Iron

[newdiagnosis]

Hi all. I have had a mild anemia on iron supplements (325mg iron sulfate twice daily). I have been on it for a few months. I have also only been recently diagnosed with Crohn's. Last I checked the iron sulfate didn't seem like it was helping much.
I did notice that my iron tablets are enteric coated. However, I read online that the non-coated tablets might be better. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Jabee]

I take ferrous gluconate 324 mg every day. My GI directed me to this kind of iron after my first crohn's flare in my duodenum made me so anemic I had no iron left in my body. Iron is absorbed in the duodenum and mine was completely ulcerated from the crohn's. I don't think the iron I take is enteric coated, so switching to a brand that isn't might be a good idea. I think different people absorb different formulations of iron differently. You might switch to a different type of iron (gluconate vs sulfate vs ferric citrate, ferric salts, or ferric sulfate) to see which one works best. Good luck.

 

[Scipio]

I take an iron tablet and a vitmin C tablet every morning and evening on an empty stomach for maximum absorption. I do not use the "coated" or "delayed release" kind of iron pills, since they often don't release the iron in the gut until after the pill has already passed the part of the gut (the duodenum) where most of the iron absorption occurs.

 

[Guerrero]

I don't tolerate iron tablets and they not helping much

I need reguar intravenous infusion of iron to get my level back up...

 

[newdiagnosis]

I met with a hematologist and I think he will likely recommend injectafer infusion. Kinda sux. Although I have only been taking the iron for 4 months but the Crohn's has only been really treated for a little over 3 months. Maybe I need to wait a bit longer to determine if oral supplements work? Also I have only been taking the enteric coated iron.