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foods I can eat to get iron?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/30/2007 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
I was wondering what foods I can eat to get iron.  If I eat too much red meat in a week I flare, also I cannot tolerate veggies still post op.  What other options are there?  I am also taking iron pills but may need to increase depending on what my bld levels showed but I still dont have those results
Posted 9/30/2007 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Some iron rich foods:

Red meat (which of course we don't do good with usually)
broccolli (steam and or boil first if hard on your stomach)
Some Cheese (slice of pizza)
peas
Watermelon
Oat Meal (good for a lot of things for us actually) add some brown sugar if you like
English Muffin
Tofu
Potatoes
Some cereals also have A LOT of iron in them. Try having some every morning.

What iron are you on?

Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Good Luck!!
Posted 9/30/2007 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
meat and green veggies.

If you can't tolerate veggies, try cooking and pureeing them. Instead of red meat,  try  veal/calf  liver, chicken livers, other poultry meats. Avoid pork. Breads and cereals have added iron, but they are more difficult to digest and also contain phytic acid, which inihibits the absorption of nutrients.

You can also take a dose of liquid iron everyday.

It's hard to keep up iron being a crohnie, so healthy eating and supplements are key. ;-)

Posted 9/30/2007 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
My inflammation is in TI small intestine, so my doctor informed me that I would not absorb enough iron from food to raise my levels. I get iron infusions every 6-8 months, they work great. Maybe you should ask your Dr. about that.
Kristine
Posted 9/30/2007 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
FLORADIX is an iron I highly recommend for iron. It has minerals in it as well. A little pricy (about 23$ for less than a month) but worth it if it will make you feel better! Just a recommendation. Good Luck!
Posted 9/30/2007 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
I just take 65 mg of iron atm so I dont over do it since I dont know how low they were prior to taking it. I cannot eat broccoli no matter how cooked it is, peas I am allergic to. Do other meats have a decent amount of iron? at work I have been having variations od meat and cheese sandwiches. I have my english muffins as well as cinnamon life cereal. I know milk has some too. What meat is best after any red meats?
Posted 9/30/2007 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
Pork and some poultry provide some iron, maybe try some seafood pasta as some seafood provides iron.

It is important to find out how anemic you really are before taking too much iron so that is very smart.

It is all about finding the iron that is right for you.

If your iron comes back quite low iron infusions are also an option. Infusions work for a lot of people. I was on them for a while. They made my iron count better but I did not feel better. Then I was getting severe chest pain from them so I had to get off. But everyone is different.

Iron is a tough one b cause most of us with Crohn's lack it and it is so hard to get to the normal range. Especially if you are flaring.
Posted 10/1/2007 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
Cream of wheat is a great source of iron.  It's one of those comfort foods for me too, a bit of butter and some maples syrup really makes it good.  I can't tolerate the instant stuff though, that stuff is like paste!  I've also been drinking Naked Juice's Superfood juice, it's got tons of iron in it too.  It looks gross, but tastes much better then it looks, just like apple juice.

Posted 10/1/2007 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
When I had low iron levels my hematologist said that no amount of iron rich food will make a difference as once your iron levels get so low you can not aborb enough iron through food to make a real impact.
Posted 10/1/2007 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
Please check your email, I sent you an iron fortified list of food. I found it very helpful when my son was dx with crohn's and was anemic.

I hope it helps you!

Sylvie
Sad Mom!
Posted 10/1/2007 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
I am wondering the same thing. I had my blood tested last week and I am definetly anemic now. My problem is my gut is so sensitive and I can't hardly eat anything without it upsetting my stomach. I am with you Stef if I ate broccolli I would end up in the hospital, no matter how it was cooked. I no longer eat red meat, because even though the tests aren't showing it, I am pretty sure I have a stricture in there somewhere (3 obstructive episodes within one month). I have been on a modified low residue diet since March and that is about the only diet I can "stomach". I am afraid they are going to want to put me on a Iron supplement, and as sensitive as my stomach is, I don't think I am going to be able to tolerate it. Heck, I can't even tolerate Folic Acid and its supposed to be one of the easiest to tolerate of supplements. I do like chicken liver, so maybe I can try eating that.
Posted 10/1/2007 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
If you make your food in iron caseroles and so, you'll get a lot of iron! This is actually true :-)



Good luck from Ingrid
Posted 10/1/2007 7:00 PM (GMT 0)
Ingrid someone else told me the same thing. My mom used to make the best fried chicken in an old cast iron skillet. Yum!!!!
Posted 10/1/2007 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
ty for the email. After today and the return of feces from the abscess on my belly. It had stopped oozing feces about a week ago and was down to just pus. My colorectal surgeon is concerned since before my release from the hospital back in June they did a CT to make sure there were no abscesses fistulas etc since I had complications with abscesses after my temp ostomy Sx in February. I had it reversed in June and had a local abscess back in july from part of a suture that the skin grew into. that healed the begining of Sept...2 weeks later it the area was swollen again and I was able to break open the skin with just gentily pulling the skin around the swelling. The suture part that was in came out back in july when the abscess first appeared to pop like a zit.

I am not even hungry but I know I have to eat. I am just in so much pain that not even the 4mg of dilauded are touching the pain. I think I am sleeping with my heating pad again tonight, maybe even some decaf tea black with a pinch of sugar. Tomorrow I probably wont eat breakfast but maybe just munch on crackers at work. I bought some of those chicken soup bowls for lunch for the next cpl of days. I had a bland lunch today, turkey and cheese (Im not lactose intolerant) on a roll....
Posted 10/2/2007 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hmmm...am gonna have to buy a cast iron skillet. Thanks for the suggestion.

I checked out exactly how much iron there is in meat, etc., and found out it's pretty much impossible to get enough iron from diet, unless you eat a lot of chicken liver.

So iron supplements are definitely the way to go, especially for women who are still menstruating.

Have you tried Solgar's "Gentle Iron"? It is formulated to be easier on the GI tract. 

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