Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

My RLS journey has been a good one thanks to the support of the RLS Foundation and this forum.
My ferritin level, which started out at 19 has been steadily rising thanks to daily iron supplements over the past 5 years. This year it is 175 . Recently, I lowered my dose, taking half a 0.125 mg pramipexole tab (0.0625) which hopefully will not lead to augmentation later ( I've been taking 0.125 mg for 15 years with no augmentation). Any thoughts?

Lowering your dose of pramipexole will not lead to augmentation, it is too much pramipexole that will cause augmentation.
Lowering it may have caused withdrawal symptoms but you have not mentioned this. Well done.

My ferritin level is 125 without benefit of an iron supplement. However recent bloods showed my iron serum is 11 which is the low end of normal. When I mentioned this to my GP he said it was within normal and did not require an iron supplement. He believes that talking an iron supplement would 'muddy the waters'. I get his point but would like it to be above the lower end.

Congratulations on doing so well.

Hi Tim G
How did you get your ferritin level to 175? How much iron are you taking and when?
I'm struggling with an adequate dose of iron vs. stomach upset

I am not taking any iron supplement.
There was a time when my ferritin serum was only 56 and I took an oral iron supplement and over two years it only rose to about 62. However eventually constipation became so severe that I stopped it.
Iron glycinate is more gentle. Are you taking your iron with or after food.
I have no idea how my ferritin serum has reached 125 but happy it has done so.

meyer wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 07, 2023 8:46 pm

Hi Tim G
How did you get your ferritin level to 175? How much iron are you taking and when?
I'm struggling with an adequate dose of iron vs. stomach upset

My ferritin level was 19 about five years ago, when I started taking a standard daily iron dose in the morning. Fortunately, I am able to take this without stomach upset. It took a look time to get to 100, which I was pleased with, and was rather surprised when my last ferritin assay was 175.

Tim, are you taking iron with vitamin C with it on an empty stomach? That's what I couldn't take. I did that 4 or 5 times a week for an unpleasant year even though my ferritin has always been over 100. My RLS actually appeared to improve when I quit.