Ferritin

[veldon7]

So is the Iron helping your legs? I just had my Ferritin checked and it is 45 so I am starting Iron, praying that it works!!

[Polar Bear]

My understanding is that ferritin of 45 is quite reasonable - except for when you suffer from rls/wed. Then it is best to have a reading of over 50 and nearer 100.

[ViewsAskew]

I haven't seen any new research....but the numbers from several years ago were that:

20% see a dramatic change for the better
40% see some improvement
40% see no change

Definitely worth trying, though it certainly doesn't help everyone.

[Chipmunk]

I found that increasing iron helped in the beginning but then any more gains didn't really help. I still kept taking iron therapy until it was close to 100, and try to maintain it there.

Taking Vitamin D supplements is what helped me more than the iron, I would say, although I think the iron supplementation was still necessary.

[mesmerize]

I'm new to this website, but not to RLS. I just found out that raising ferritin levels might help resless leg, and I've started taking iron. My ferritin level was 45. Unfortunately, the ferrous gluconate is so hard to digest, and is wreaking havoc in my gastro-intestinal tract. I started out with 5 grams of ferrous gluconate twice a day along with vitamin C. Now I've switched to once a day. Any suggestions on how to take this and avoid diarrhea and gas? There is no way I can lead a normal life and take this.

Otherwise, I'm very healthy. 61, cook my own food, eat a balanced diet, get lots of exercise, not overweight, etc. The only bane of my existence is insomnia caused mostly by RLS.

Help!

[ViewsAskew]

It can be really hard to increase it because it's tough on many of us.

Try one of the brands thats designed for sensitive tummies - Feosol, maybe? A pharmacist would know.

[rthom]

My wife has to take a gentle stool softener daily or else she has trouble too. I was told by the Dr that you can be constipated and have it behave like diarrhea because it squeezes through small areas around blockages, thus causing both gas discomfort and diarrhea. The other thing she does that really helps her comfort is eat yougart that has the enzimes in it--(like astro unstirred).

[Chipmunk]

There's a brand called Slow-FE that you can buy at Walgreens OTC. It is released over the day so it is easier on your stomach.

[TimG]

I don't have stomach issues when taking iron, and take a one-a-day iron on an empty stomach with orange juice every morning. My iron and blood counts are normal, but my ferritin is low (19). I'm trying to raise it with iron therapy. Has anyone had better luck using the 325 mg iron tablets? How many times daily? Thankfully, the pramipexole I started last November is working well and significantly improving the quality of sleep.

[badnights]

I had no luck whatsoever with ferrous gluconate and dramatic increase in ferritin when I switched to ferrous sulfate. The sulfate is in 325-mg pills, but the main difference was probably the chemistry, not the amount.

[ViewsAskew]

I use ferrous sulfate, 325 mg, 65 mg of elemental iron. I have increased mine - very slowly, but it's increased. Taking it three time a day will get you there the fastest (except a transfusion, which many doctors will not do).

[badnights]

Has anyone used ferrous fumarate? It's got even more elemental iron than the sulfate, but is correspondingly harder on the gut. I've not yet heard of anyone using it.

[peanut1]

This is certainly worth trying as I've had anemia for years and when I was last tested it was 20. That's after taking 2.5 iron pills a day. I take the ferrachel at night and the blood builder in the morning.

[Chipmunk]

I found this on Wikipedia (yes, not the most reliable source but still may be helpful):

Non-heme iron forms an insoluble complex with several other drugs, resulting in decreased absorption of both iron and the other drug. Examples include tetracycline, penicillamine, methyldopa, levodopa, bisphosphonates and quinolones. The same can occur with elements in food, such as calcium. Absorption of iron is better at a low pH (an acid environment), and resorption is decreased if there is a simultaneous intake of antacids.

Many factors decrease the rates of non-heme iron. Examples are tannins from foods, such as tea and saw palmetto, phytic acid and roughage.[23] Vegetarians and especially vegans are at increased risk of iron deficiency due to the combination of limited amounts of iron in the diet in a form that is poorly absorbed alongside compounds that further limit absorption.

Taken after a meal, there are fewer side effects but there is also less absorption because of interaction and pH alteration. Generally, an interval of 2–3 hours between the iron intake and that of other drugs seems advisable, but is less convenient for patients and can impact on compliance.

[debbluebird]

I saw a new doctor today, due to pain in my ear. I've decided to switch to her. I started talking about my ferritin, which is in the 500's, while my iron is low. The previous doctor never went over my recent labs. The most I could get the iron up to was around 45. I don't know what it is right now. She is having me retart iron. She wants me on ferosol. We will then get a blood test again later. She then wants me to see a hemotologist next summer when my insurance kicks in. So this is where I'm at. My legs have been fairly quiet for about a month since I restarted the mirapex every day. I started out every other day and then went to daily. I'm still on a very low dose, 0.125 mg of mirapex x one. I'm afraid to take anymore than that, due to augmentation. I've stopped the tramadol. It didn't seem to really help anyway. So I'm also taking methadone 5 mg, x two and gabapentin 600 mg x two.

DEB