Hello to all,
I've only had this awful syndrome for a little over 3 months, and find it the most disruptive thing that has happened in my long life, ruining so many formerly pleasurable activities: going to plays, movies, concerts; having long dinners out, having a decent nap or night's sleep. I hope to learn a lot from the experiences of others, and will try in future not to whine about the misery but simply to work at alleviating it.
Just Joined, introduction
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ViewsAskew
- Moderator
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- Location: Los Angeles
Re: Just Joined, introduction
You are more than welcome to whine here! If you don't want to, that's OK, too. Just know that sometimes whining seems the only option we have.
Did it just start out of the blue? Do you know anyone else in your family with it?
Did it just start out of the blue? Do you know anyone else in your family with it?
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest
Managing Your RLS
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.
Managing Your RLS
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.
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badnights
- Moderator
- Posts: 6259
- Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
- Location: Northwest Territories, Canada
Re: Just Joined, introduction
If it started out of the blue, sometimes that means it's being caused by something else in your life: a medication you just started (anti-histamines are particularly bad), a medical problem like iron-deficiency anemia, or even a new food, or a sudden reduction or increase in the amount of exercise you're doing.
If it has been building up for a while, it may mean that you have a stronger genetic predisposition to it, which would be confirmed if you had a number of family members who also experience it.
In either case, you should get your serum (blood) ferritin levels checked, along with a full iron workup. Ferritin (which you should ask for specifically, since it's not always included in a standard iron workup) is a very good indicator of WED/RLS severity in many people: low ferritin is correlated with worse WED, and with a greater chance of augmenting on the DA class of WED medication. If your ferritin is below 75, you should (with doctor's OK) be supplementing with oral iron (sulfate or fumarate, taken with vitamin C) and that alone might be enough to lessen the symptoms and let you sit still.
Caution: "normal" for non-WED people is 20 or more, whereas WED patients should have 75 or even 100 or more. Many physicians are unaware of this, but a search of the recent medical literature will show them the truth of it.
If it has been building up for a while, it may mean that you have a stronger genetic predisposition to it, which would be confirmed if you had a number of family members who also experience it.
In either case, you should get your serum (blood) ferritin levels checked, along with a full iron workup. Ferritin (which you should ask for specifically, since it's not always included in a standard iron workup) is a very good indicator of WED/RLS severity in many people: low ferritin is correlated with worse WED, and with a greater chance of augmenting on the DA class of WED medication. If your ferritin is below 75, you should (with doctor's OK) be supplementing with oral iron (sulfate or fumarate, taken with vitamin C) and that alone might be enough to lessen the symptoms and let you sit still.
Caution: "normal" for non-WED people is 20 or more, whereas WED patients should have 75 or even 100 or more. Many physicians are unaware of this, but a search of the recent medical literature will show them the truth of it.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.