thats exactly what i was going to suggest....the slow release if MUCH gentler on you tum...btw, you do know using an cast iron skillet is good for you as well??

If you have regular blood work done I highly recommend having an iron level done before you start so you know what your base level is and that you actually do need it. Having an over load of iron can be a bad thing, just as being too low can be a bad thing.
My husbands iron was low and the doctor simply told him to start taking the Geritol brand vitamins which contain a good dose of iron. He now takes those daily.

What You Don't Know About Excess Iron Could Kill You
Just a little info about Hemochromatosis

A Host of Ills When IronâÂÂs Out of Balance

So as you can see it is really best to get those blood tests done first then with the approval of your doctors do what they recommend.

Just curious--your Dr. said you MIGHT be short on iron and she is selling supplements? Did you test you? How much are the supplements? I went thru that with a Dr and found, after talking to a pharmacist, I could go better and cheaper with something over the counter. Yes, you can get too much iron, Just use common sense and be on alert. Do your homework. and be careful

Yes, do be cautious with iron. I an't imagine not being tested if your MD 'thought' you might be iron deficient. Thyroid function is usually related to hair loss.

Thanks, all. Raven -- That was very convincing.

I'll just wait until I'm home and can have my blood tested for iron deficiency.

The two female MD's started their supplements after finding that so many women coming in complaining about hair loss and bad nails did have iron deficiencies. I happened to see one of them when I was a walk-in with a bad sinus and cough right before we left home for Maui in December. I'm going off now to look for the gals' website. Their product is called "Vous".

Chisue - It doesn't seem right to me that they would encourage you to take an iron supplement without first determining if your iron count is low, especially since they're selling it.

Have you had a routine blood test lately? Even after menopause your iron count should be within the acceptable range. This is clipped from the American Society of Hemotologist's web site.

........."Iron is very important in maintaining many body functions, including the production of hemoglobin, the molecule in your blood that carries oxygen. Iron is also necessary to maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails."

So it is possible that a low iron count could cause hair problems.

I just looked at the "Vous Vitamins" website and filled out the form. I am 'prescribed' something containing two things I already supplement (D3 and Biotin) plus an iron supplement.

My guess is that they formulate a minimum (non-dangerous) amount of vitamins, etc., and women taking the supplements DO see improvement. Bet they make a bundle!

*I* am going to do what my internist told me to do: Get tested for iron deficiency. (General tests when I had my physical in August were all fine, but they did not include iron.) Then I will let him tell me how much iron to take...if any. What's a little more hair loss until the end of March? LOL

You are all such *peaches* to offer advice. Thanks.

I am so thankful that I came in here otnight and checked out this thread.

I have severe Crohns disease,and as a result have very very little iron in my system..

I have had prescribed pills for it and infusions-turns out I had allergic reactions to both-the infusion reaction was the worst.

I had just stated yesterday that I remember my parents taking Geritol everyday,years ago-now,40-50 years later,Geritol cannot be purchased in Canada.

I called my bio script pharmacy today to see if they could get Geritol for me-no such luck-I did however,find I might be able to get it thru Amazon.

My iron this time dropped off around 2 months ago now-my hair is ok for now,but there is absolutely no energy,I could sleep around the clock,and sometimes do.

What I "do" take to help me out somewhat is a high potency B,a D3 and Vit C in a relatively high dose-I am currently on a Homeopathic iron and will have my blood tested to see if this is working this Wed when I have my next Remicade infusion

Thank you for this thread.....

chisue,

If my physician said "I think you should take X supplement, and I can sell it to you", that would be my last visit to that doctor. That's outrageous.

Am I missing something?

I believe it is unethical for an M.D. to sell you a supplement. If a blood test shows you are anemic, you could take an over the counter iron supplement or you could add spinach or other dark leafy greens to your diet. Cream of Wheat cereal is high in iron and it you add raisins, that gives you iron. Iron supplements can cause constipation. The iron you get from food does not have that side effect.

I no longer have to take iron supplements, but when I did, my Canadian doctor told me to buy Palafer capsules from the pharmacy.

They were/are kept behind the counter and the pharmacist asked me if my doctor had told me to take an iron supplement. (He didn't need to check with her since he knew I would tell him the truth - plus those capsules were a pain and if I hadn't had to take them I wouldn't have).

I agree with having your iron levels checked. Mine are checked at my yearly physical and were fine as of Nov.

Dr has both me and my husband on iron supplements,
we are 67....

I have noticed that many doctors offices are now selling supplements of various types. I have not had any of mine suggest that I only go with the ones they offer for sale in the office, but I have had them tell me what I needed to add after my blood work, like D3,and the B vitamins, and iron for my husband, calcium, etc. My current primary care physicians office was adding a shelf in the check out area last time we were there which was being stocked with supplements, not sure what all they will offer.
I would also be suspect about any that seemed to be pushing their brand especially with out proper testing. Red flags and conflicts...

I think hair loss is just aging and/or a gift from your grandmother. I read the results of a study that said women are starting to show signs of pattern baldness like men. They think t is cause by volumizer hair products. I think that would include perms.

To much iron causes teeth to brown in children, don't know about adults.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Tue, Jan 13, 15 at 16:30

I first ran into this sales hype from a *psychiatrist* I met socially! Getting a medical degree no longer assures you of enough income to buy a country club membership a few years out of med school. Maybe it's time to *supplement* the old income.

Also, let's face it, Americans are nuts about supplements. Look at the shelf space given to high-profit pills in every grocery store. Evidently some MD's are figuring out how to make something from the constant "Ask your doctor" pitches.

Be careful! Too much iron can be dangerous.

Tests showed that I was a little low on iron, I was taking a multivitamin and had assumed ti contained iron. It was labeled for those 55yr and older. Read the label and found it had no iron! I switched to another formulation made by the same company (Centrum) and that did have iron. It is important to examine those labels - don't assume.

From what I've read, its best to get iron from foods rich in iron such spinach. I don't get enough from foods, therefore, the next best choice is supplements.

Years ago I decided to to a vitamin containing an iron supplement. Over a period of time, I was becoming less and less energetic. I use to walk 18 holes of golf and after one or two holes, I couldn't walk anymore. I thought I was having heart problems and went to a cardiologist. He said whatever my problem was it wasn't the heart. Turns out the iron was blocking the absorption of my thyroid medication. So be careful about the inter-action of the iron supplement and other medications you might be taking. As long as you don't take the two pills at the same time, you should be okay.

Iron. Here's something I've had experience with recently. There's so many things so many people do NOT know about iron. For instance:

- Yes, cast iron pans give the food iron. But some things detract from the body absorbing the iron so it's equally important to not prevent the body from using what you're giving it, whether it's a supplement or from food or food preparation.
- Eggs contain phosvitin and that inhibits the absorption of iron. So do other vitamins. So if you take iron supplements do not take them at the same time as other, such as a multi-vitamin.
- Other items inhibit iron absorption: Calcium (so watch your milk, cheese and similar intake), tea, coffee, whole grains, excess fiber... and more. Your diet is important to the effectiveness of medications and supplements.
- Vitamin C, however, HELPS the body absorb iron. So that's something that's good to take with the iron supplement.
- Many iron supplements will cause your stool to turn black. Blood in the intestines can also, among other things. So know the difference. It can be quite a surprise if you're not aware of it. And when I first saw this after the blood-in-stool issues from before, it's a slap in the face waker-upper. (My GF and sister were about to call 911! LOL)
- Medications can work with each other or against each other. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Doctors don't know everything, nor do they tell you everything.

Cynic, you are absolutely right about doctors not knowing everything. When I discovered the fact that my iron supplement was interfering with my thyroid medication, it was through a newspaper article. I brought the article in to my doctor to show her and it was something she was not aware of. She wanted to make a copy of the article but I told her I brought it in for her to keep and warn other patients that might be on synthroid.