After writing What I’m doing to increase the iron in my body on October 7th, I began taking Ferro Sequels as an iron supplement. On October 5th, my iron score was a low of 47. On November 11th it scored 65. I don’t know if that has to do with taking supplements or not. I just found out that I should be taking the Ferro Sequels on an empty stomach and that eating it with certain foods inhibits absorption. My bad. Maybe it will test higher after another 30 days. I did two extra tests at the lab this time, one for Vitamin D and one for Vitamin B12. I began taking the Vitamin B12 after a friend told me she had the deficiency symptoms, which included feeling tired all the time. I’d begun being tired, so thought I’d take some, too. The results of the blood test show that my Vitamin B12, which I have only taken maybe once a day for the past month, skipping some days altogether, scores high at 1166. They say the optimum level is 211-911 PG/ML. Everyone has a different idea of what a normal or optimum range is. I’m thinking I can stop taking the B12.
I began taking a Vitamin D supplement http://www.vitacost.com/Source-Naturals-Vitamin-D-400-IU-100-Tablets400 IU 3 times a day for a month after hearing the symptoms for Vitamin D deficiency> included low energy, fatigue, crankiness. I was more low energy than cranky, but figured I might need it. The test results for my “Vitamin D, 25 hydroxy” score was low at 28. And that is after taking it three times a day for a month before the test! It says the optimum level is 30-80 ng/mL. In December I doubled my dosage after reading more about it, and am now taking two 400 IU tabs three times a day, after eating. People with higher rates of vitamin D in their blood have lower rates of disease and lower death rate, wind up with fewer bone fractures and fewer falls. I can’t remember when I last had a cold.
I’ve been eating frozen yogurt each day, and it’s the only dairy I get. The flip side is that dairy is said to inhibit absorption of iron. I know that since I began a regular iron and vitamin routine last month, I’ve been sleeping 6-7 hours at a stretch rather than my typical 3-4 hours at a time. On October 7th, I began taking ferrous sulfate elixir, an iron supplement, and that night I had a long, sound sleep and also complex dreams.
When I woke up, I Googled “ferrous sulfate” and “sleep” and found that indeed people report sleeping better when they begin taking it for iron insufficiency. I switched to the Ferro Sequels after about a week of tasting metal from the elixir. I continue to get good, long (6-7 hours at a time), sound sleep, and also active dreams. I’ve gotten the best sleep I’ve had in five or more years.
So maybe the iron supplements raised my iron from a 47 to 65 in thirty days. But garbanzo beans every day for 30 days raised it from 68 to 127 in July. And I know it may take longer than thirty days to see the effect. I’d really prefer to get the vitamins from foods, but we’ll see what we will see.
Andrea
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