intravenous iron (WEDF webinar)

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badnights
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intravenous iron (WEDF webinar)

Post by badnights »

Has anyone commented on the recent webinar on iron treatment that the WED Foundation hosted? It was enlightening. Jim O'Connor is fantastic, he has uncovered bits and pieces of how iron is messed up in WED brains and is so keen it was exhilarating to listen to him.

Dr. Earley talked about treatment. I was surprised to learn that ferritin can range up to 300 ng/ml without being regarded as abnormally high, and that he would not hesitate to treat a WED patient with intravenous iron if their ferritin was 200 or less. It was sad to hear that he finds most hematologists (the type of physician that normally gives iron infusions) won't leave their comfort zones to learn about the possible benefits of iron infusions for WED, even when he personally sends them the research and detailed notes on how to proceed.

But that said, it might be something to look into for some of us. When a certain type of iron is used in a certain way, over half the patients have significant improvement of symptoms or even remission, lasting from weeks to months (the rest of the patients don't seem to benefit at all, and no one can predict yet who will benefit and who won't). The method as I understand it is this (bare bones): use low-molecular-weight iron eg. iron dextran, first infusion 1000 mg, repeat when symptoms return but measure ferritin first and use that as a baseline for that patient, the goal being to keep his/her ferritin above the baseline. The baseline for each patient is different (so your "normal" and my "normal" and the dude next door's "normal" could be 250 and 120 and 20, and we'd all be "normal").
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.

rthom
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Re: intravenous iron (WEDF webinar)

Post by rthom »

I thought it was great too, been blathering on about it, but haven't heard anyone else mention it here or otside here. gives much hope. The only thing I Wasn't clear on was wehether or not they were talking about was if they thought it might work for one kind of rls and not the other or prety much everyone?

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

Re: intravenous iron (WEDF webinar)

Post by badnights »

Definitely one kind and not the other, but they have no idea what each "kind" would look like.

There seem to be two groups of WED, as far as intravenous iron goes, one that will respond and one that won't. But no way to tell which group you're in except to try it and see.
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.

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