Iron Patches

Here you can share your experiences with substances that are ingested, inhaled, or otherwise consumed for the purpose of relieving RLS, other than prescription medications. For example, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, diet, kratom, and marijuana (for now) should be discussed here. Tell others of successes, failures, side effects, and any known research on these substances. [Posts on these subjects created prior to 2009 are in the Physical Treatments forum.]

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
Post Reply
SquirmingSusan
Posts: 3028
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:08 am
Location: Minnesota
Contact:

Iron Patches

Post by SquirmingSusan »

Someone in a bariatric surgery group just posted about these vitamin patches. They have multivitamin patches that have 45 mg of iron, as well as iron-only patches. The get great reviews, and I'm going to give them a shot. I'm due for my check-in with the hematologist to have more iron infusions, but not really looking forward to that.

https://store.bariatricpal.com/collecti ... y-supply-1
Susan

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16566
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Iron Patches

Post by ViewsAskew »

Sounds interesting. After my third infusion, I had over 50% reduction in meds for almost 6 months, then slowly started creeping up again. I am still below where I was when I received it a year ago, but back to about where I was for several years.
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.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16566
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Iron Patches

Post by ViewsAskew »

Darn it - they put way too much vitamin C in it. Oddly, I am sensitive to all forms of acids - malic, citrus, etc, as well as citrus fruits. I could only use this if it had about 25% of the RDA, not 400%!
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.

SquirmingSusan
Posts: 3028
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:08 am
Location: Minnesota
Contact:

Re: Iron Patches

Post by SquirmingSusan »

Well darn it, Ann! I take something like 6 grams of vitamin C a day. Odd they would put it in a patch; I thought vit C was to help iron absorption in the digestive tract.
Susan

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Iron Patches

Post by badnights »

They say the C is added for enhanced absorption. Maybe the same chemical process takes place across the skin as across the GI tract.
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.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16566
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Iron Patches

Post by ViewsAskew »

6 grams of C would make me CRAZY with itching - whole body, non stop. I shudder to think of it. I cannot eat one orange every day for a week. 3 a week, max, lol. And, no other acids or citrus!
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.

SquirmingSusan
Posts: 3028
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:08 am
Location: Minnesota
Contact:

Re: Iron Patches

Post by SquirmingSusan »

Here's another iron supplement I came across. Much less vitamin C. 6.5 mg per serving. Not sure I like "nano" anything, and their science is a bit questionable, but it looks interesting.

https://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/angs ... -32-fl-oz/
Susan

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Iron Patches

Post by badnights »

Hmmm. I personally will leave off ingesting nano-sized particles of anything for now, even of iron. There's some concern that this type of formula could send a person' out of iron homeostasis (possibly causing iron overload) because the particles bypass the usual transport mechanisms thru cells of the gut walls. But my main concern is that the long-term effects are completely unknown, and we don't have a good track record with that kind of stuff. Some nano-particles - not ones found in food additives, but nevertheless - have caused physiological changes (enlarged villi) in the gut walls of chicken. Maybe I'm over-cautious.
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.

SquirmingSusan
Posts: 3028
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:08 am
Location: Minnesota
Contact:

Re: Iron Patches

Post by SquirmingSusan »

Actually I realized the patches are said to be nano particles. They seem to be scientifically impossible, since the weight of the patch is less than 1/10 of the claimed weight of the nutrients in them. When I asked them about it, they said it was due to their special dehydration process, and basically magic.

Regarding nano-particles, apparently most of the IV iron formulations involve nano-particle iron. According to this article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459360/

"Most IV iron agents are colloids with spheroidal iron-carbohydrate nanoparticles. Each particle consists of a carbohydrate shell that stabilizes the iron-oxyhydroxide core (Fe [III])." I had no idea that nano-particles are as common as they are. They've apparently been used in animal feed for years, and in iron infusions.

Since I don't absorb oral iron, I think I'm stuck with nano-particle iron, either by infusion, patch, or oral supplement.
Susan

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Iron Patches

Post by badnights »

Ah. Interesting.
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.

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6466
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Iron Patches

Post by Rustsmith »

Nanoparticles are common in nature, it is just that we haven't had a way to detect or see them until very recently. My area of technical expertise involves a specific form of iron sulfide that frequently exists as nanoparticles and these nanoparticles turn out to be one of the key ingredients to the start of VERY early life, where amino acids on Earth started to combine and ultimately lead to the formation of DNA.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
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.

srgraves01
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:34 am

Re: Iron Patches

Post by srgraves01 »

I have been using the iron patches for a couple of weeks. But I have not had yet had any tests to see what effects they have had on my ferritin in levels. The discussion above seems to be somewhat inconclusive on their efficacy. I would be very interested to know if anyone has taken them and had success in raising their ferritin levels. If they work they would be a low cost alternative to IV therapy and would avert the side effects of oral iron.

legsbestill
Posts: 561
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:22 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Iron Patches

Post by legsbestill »

I have been using patches for about 2 months and just yesterday went for a serum ferritin test. It was 68 before I started so will be interested to see what it is now. I get the results next week and will post then.

stjohnh
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: Palo Alto, California

Re: Iron Patches

Post by stjohnh »

I googled around and could find very little credible information, and no reports from people who had used patches and had ferritin tests done. That said, there IS work being done in animal models testing transdermal (skin) absorption of iron preparations. The idea being that the number one nutritional deficiency worldwide is iron, and oral iron works slowly and many people can't tolerate it. IV iron works well, but is impractical for large populations and is expensive to use on a population basis.
Blessings,
Holland

legsbestill
Posts: 561
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:22 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Iron Patches

Post by legsbestill »

I got my serum ferritin results last week and my iron had remained pretty much level. It was 66 and the last test (just before I started the iron patches) was also in the mid 60s - of course I have misplaced the note I made of the result. I am disappointed but at least it hadn't gone down. I am pretty convinced that I am one whose rls is improved by raising iron levels. I have started the heme iron now. Am taking 3 tablets per day which is working out very expensive but if it raises my iron well worth it. Will post results in about 3 months. The next step will be actually eating liver which I am hoping to avoid ...

Post Reply