RLS with anemia

Just a quick note  in case I could  help any of you avoid years of misery .

I  posted  about  being 7+  years post VSG  last night.I  had forgotten about the RLS  that I suffered with for years, I  guess, because I have therapeutic  amnesia?

Anyway,  several years ago, I  started having restless leg at night.  Needless to say,  it was miserable,  some weeks it was  every other night.

I  was using oral Mirapex and Neupro  patches.  that helped,  but some nights I also used a clonazapam and even oxycodone. All prescribed legally. My psychiatrist figured out what was causing it , of all people ! 

My ferritin level(long term iron stores) was  literally in  the  toilet.I  don't eat much meat any more.  The labs indicated that my ferritin level was a 5. I took iron supplements for 18  months and the highest my ferritin  got was a 17. I obviously don't absorb iron!

After going  through the RLS misery for years,  with no resolution of the anemia, I  finally went to a hematologist  and received an iron infusion  with a product called Injectafer. 

My last ferritin  level was 167. It  took a few  months,  but the RLS  is gone. I'm off the mirapex, the Neupro,  the clonazepam  and the oxycodone.  Mystery and misery solved.

I hope this could help any if you. 

WOW....glad you've found resolution. Sometimes we get information in the least expected places.....wonderful to hear that the psychiatrist took the time to address all of your issues and even better that you're off all those meds

What is rls?

Restless Leg Syndrome. It can be terribly disruptive to someone's life. I wouldn't be able to sleep sometimes until 3 or 4 in the morning, when I would finally fall asleep out of exhaustion.  It's awful.

I'm sorry about not saying the entire name. Brain fart! I  got so used to dealing with it, I  almost forgot about the name behind the acronym.

The good thing is,  if you didn't know what RLS is,  you or someone you know hasn't had it. That's a good thing.

Thank you for explaining it :) 

i have to drink Powerade zero for potassium or I start kicking in my sleep.  And that's horrible, especially for the hubby lol. I'm guessing RLS Would be 10 times as worse. So sorry :( 

I want to scream when I read about a doctor *****fuses iron infusions for WLSers with ferritin numbers that are really bad. They just won't ever climb up with oral supplements. 

Good for you for persisting and getting infusions. You must feel so much better.