taking your acid preventor medication.