iron pills = diarrhea?

Yes! Iron pills make my CD much worse.

I took them after my first child was born and I remember getting diarrhea when the Doctor told me I could get constipated. This was before I was diagnosed. I remember the relief when the Dr said I could stop taking them. Karen

I can't tolerate iron pills. The last two times I was severely anemic, I went in for an iron infusion. You get iron by IV for about 6 hours and it helps build up your iron stores for several months. They need to run a tiny amount first to make sure you are not allergic to it, but it was extremely helpful for me...no GI issues from the iron, and I reovered from my anemia quickly. Ask your doc about it if iron pills aren't for you.

I can't take iron tablets, either. They gave me gripping abdominal pains and lots more D. I wound up having many small iron infusions once a week for 32 weeks--and that worked a lot better.

Those of us who are on the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) cannot consume iron pills, due to the side effects. Some words of wisdom on the subject:

http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/knowledge_base/kb/iron_supplements.htm

The SCD recommendation is to consume iron in its "natural" form- liver, or liver pate. Also acceptable: marrow bones. I think the "?" marks in the quantities below are "1/2" or perhaps "1/4".

Iron deficiency-Anemia
Marrow Bone Boullion [?] back to Preparation and Recipes
1 pound of marrow bones
1 quart of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped celery
? teaspoon pepper
? cup chopped carrots
? cup of minced onions
1. Add ingredients to pan.
2. Bring to boil, followed by simmer conditions until cooked to broth
condition
3. Remove marrow bones.
4. Pour broth into into ice cube trays and freeze
5. Add to soup, chili and etc. as needed.
Note: Bone marrow is very nutritious . . . use and use often.

Some folks on the SCD consume freeze-dried liver pills- they have other supplements in there as well, most of which could certainly be used by those of us with Crohn's.

Also suggested: red meat. Many iron pills provide iron in a form that is poorly absorbed, such as iron sulfate or similar. Heme iron (iron that is locked into hemoglobin as in blood) is most readily transformed into "human" heme iron (as hemoglobin is different in each animal species); therefore, iron that is already chelated is most readily used, versus that in iron salts such as iron sulfate.