sometimes this isn't so fun.

i never mentioned it, here, really.....but i  have been sooooo tired since the second i became pregnant. i ignored it as much as i could during the first trimester-because everyone is so tired.

at week 20, i started getting pukey and tired. oh joy.

i told the nurses at my appointment, and they, along with myself (!!) dismissed my concerns. "you are pregnant, of course you're tired." what i didn't tell them and what i didn;t let myself hear-was that i wasn't just tired. not exhausted not suffering from fatigue.

so tired that i didn't feel safe driving, that i was exhausted the moment that i woke up and it went down hill from there. more of a drug induced weakness. no matter how much sleep i got.

turns out, when they finally checked my iron-i am "extremely anemic"

which means i need to take a high dose of prescription iron. i think it is called repleva?

prescription iron is much better to take, because you have to take one pill with a high dose of iron in it and it has things that soften the side effects of ingesting that much iron.

of course, kaiser could care less. if there is ANY way you can get something over the counter they will not pay a penny for it.

which means,

-i need a high dose of iron-which is not sold over the counter-which means that i have to take over the counter iron which means I HAVE TO TAKE FIFTEEN LARGE BLACK SLUDGY IRON PILLS A DAY.

-which make me very sick. AND SO I THROW UP A BLACK SLUDGY SUBSTANCE. 

-and i have to try to take them again because, i have to get iron down.i am eating more salads-but i was eating them before. apparently my body isn't so keen on absorbing iron either.

-and i can't take all those iron pills with my prenatals or the other 6 pills a day i take. (i take the the six other pills because i have MTHFR and need additonal folic acid that kaiser won't pay for either. )

i don't mean to complain, but i puked so hard yesterday (in my office bathroom with my assistant and clients sitting right outside the door! that's where our waiting room is!). that a BLOOD VESSEL IN MY  EYE BURST. so now i am walking around with what looks like blood floating around in my eye. Just in time for the baptism i am going to tomorrow.  AAAGGGGHHHHHH!

 

i hate kaiser. i hate them.

the only thing that makes it better is that when i puke cate kicks me from the inside, it doesn't hurt-it's just funny. like a little -"hey, i'm here!" which, well, could get me through just.about.anything.

Comments

[kate]

Oh, gawd. Pukey-gross-bloody-eye! So sucky! What fresh hell is this???
Insurance co.'s can suck sometimes. I totally don't understand why Target has $4 claritin listed on it's prescription list, but then won't fill it because it's available OTC. Makes NO sense to me.

Anyway, sorry to hear about all this! I'm hoping things smooth out for you soon.

[Amanda]

OMG, that sounds horrible. I hope you get to feeling better. Surely if yhou tell your OB what's going on, she can write up something saying that something like Tandem OB iron pills are medically necessary instead of the evil 15 a day over the counter crap???

[DC]

Thanks for the kind words about Tim Russert. I hope you're feeling better! :)

[Ms. Planner]

I was anemic, too, and HATED taking those 15 pills a day. And, yeah, they made be nauseous, too. But I did not puke black sludge. Eeewwww. Yeah, I'd call your doc on that one. Hoping that you get a little energy back soon.

[Melissa]

um, black vomit can be a sign of iron toxicity. Please check with your OB about your substitution and read this info:
http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec21/ch326/ch326i.html

I agree with the recommendation to get a prior authorization for the prescribed medicine or to buy it out of pocket.

[Kristine]

Pharmacist here...

A couple suggestions.
1. See if your doctor can get a prior authorization for the prescription medication. Might be able to prove that if you are throwing up the OTC version it isn't doing you any good.
2. Pay cash for it, although I don't know how much it is and understand if it is cost prohibitive.
3. Drink orange juice with what ever iron supplement you take. The vitamin C in it increases the absorption of the iron.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

[Jen]

oh my goodness, that sounds awful. those iron pills are the devil. i have a feeling they are in my future too. i'm sorry you are feeling so pukey, when does it end!!!

[Leslie]

Do you have a Costco near you? Their prescription rates are MUCH cheaper (sometimes around 60% cheaper) than regular pharmacies and you don't have to be a member to go to the pharmacy...just tell the greeter that you're using the pharmacy and they'll let you in. Also, I agree with JessPond...it may be worth it to pay out of pocket. I was anemic while pregnant with my b/g twins and I couldn't tolerate the iron, either. Good luck! Hope this helps! P.S. Does your doc have any samples he could give you?

[Cibele]

OMG, I am sorry. I hate ins companies. I hope you feel better soon

[nikole]

I'm so sorry. I was extremely anemic too, and there were a few weeks when I could hardly get out of bed. It was the most tired I have ever been. And I say that having just been through 8 weeks with a newborn! I'm really sorry you can't get the repleva - that really, really helped me. Hang in there!

[niobe]

That is insane. Because if you can't keep the iron down, it seems like it can't be helping your anemia all that much.

(Obviously, I'm not a doctor, so I'm hoping I'm totally wrong on this one and that, unpleasant as it is, the otc stuff at least increases your iron levels)

[My Reality]

I hate them with you.

[DC]

Kasier is evil. I'm so sorry about the sludgy puke. Yuck!

[rachel]

That sounds rough. Hang in there!

[Hilary (The Trying Game)]

Good lord! Sorry to hear about all that. Yay for kicks - they do tend to make everything oh so much better, don't they?

Feel better lady!

[Emily]

Oh god that sucks! I have no suggestions I'm afraid but I just wanted to give you some moral support. I struggle taking coated multivitamins so I would practically die if I were you! Think of Cate's kicks as little high five's of thanks!

[Mary]

That. Really. Sucks. Wait a minute. Your insurance won't pay for iron, when you're anemic? Is there any way your doctor can say "look people she NEEDS this pill?" I hope that you'll get over the anemia thing in 91 days! (I say 91, because it's one week past your due date! :) )

[Emily]

Oh god that sucks! I have no suggestions I'm afraid but I just wanted to give you some moral support. I struggle taking coated multivitamins so I would practically die if I were you! Think of Cate's kicks as little high five's of thanks!

[christina (apronstirings)]

oh and farah-how did you take the iron that much when you can't take it with your prenantals? did you skip the prenantals? if you were on folic acid-i don't knowt that that would be a bad thing?

[christina (apronstirings)]

thanks you guys!i forgot to mention that i reallly need some advice. it's jsut awful, and i know it doesn't have tobe.
no offense-but marice i am on LOTS of stuff-the last thing i need is some random substnace. and i would never take something that hasn't been tested for fetal safety.
lynn-i love the red pepper idea. i actaully love red peppers-maybe that's why.
i don't think i would be anemic were i not pregnant-but i am not sure? i'd almsot rather be tired (if i wasn't pregnant) then have to take the pills at all. not to mention the puking.

[A Soldier's Girl]

Hola from NCLM :)

This definitely does not sound pleasant & it is not something I think about happening when I dream of becoming pregnant...but I love the way you look at it! Will you have to take the pills just the rest of the pregnancy or beyond?

And, I love that Cate reminds you that she's in there...:)

[Farah]

oh good lord. I am so so so sorry. I am unsure if you know or not, I have the mthfr and i was on extra folic acid and iron supplements, teh over hte counter ones worked for me MUCH better than the presribed one. I took SlowFe (3 pills 2 times a day). I didn't puke but felt like i should have. I was also taking a stool softner prenatel tohelp with the backup plumbing issue.

I am sending you some blog lovin'. Thinking of you

[lynn]

My sister went threw the something. She a nurse and went to the doctor she work for and he suggested try munching on a lot of red bell peppers threw out the day, then in a few weeks take blood test and see if it helped. It did help and she threw those nasty pill out. This just asuggestion , I know it might work or be for everyone. I do have say at first it gave a little gas. Anyhoo, I sorry you been so sick...I hope you feel better soon.

[Marcie]

Hi there,
I can relate. I was also anemic when I was pregnant, but after I had my baby I thought I was free of it. I had gone back to work after my child started school. Recently, I have been so tired and I have been taking naps before and after work. As you may know this does not lend itself to a productive family life. After I found out that I was anemic a friend told me about this juice called Monavie. I was really skeptical at first to try it, but I can tell you I am no longer taking naps. The juice has the acai berry in it, which is the number one superfood in the world. It has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show. It is a blend of 19 fruits which makes it the strongest antioxident around. The purple bottle is safe for pregnant and lactating women. (There are two kinds)Anyways, it has really helped me and if you would like to get some free info on it check out my website www.mymonavie.com/marciellanes

[JessPond]

OH, that SUCKS! How much IS the perscription iron? It would almost be worth it (up to a point of course) to me to pay out of pocket!! Maybe you could rationalize it that you didn't have to pay to MAKE this baby, so you could afford the little extra? lol Ease the pain a little in your mind? Convince your hubby? :)

I'm sorry about the pills and the throwing up and the tiredness! It's not fair that you work so hard to get pg and then you have this! Sure, things could be worse and you're glad to be here, but throwing up black sludge is no fun either!!