RLS and toxins / fasting

[Frunobulax]

I've noticed a new pattern for my RLS that I'd like to share. I started the occasional fasting for 48h.

I usually eat one meal a day and will just leave out one day, maybe once or twice per week in order to combat metabolic syndrome. Usually 20mg oxycodone a day (10mg around noon, 10mg in the evening) will control my RLS just fine, but this is no longer true when I start fasting. Say I'm eating Sunday and Tuesday, fasting on Monday, then the night from Monday to Tuesday may or may not be bad. Tuesday to Wednesday will be worse though, where I pretty reliably need extra medication. This is curious, because there I've already eaten so it shouldn't be a shortage of micronutrients.

My current theory is that my RLS is caused/exacarbated by environmental toxins, which are accumulated in lipid cells. By fasting I'll burn a lot of body fat, releasing the toxins into my bloodstream. (That's the reason why a lot of people will experience rashes and the like if fasting. For me it's only RLS symptoms.) But maybe one of you has a different idea.

Kinda makes you wonder how the BID theory fits in there

[badnights]

That makes sense, the release of stored toxins is a real thing. I think

The brain iron deficiency would be a contributor. Not sure what exact mechanism, but something the brain does (that requires iron) is critical to toxin removal. Not such a far-fetched idea. The accumulated evidence that iron seems to be lacking in parts of the brain and that oral and intravenous iron helps a lot of us - this evidence is not something that should be ignored. Nor is the fact that taking iron doesn't help all of us. The best theories address every known fact, even seemingly contradictory ones.

[Frunobulax]

That makes sense, the release of stored toxins is a real thing. I think

The brain iron deficiency would be a contributor. Not sure what exact mechanism, but something the brain does (that requires iron) is critical to toxin removal. Not such a far-fetched idea. The accumulated evidence that iron seems to be lacking in parts of the brain and that oral and intravenous iron helps a lot of us - this evidence is not something that should be ignored. Nor is the fact that taking iron doesn't help all of us. The best theories address every known fact, even seemingly contradictory ones.

Oh, that wasn't a rhetorical question. I have no doubt that BID is an issue, and probably _the_ issue causing RLS symptoms. But I also am a believer in fixing root causes. If your car is making funny noises, you drive it to the mechanic and learn that it's leaking oil, then refilling oil is obviously a step in the right direction, and might even fix the noises for a while. But obviously it won't be a permanent solution, and it's better to find the reason why the car is leaking oil. I think iron is like oil here, we have to add it, but we also have to find out why it's lacking.

Inflammation is one mechanism that depletes iron stores which I have investigated a lot (and the connection to nutrition), but asking why iron stores get depleted might have a dozen answers, and it might be highly individual which are the dominant mechanisms. But in my case toxins seem to be a major factor, and unfortunately I know little about detoxing and how iron may be involved.