I really need some advice/suggestions on how to get through this?

[Blondiexxoo]

Hey guys! I've posted about this before and I could really use some advice. I have a severe iron deficiency. My ferritin is at 5 and I'm almost anemic. I've tried to get it up through food. It hasn't worked, it just keeps going down. It doesn't help that I'm a picky eater and don't like very many iron rich foods.

My doctor recommended Flintstones chewables with iron. But I've been unable to take them. I can't swallow pills, I've tried. The only iron supplement I could possibly take and feel the most comfortable with is the Flintstones. But I'm just so nervous about them I can't bring myself to take it. I haven't even been able to take half. The taste is tolerable but it's not the best and it lingers which scares me. I have a severe fear of throwing up and I also have anxiety over unknown things like this vitamin. I haven't taken it before so I have no idea how my body is gonna react to it. I'm also worried I could throw up either from the taste or my nerves or both. I get really nervous when I'm about to take it and my heart speeds up and I get nauseous. As far as eating something afterwards to get the taste out, I have to stick with gentle foods cause I can't eat heavy foods when I'm really nervous. So I'd have to stick with bread and fruit mostly.

My mom and grandmother have both taken it and don't appear to have any problems with it. My grandmother even tried for 1 hour to get me to take it and I was too scared to. It was heartbreaking. I want my life back! I'm not in school. I sleep all the time. I can't sunbathe anymore cause I'm too exhausted and would rather sleep. My hair is so thin. I really wanna go blonde but stylists refuse to bleach it. I also get shortness of breath a lot. My doctor is very concerned. She said my situation is only gonna get worse. She said I have to try to take the supplement. There's not another option.

Please help! :( I know I need to see a therapist but that takes time and I don't have time. I need to take this supplement now, not in another month. And I'm about to have my period so I'm really worried! Do you have any advice/suggestions?

[23tana]

What about trying a liquid iron tonic from a health food store?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Is there any way that it could be mixed with something? Would you be able to take it with your food?

I'm guessing no because its your fear of this unknown supplement and what it could do, but if its the taste/texture, this could be a way to get it down.

Could you try and exposure yourself to it gradually? For example, cut it up into very small peices and try a very small single piece and thats its for the day. Then see that it doesn't make you feel bad. Then try to increase it.

[Blondiexxoo]

What about trying a liquid iron tonic from a health food store?

I would still struggle with taking a liquid iron supplement cause of the taste which would be a lot worse than the Flintstones and I've never had it before. But I can't take it anyway cause it turns your teeth black and I have braces. Thanks for the suggestion though!

---------- Post added at 01:20 ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 ----------

Is there any way that it could be mixed with something? Would you be able to take it with your food?

I'm guessing no because its your fear of this unknown supplement and what it could do, but if its the taste/texture, this could be a way to get it down.

Could you try and exposure yourself to it gradually? For example, cut it up into very small peices and try a very small single piece and thats its for the day. Then see that it doesn't make you feel bad. Then try to increase it.

I don't think mixing it in something will work. I tried putting it in a fruit smoothie but it looked gross and you could see it in the drink. Plus, it would be a lot to drink compared to the tiny amount I'd have to chew. You're exactly right that the problem is my fear of the unknown supplement and what's gonna happen and how my body will react to it. The taste is stopping me too but I'm more so worried about what will happen when I take it and I'm worried I could potentially throw up from it.

That's a great suggestion but unfortunately that won't work. I've tried to cut it into pieces before and it just shatters into powder. You can only break it in half once with your hands. But depending on the way you break it in half, you can start off with a smaller half which is what I'm trying to do to get used to it. But I can't even seem to take that.

It says to take it with a meal but I don't like to have a full stomach when I'm nervous so would it be okay to take it about an hour or hour and a half after breakfast (cereal/milk and orange juice) and then maybe have a piece of toast before I take it? Does that still count as taking it with food or would I get an upset stomach? I think most of it though is like you said I'm just worried what it could do. If I could get it down once (just half) and then see that it wouldn't do anything to me, I'd probably be fine after that.

[Davit]

Floradix is the health food Iron I think. It has been a while but it is liquid and good. Yes I just looked it up.

Oh and there is nettle tea you could drink that. It doesn't taste that bad, better than raw liver.

[Sunflower2]

Could you break it down into smaller steps? I'd also be nervous about taking this as I've got the same phobia as you! However, I've been being brave and taking a gummy multivitamin for kids in the mornings and I'm working up to more scary things. I think you maybe get some with iron in them too, could be a way to convince you that it would be fine to take an iron supplement with more iron in it? And remember, it's almost never as bad as you think!

[Emilym80]

I take floradix because I'm a vegan and it's hard for me to eat iron-rich foods as I have braces too (mainly cruciferous vegetables).

My teeth haven't been turned black, lol! Although the tablets tend to have a much higher concentration of iron than liquid supplements.

I would recommend Spatone for you- it has a really high concentration of iron and you just add it to a glass of water (I think). It's very easy on the stomach, too. It's basically just iron-rich water, which you dilute with normal water to make it easier to absorb.

Please try the spatone or a liquid supplement. I've had floradix personally for a while and it tastes fine and doesn't give me an upset stomach or make me feel sick as long as I drink water afterwards.

Best wishes, I hope this helps you

[Davit]

I have water filters on my well that remove everything from my water, I get low on Iron and calcium but my pots stay clean.

[PanicAttackGurl]

first.

I just want to tell you, that I love kids vitamins. They taste better now than they did 25 years ago. I know this because I have had my Grandchildren live with me for a short time and have bought them Flintstone chewable vitamins. Each day when it was vitamin time, they insisted I have one also. I always had one with them. My Grandson would tell you they taste good and are healthy for you. The sooner you take it, the sooner your hair will be healthy enough to bleach.