Hello all, long time RLS sufferer!

[EdanGrey]

Hi Everyone,

I've had RLS pretty much since I was a teenager, but since taking 200mg a day of ferrous sulphate for hair loss for about 3 years now, my RLS has slowly got worse and is now hassling me through the day.
Since everywhere I've read suggests that RLS can be triggered by low iron levels I am at a loss.

Hoping I might find some help here!

[Rustsmith]

Have you had a blood test that measured ferritin and not just hemoglobin? If so, was the result over 50?

Some of us are not able to get our ferritin levels elevated to where they need to be by taking iron sulfate. For these, there is an alternative of getting IV iron infusions.

Then there are others (including me), who are able to get high ferritin levels with iron sulfate but that do not see any improvement. Apparently the iron is getting into the blood but still is not getting across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain where it is needed.

[Polar Bear]

You could also consider if you are taking anything that could be a trigger and aggravate your RLS/WED symptoms, any new medication for another condition, antihistamines etc, or lifestyle changes - alcohol/caffeine/Fizzy soda..... different things can annoy different folks.
If you take a look at 'A Good Place to Start' in the Just Joined forum there is a great deal of information and links covering many aspects of RLS.

[EdanGrey]

Have you had a blood test that measured ferritin and not just hemoglobin? If so, was the result over 50?

Some of us are not able to get our ferritin levels elevated to where they need to be by taking iron sulfate. For these, there is an alternative of getting IV iron infusions.

Then there are others (including me), who are able to get high ferritin levels with iron sulfate but that do not see any improvement. Apparently the iron is getting into the blood but still is not getting across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain where it is needed.

I did have a blood test that measured ferritin levels...I got blood tests for everything my doctors could think of while they were trying to figure out the cause of my hair loss (all fine, incidentally). It appears my iron levels (without the tablets) are fine, but my uptake is poor, hence the pills I'm taking. The tablets stop my hair from falling out so they're definitely 'working', but my RLS has slowly got worse over the same time period.

I know some of my problem is that my RLS is initially genetic.. my nan, dad and sister all suffer, but no-one suffers quite as much as I do now.

You could also consider if you are taking anything that could be a trigger and aggravate your RLS/WED symptoms, any new medication for another condition, antihistamines etc, or lifestyle changes - alcohol/caffeine/Fizzy soda..... different things can annoy different folks

My diet is actually pretty good.. I don't drink alcohol or caffeine, or have anything with sugar... so really looking to try anything else that may work!