Moving on

Cherryfudge

I looked back on the surgery site and found the thyroid test is due in May as is cholesterol and liver function and whatever else they do. I had asked if I could have an extra cholesterol check in the autumn to see how the changed medication is doing, but never got round to it.

After yesterdays' weather - cold, wet and very windy, March going out like a lion - today is sunny and no forecast of rain. I can see it's breezy: the forecast says about 20mph windspeed. There is bedding in the washing machine right now.

I have the day off so there's a lot of cleaning and tidying needing to be done, and looking ahead to the week we're starting. An atypical week so I need to keep track.

Monday - DH nurse appointment

Tuesday - Childcare, DH consultant appointment and they've asked for me to attend, presumably because when he's feeling low, it's hard to find words for things. This will be to discuss further treatment for the chronic condition that's been flaring. It's not settled yet but has improved. We don't know for sure, but the GP thinks the mental health aspect could be a reaction to the tablets he was taking for it. In the evening, I'm working from 6.

Wednesday - DGD3's birthday, though celebration is later. Probably a good day to fit in church cleaning as Friday is busy. Also to prepare the session for Sunday. Work from 5-7 then church group.

Thursday -No work in the afternoon but three hours in the evening. Make cakes for DGD3's party.

Friday - Good Friday service followed by DGD3's birthday party.

Saturday - DH's family get-together. We plan to set off early to be at DS2's and travel down with them.

Sunday - I'm doing the children's session in the morning.

Just as well I looked at those as there's quite a lot to fit in.

Cherryfudge

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942625#Comment_81942625

Thanks for this - yes, I probably need to take more ownership of my readings! I hate taking iron supplements, as many of us do, but I've not been making much effort to add it to our diet.

ladybird1106

I’ve always had problems with iron tablets due to their non intended effects. However after speaking to a pharmacist they said to take them with orange juice as it aids absorption and helps with the above issue. I found holl&bar iron with vit c tablets good.
love 🐞

Laura_Elsewhere

Mr E has to take iron supplements (and intriguingly when he started, his problem snoring stopped literally that night… a few months later, he ran out and didn't bother buying more (typical man!) and his snoring returned at problem levels… guess what happened when he went back on them? So potentially low iron levels could make you tired because you're sleeping worse, as well as the rest).

Anyway, we ended up reading up on all sorts of things, and if it helps, this is what we do, and why.

He takes ferrous sulphate iron, which is available in shops and online, prescription-free. It's not the usual iron supplement, and seems not to have the renowned side-effects of constipation! They are Ferrous sulphate 200milligrams.

Iron is best absorbed when taken alongside Vitamin C, and alongside a source of animal protein if possible.

Avoid tea or coffee or other sources of caffeine or tannins, for a couple of hours either side of the iron tablet.

We now have 'afternoonses' when we take tablets, because various meds work best with food but without a full meal (!), so we have a small homemade sausage roll each (literally tiny, an inch or so; I make them and freeze them, and we ping them hot from frozen), a small 150ml glass of pineapple juice and our assorted tablets.

hth :)

Also, do look at your diet if you can- if you eat an imaginary 100 units of iron as animal-source (haem iron) then your body will take up around 60 of the 100 units. If you eat it as a vegetarian source (non-haem iron), you only take up 40 of the 100 units. If you take it as a supplement, liquid or tablet, then you only take up about 20 of the 100 units…!
So if you may be low, then if you are a meat-eater, so consider just having a little more meat, and making sure you don't waste it by having it with caffeine or tannins- ie if you have a meaty lunch but end with a nice mug of coffee, you won't be absorbing much iron at all! Ditto if you have it for an early lunch, having had a nice cuppa tea for elevenses… and if you have a meat pie, for example, then without any Vit-C you won't absorb much of the iron… the tannins in some red wines could reduce absorption of your evening meal steak…

You can see why we just found it easier to take 'afternoonses'! :)

Cherryfudge

Thanks @ladybird1106 and @Laura_Elsewhere , that's all very helpful. In theory I knew about the Vit C but in practice I'd not considered it.

I too have a special routine now for medication. Thyroxine is first thing, with a 30-60 minute break before anything except water so the absorption is as good as possible. All other medications are shunted to as late as possible, and that includes supplements as so much interacts with Thyroxine and I'm on prescribed calcium which is a prime suspect. When I remember, I have calcium around 4pm but that often gets missed if I'm out of the house or busy. The rest are taken after food in the evening, which gives me time for a late night calcium as well (the prescription is for two a day but I admit that's hard to keep up.).

I didn't know about the animal protein and I'm mostly vegetarian/pescatarian, which is not helpful here. However, I do have a fondness for liver and bacon… I've finished with my caffeine for the day by dinner time, and normally have a decaff after lunch then leave it at that. That's not choice or saintliness, or financial or health-consciousness, it's mostly because three coffees in a day is very likely to lead to anxiety, and I could do without that.

I think I need some dietary recommendations to help me absorb all this info…!

liselle

That’s good practice with the Thyroxine,Cherry.I mostly drink de-caff tea but have always started the day with caffeine.Only recently did I hear not to take Thyroxine within half an hour.Rather than mess about timing, I opted for de-caff in the morning!

I use the spray iron supplement from H & B.Much gentler on the stomach.

badmemory

A bit of trivia coming up. If your iron is low do not go up any mountains. Altitude sickness is no fun & even less is having to be airlifted down to hospital. My sister had to be airlifted off a mountain in Peru.