question about iron pills

I am a big advocate of not self medicating. But I have noticed since I am not on iron pills anymore I am so fatigued. My Dr. didn't do a blood test to see what my blood count is and just said I didn't need them anymore. When I was on them my body felt so alive, now that I have been off them for 2 weeks, I feel like I am in a downward spiral. My sister said there is a slow release iron pill that doesn't make you so constipated and she was taking them and they never made her constipated. Well I guess I am babbling:
My question is did any of you self medicate yourself with iron pills when the Dr took you off and you still felt tired and felt like you needed them???

It just upsets me because I felt so alive when I was on them, and now that he told me that I don't need them I feel so down and fatigued.

Iron pills are bad for you if you take to much. If you really need something go on a multivitamin with iron.

aware,
I took iron pills before surgery. Ater surgery I take a muti-vitamin with iron. I wanted to just take a regular multi-vitamin, but my DR explained that beause of the suergery the body needs about 6 months to replenish and store iron. He said after that if I wanted to just do my reguler multi-vitamin that would be fine.

Plenty of people self medicate with iron. Iron can be stored in the body and it is possible to have too much. I myself would just take it a couple of times a week, but probably it is best practise to get the bloodwork done first.

I was anemic before surgery, not sure about now. But before surgery the gyn/surgeon told me he wanted me to continue with the Rx Chromagen/iron, and Metanx for 2-3 months after surgery as well.
Maybe ask your dr to do some blood work to see how it is. But I don't think a multi-vit with iron would hurt you.

I agree with blondie that you should have your doctor test your blood. I was anemic off and on (and on iron supplements off and on) before my hyst. My doctor did an iron test this spring and found that I wasn't anemic. She took me off the iron and did the hyst to stop the bleeding so I wouldn't get anemic again. Anyway, your fatigue may just be a normal response to the surgery. The only way you know whether or not you need the iron is to have your blood tested.

my doctor told me to start taking iron pills, i did for awhile (long before surgery) and i use the slow released ones i never had any troule with constipation. and he also told me to start using caltrate calcium and vitamin d supplement they have chewalble ones now and they aren't that bad.

I listen to my own body on this...I stopped using iron pills when I started feeling better (I was at first so anaemic that I felt that I was walking on a ship in the ocean). After a couple of weeks, I started feeling weaker again and am taking iron for a week or so....it helps. But the biggest boost when I'm feeling weak comes from taking a multi-B vitamin. It's not always a low blood count that makes you weak...

	Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlotteDK It's not always a low blood count that makes you weak...

Please do not go back on iron until you talk with your doctor first and have your iron levels tested. I have a genetic disorder that causes my body to store too much iron. So I know, first hand, that the results can lead to many complications. I cannot even take multi-vitamins with iron or vitamin C (because it helps absorb iron).
Most likely a multi-vitamin with iron will not harm you but it would be better to discuss your fatigue with your doctor in case there is a different cause as CharlotteDK suggested.