Ferritin decrease to 90ng from 115ng enough to increase RLS or augmentation risk?

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Madmom02
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 11:27 pm
Location: My heart lives in the mountains

Ferritin decrease to 90ng from 115ng enough to increase RLS or augmentation risk?

Post by Madmom02 »

Another clue in my RLS puzzle? Quick backstory: have severe RLS (legs, arms, trunk), started .125mg pramipexole Aug. 16, 2016, complete relief until Sept. 6, 2016. Had augmentation on sinemet in the mid-90's so suspected it again. Neuro raised dose to .25mg. Didn't help.

Had my ferritin level checked this week. It's dropped from 115ng/mL in Aug, 2015 to 90ng/mL (Sept, 2016). Don't know enough about iron levels to know how to quantify this drop (minor?). Neuro did not do a transferrin saturation test.

Questions:
1. Is drop big enough to be increasing RLS and/or leading to augmentation?
2. Should I request transferrin saturation test?
3. Should I start supplementing?
4. If yes to supplementing, am I correct in that the best way is to take 325mg ferrous sulfate (65mg elemental iron) on an empty stomach with orange juice?

Thank you in advance!
MadMom

stjohnh
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: Palo Alto, California

Re: Ferritin decrease to 90ng from 115ng enough to increase RLS or augmentation risk?

Post by stjohnh »

1. Probably not. Ferritin is a pretty good test for our body storage iron, however is not a good test for brain iron concentration. However it is the best test that is commonly available.
2. No. Transferrin tells less about brain Iron than ferritin.
3. Yes. While there is a good chance that increasing your brain iron will not help, there still is a chance that it might. Iron supplementation is cheap and easy and since it may help is a good reason to do it.
4. The best way to take iron is to take ferrous sulfate 3 times daily, take it with at least 250 milligrams of vitamin C. OJ isn't acidic enough.
Blessings,
Holland

Madmom02
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 11:27 pm
Location: My heart lives in the mountains

Re: Ferritin decrease to 90ng from 115ng enough to increase RLS or augmentation risk?

Post by Madmom02 »

Holland, thank you!

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Ferritin decrease to 90ng from 115ng enough to increase RLS or augmentation risk?

Post by badnights »

In answer to 1, I would say nobody knows enough. Fact is you may be augmenting, whatever your ferritin is doing. And I agree with holland on 2,3,4
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

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