Iron supplementation & Constipation

Here you can share your experiences with substances that are ingested, inhaled, or otherwise consumed for the purpose of relieving RLS, other than prescription medications. For example, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, diet, kratom, and marijuana (for now) should be discussed here. Tell others of successes, failures, side effects, and any known research on these substances. [Posts on these subjects created prior to 2009 are in the Physical Treatments forum.]

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
Polar Bear
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by Polar Bear »

I press on the perineum if and when it feels that a stool needs some assistance on its journey.
How long - probably a minute or so, maybe two, maybe longer if needed, gently press/release/press/release.
How hard to press - gently firm, I think you would know yourself when/if you try it.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

ViewsAskew
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by ViewsAskew »

I do the same as PB. You can easily break it up - well maybe not easily, but without much work. You can tell from the touch what it needs to help make it smaller or break it up in some way.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

legsbestill
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by legsbestill »

What iron supplementation are you taking? I have heard that iron bisglycinate (aka 'gentle iron') is less severe from a constipation point of view.

Never heard of that perineum pressing solution before - it's inspired - so obvious - like slicing bread before selling it - obvious and yet elusive until someone thinks of it.

Polar Bear
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by Polar Bear »

Never heard of that perineum pressing solution before - it's inspired - so obvious - like slicing bread before selling it - obvious and yet elusive until someone thinks of it.


Never did I think I would be discussing this particular aspect of this particular subject.... and be happy to be discussing it. :roll: :roll:
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

ViewsAskew
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by ViewsAskew »

Polar Bear wrote:
Never heard of that perineum pressing solution before - it's inspired - so obvious - like slicing bread before selling it - obvious and yet elusive until someone thinks of it.


Never did I think I would be discussing this particular aspect of this particular subject.... and be happy to be discussing it. :roll: :roll:


There is a lot of that on this forum, lol!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

ViewsAskew
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Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by ViewsAskew »

legsbestill wrote:What iron supplementation are you taking? I have heard that iron bisglycinate (aka 'gentle iron') is less severe from a constipation point of view.

Never heard of that perineum pressing solution before - it's inspired - so obvious - like slicing bread before selling it - obvious and yet elusive until someone thinks of it.


Indeed - I felt the same when I first read about it!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

ViewsAskew
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Location: Los Angeles

Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by ViewsAskew »

To add to the perineum discussion...if you have a vaginal canal, you can really feel it easily! I learned that when I was in college, having a pelvic exam and the doctor said, "Oh, you need to defecate?" and I was horrified, lol.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

srgraves01
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Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:34 am

Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by srgraves01 »

Steve,

When you discussed your experience with methadone, I was surprised to see that you took it around noon. My experience with RLS meds is that they are typically taken about 1-3 hours before bedtime. I was thinking of discussing taking methadone with my pain specialist. Is taking methadone this far in advance what is typically done?

Rustsmith
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by Rustsmith »

I tried taking it at bedtime, but experienced a side effect that you sometimes see described here as "alerting". My mind stayed very active and I wasn't able to fall asleep until many hours later. So, I decided to try switching the time to noon to see if that would help. It did for me. The alerting had worn off by bedtime and because methadone has a long half life, it still controlled my RLS when I was ready for bed. I realize that this isn't for everyone, but it worked for me.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

srgraves01
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by srgraves01 »

Polar Bear wrote:I take 150mg codeine daily and have done so for several years. I have never suffered from constipation.
Started iron tablets last week, lets hope they don't be the straw that starts the constipation. I do drink a great deal of water.

Does your codeine come with or without acetaminiphen?

Polar Bear
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by Polar Bear »

srgraves01 - For many years I took Co-codamol (codeine and paracetamol).

As the paracetamol doesn't actually do anything to help for RLS i asked my dr if I could have Codeine Phosphate. i.e. this is minus the paracetamol.
It is also very inexpensive.

I have never had any constipation with Codeine but since starting iron tablets I notice a difference.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

Uglydarknite
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Re: Iron supplementation & Constipation

Post by Uglydarknite »

rlsgal70 wrote:A month back, my blood test showed mild low iron levels & I started taking Iron Supplements. Within 3-4 days, my RLS symptoms almost reduced by half. Unfortunately, by 6-7 days, I was suffering from severe constipation - having no bowel movement for 4 days. I didn't connect it to the iron tablets at all. I took Milk of Magnesia & got motion after days. But the constipation got worse even if I was taking milk of magnesia. I went to the doctor & he said it's because of the iron & he changed the iron tablet to one with a stool softener. But that also didn't really help, so the doctor said to stop iron for sometime. However, after stopping iron, my RLS symptoms increased again.

Has anyone else faced issues with Iron Supplements. What is the solution?

Can I take Milk of Magnesia & Stool softeners continuously with Iron? I am not pregnant or anything. Iron has been a lifesaver for me & I want to take it.
Dried fruit such as prunes, apricots, figs, will work wonders and are rather healthy. It takes a little experimentation with amount, but an apricots and figs, are a source of iron in fruit, albeit low iron.

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