Low ferritin level

For everything and anything else not covered in the other RLS sections.
Post Reply
djohnso55
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:44 pm

Low ferritin level

Post by djohnso55 »

I am newley diagnosed with RLS. I have been taking iron and they rechecked my ferritin level and it is still low. They want me to have an uper gi. Ialready had a colonoscopy. I had gone into dr. with complaint of fatigue. So had colonoscopy and sleep study done and lab. Sleep study showed RLS. I am on generice Requip, not working very well yet. I have read most people with RLS have low Ferritin levels. Is it common not to be able to increase the Ferritin level?

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8799
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by Polar Bear »

Hi

My rls is 59, which I believe is not considered low, even for someone with rls.

Others will be along to tell you how they worked at increasing their ferritin.
Betty
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

moonlight
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:35 pm
Location: scotland

Post by moonlight »

Hi...my ferritin level is still considered to be low at 20....it has taken over a year to get it there from 5.

I take iron , but not all the time , as it ends up making me ill.

At the moment get acupuncture for rls and find its working

Only meds I take is codeine if I need it

hugs
shadow xxx
sleep is not only a dream

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

Post by SquirmingSusan »

Hi. It's not uncommon to have a great amount of difficulty increasing the ferritin level through oral supplementation. It's quite difficult for women who are having monthly periods to make any progress at all. And if you're taking proton pump inhibitors for heartburn/GERD (like Prilosec, Protonix, and others) it can be almost impossible to absorb enough iron to make much difference.

The best way to raise the ferritin level is by infusions, IMO. I had 4 of them about 1-1/2 years ago, but over the next few months lost all of the benefits through heavy periods.

I'd like to do it again, but it's hard to get a doctor to prescribe them, or even to understand the importance of ferritin levels to RLS.
Susan

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by ViewsAskew »

Funny, my sleep doc wanted me to see an internist about my low ferritin....don't these docs read the journals???? (Yeah, yeah, I know they are busy being doctors, but yeesh...)

I guess the doc is being thorough. But Mayo Clinic docs gave 5 RLS patients infusions of iron. The ferritin went up to 200, 300+ from very, very low.

But, in a few months, they were decreasing. I can't remember how quickly, but it was something like 6 months and some of them were back to 10 or some ungodly low number. They theorize that our bodies deliberately do this....they just don't know why yet.

So, it's HARD to do, lol, to get that ferritin up there. Some people do it easier than others. I've been fighting the battle for several years. I'm happy if I get to 30 or 40, lol.
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.

Aiken
Posts: 880
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:53 am

Post by Aiken »

PB--

Actually, 59 is pretty close to normal for a regular person. If your RLS is ferritin-related, 59 is low for an RLS patient. If it's not ferritin-related, it's a good level.

Mine responds to supplemental iron, and my sleep doc and I try to keep it up around 100, which is tricky when taking acid-suppressing reflux meds, but I manage, and it's worth it.
Disclaimer: I often talk about what I do and what works for me, but these are specific to me and you should always consult a healthcare professional before trying these things yourself, lest you endanger your health or life.

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8799
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by Polar Bear »

Hi Aiken,
I suppose the only way to know if rls in ferritin related would be to make the level go up and see if it eases the rls. Hmm.. how to convince a doc to do this if he thinks the level is 'normal'.
Also as I have been on a PPI for about 6 months, I wonder if this has affected my ferritin level. Food for thought.
Betty
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

Post Reply