Open question #1: Exercise and WED

[Frunobulax]

my idea of exercise and RLS is very simplistic. overdoing (depending on the state of your body) it causes depletion of iron --> triggers symptoms
certainly not as sophisticated as the above discussion which I'm enjoying (and trying to follow)

My original post here is fairly old. At this time I do not believe that it's got anything to do with serotonine, and you are correct that we should look towards iron as the reason. My current hypothesis is this: We tend to produce nitrogen oxyde under high intensity workouts (anaerobic exercise levels). Nitrogen oxyde will be metabolized to a number of harmful substances (called "nitrosative stress"), including peroxynitrite which is toxic and affects iron regulatory proteins, and it takes the body a long time to "clean up" those unwanted substances.

It's a shot in the dark, but probably better than serotonin Of course people with high nitrosative stress tend to have low neurotransmitter production, possibly due to the iron connection, so serotonin levels may be lowered as side effect.

[badnights]

@ Gene
hi
WED/RLS often manifests after surgery - mostly ortho surgery as opposed to gut surgery - but no one knows why.

What dose of ropinirole are you on? The specialists who work with RLS/WED patients every day recommended a few years ago that ropinirole be started at 0.25 mg and never exceed 1 mg. But this approach has not yet filtered down to the average doctor.

The reason for not exceeding 1 mg ropinirole is that this medication, and others like it (the dopaminergic meds, including pramipexole and rotigotine/Neupro) eventually cause the WED/RLS symptoms to get worse. It can take days in some people, years in others, and happens faster the higher a dose you're on (and the lower your iron stores are). The fact that most doctors STILL don't know about augmentation creates a lot of unnecessary grief. Patients are caught in an ever-deepening spiral - - your symptoms are worse so your doctor increases the dose, which makes the symptoms worse, which makes your doctor raise the dose again -- and this really, honestly doesn't end. It is misery escalating until the mind or the body gives out.

So let's be sure you don't go there . If your doc knows nothing about augmentation, be sure you learn about it yourself and share what you have learned. He or she will have access to more resources than you and if he is a good doctor he will follow up further and learn more and be able to look out for you better.

Meanwhile make sure your vitamin D is good, and get your iron numbers often - once or twice a year, anyway, and address any potential diet or gut issues that may be harming you. Might help.

[debbluebird]

Exercise, interesting. My exercise is probably very slow compared to most of you. I have been walking almost everyday this summer. I'm walking any where from 3/4 mile to 2 miles, depending on how much energy I have and if my back hurts. I'm slow. It takes me over an hour to walk 2 miles. I have both knee replacements, both hip replacements and more recently a back fusion.
Now at night, I ride my recumbent bike for 30 min, averaging about 5 miles. I start this when my leg wakes me up from spasms and RLS. The riding takes it away. Sometimes I can then go back to sleep. Other times I stay awake.