Hello and a lab question.

[missy1462]

Hello, several several years back, I talked my doc into checking my ferritin after find this site. I had rls and had stopped taking ropinirole. Ferritin was low and oral iron stopped the rls. Fast forward to now, I’ve had a lot of issues with my feet and several surgeries. I don’t know if the rls has come back or if this has something to do with my feet but my legs ache and ache every night and I had this incessant urge to stretch my feet from the ankle (if that makes sense, just a strong urge to point them in a stretch). I went to see my doc about it all yesterday, and she redrew labs. I’ve been on oral iron for a long while after the first set of labs where my other doc said my levels were low and my new doc doesn’t want me taking it every day.
These are the results and I wondered what yall think about them and/or might have any insight.

TIBC - 231 (range 250-450 ug/dL)
UIBC - 172 (range 118-369)
Iron - 59 (range 27-139)
Iron Saturation (%) - 26 (range 15-55%)
Ferritin - 292 (high) (range 15-150)

I sure would appreciate any thoughts about this. I assume I need to stop the oral iron?

[Rustsmith]

Your ferritin levels are high enough that your doctor is probably correct that you don't need to be taking it daily. A level of 292 isn't a cause for concern (I have personally been at 650 and my doctor wasn't concerned so long as I didn't start showing signs of jaundice. However, continuing also probably won't be doing anything to help with your symptoms.

One of the requirements for RLS is that the urge to move needs to be in the evening or at night and when you are trying to relax or rest. For something such as why you describe, it might also be an urge that is trying to prevent a cramp or to relax the stress in your lower legs and feet, especially if you wear high heals for long periods during the day.