Iron Issues

Speaking of throat punches... I might do that to the first doc that suggests I shouldn't exercise so much!  

I take my iron (and vitamin C) before bed too.  I had switched to pills from the bariatric advantage chewable, but I might change again if I'm looking at taking 6+ :P

Try not to worry about the infusions.   They are a piece of cake.  Depending on what kind of iron they give you, the process can take anywhere from one to four hours.  They just hook you up with an IV and you can read, sleep, talk, whatever - you shouldn't feel anything at all.

It takes awhile for them to be completely absorbed by the body, but they work like a charm.  It's the only way I get my iron now and I'm really kinda glad to not have to struggle taking those pills daily anymore.

edited to add:  I've had ferritin levels as low as 3.

What are your h&h numbers? Total iron? 

If your ferritin is at 40 and your other numbers are good, you're not anemic. 

Your iron may be the low end of normal, but low enough for you to not feel so great. I'm curious to hear what the doctor has to say. At work, the doctors will treat patients with a ferritin of 40 or lower. Some doctors like to treat sooner than later, because it can be hard to get iron levels up and keep them up once they tank. Keep us posted.:-)

Edited for dumb spelling

I haven't really noticed that I'm not feeling great, but I do a lot of exercise and it's easy for me to explain any fatigue I feel as being from that.  I think the real concern, with me, is the copper toxicity.  So while my iron might be "okay," it might not be okay enough to keep my copper in check.  

I'll definitely update after hearing what the hematologist has to say this afternoon!

My ferritin was always in the 60's.  I was post-menopause and told that I did not need iron supplements.  This summer, I started to feel very run down and had labs taken earlier than usual.  My ferritin had dropped to 19 and I started taking iron.  I felt better after about a week.  I have an appointment next week and will ask for another test.

Hematologist has been seen.  He wants me to increase my iron pills and get rechecked in 2-3 months.  So yay!

Make sure you're not taking your iron with calcium and keep in mind there are other things that can decrease absorption, like caffeine.  And take it with vitamin C to increase absorption.

Yup, I make sure of those things, but I appreciate the reminder!  

In Jan my ferritin was 54...which was a drop of almost 50 points from the previous Jan. In May, my RLS showed back up and my PCP ran an iron panel. Yeap, my ferritin was down to 26 and my iron saturation level was 16% even tho my hemoglobin was fine.

I was taking both heme and carbonyl iron and still dropped like a rock. I am also post-menopausal.

Because of my secondary RLS, I had a hematologist go ahead and schedule iron infusions. 

With iron, think of it this way. Your hemoglobin is your checking account. Your ferritin is the savings account that covers the checks written by your body to the hemoglobin account. If your ferritin is below 50, you are not going to be covering those hemoglobin checks much longer.

Low ferritin/low iron sat (and the neurologists and sleep doc's defines it as below 50 for low ferritin and below 30% for low iron sat REGARDLESS of hemoglobin can be the secondary cause to RLS and or migraines.

Here you go:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/detail_rest less_legs.htm

What causes restless legs syndrome?

In most cases, the cause of RLS is unknown. However, it may have a genetic component; RLS is often found in families where the onset of symptoms is before age 40. Specific gene variants have been associated with RLS. Evidence indicates that low levels of iron in the brain also may be responsible for RLS.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/.../healt.../topics/rls/causes.html

Faulty Use of Iron or Lack of Iron

Research suggests that the main cause of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a faulty use of iron or a lack of iron in the brain. The brain uses iron to make the chemical dopamine (DO-pah-meen) and to control other brain activities. Dopamine works in the parts of the brain that control movement.

Many conditions can affect how much iron is in the brain or how it's used. These conditions include kidney failure, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy, and iron deficiency. All of these conditions increase your risk of RLS.

People whose family members have RLS also are more likely to develop the disorder. This suggests that genetics may contribute to the faulty use of iron or lack of iron in the brain that triggers RLS.

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep.../restless-legs-syndrome

What Causes Restless Legs Syndrome?

The exact cause of RLS is unknown.

Primary RLS is the most common type of RLS. It is also referred to as familial (because it is hereditary) or idiopathic (because the causes are unknown) RLS.

Secondary RLS, on the other hand, is believed to be caused by a separate underlying medical condition or in association with the use of certain drugs. For example, some of these conditions include kidney failure, low levels of iron or anemia, pregnancy, and peripheral neuropathy (a problem with the nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord that produces pain, loss of sensation, and inability to control muscles). Stress, diet or other environmental factors can also play a role in developing secondary RLS.

http://www.rls.org/document.doc?&id=1296 Page 4 under Laboratory Evaluation
http://www.irondisorders.org/iron-deficiency-anemia

Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency:

A person who is iron deficient may also be anemic and as a result may have one or more symptoms of anemia. These can include, chronic fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headaches, depression, sore tongue, sensitivity to cold (low body temp), shortness of breath doing simple tasks (climbing stairs, walking short distances, doing housework), restless legs syndrome, and loss of interest in work, recreation, relationships and intimacy.

For the complete list as noted by the http://www.irondisorders.org/:
http://www.irondisorders.org/symptoms/

The bolding is mine and it's a reminder that while those are TYPICAL symptoms, just because you do not have them (esp the fatigue) does NOT mean anything.