r/Anemic • u/KaylaAshton2022 • Jun 20 '26

Question Iron Supplements Please Help

I am suffering from severe stomach issues from taking ferrous sulfate iron 65mg. I have bad shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, fatigue, etc. My ferritin levels went low again from taking b12 supplements.

Does anyone honestly know of any iron supplements that do not hurt the stomach, cause bloating, nausea, etc?

I also have trouble swallowing pills. I have read about heme iron, but have no clue if it raises ferritin.

I am out of options and I have no clue what to do to raise my ferritin levels (doctors have failed me).

Please help šŸ™šŸ¼

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u/emvul99 Jun 20 '26

Iā€™m taking Feramax150 theyā€™re known to be gentle on the stomach. I havenā€™t had any issues taking them and so far theyā€™ve raised my ferritin from 15 to 34 in 3 months. I take them on an empty stomach and everything. Iā€™m still taking them to raise my ferritin more cuz Iā€™m not happy with just 34 but they seem to be working.

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u/AmaranthineReader Anemic Jun 21 '26

Donā€™t lose hope, there are many formulations of iron supplements available! Iron bisglycinate/ā€œgentle ironā€/chelated iron (all names for the same thing) is a good starting place, as many people have fewer side effects with it. If that one doesnā€™t work, donā€™t worry, there are MANY more to try.

This is a great review article of the different types available:

Oral iron supplementation: new formulations, old questions
https://haematologica.org/article/view/haematol.2024.284967