GPS!!

[trekking]

Went to see Gp yesterday to check my feretin levels. He advised taking zinc and Magnesium for RLS. Anyone else take that? If so is it useful?

[valleysjumping]

I’ve taken calcium, magnesium and zinc tablets, Holland and Barrett, 3 p.d., off and on for years and think there’s probably a marginal benefit, but pretty marginal. I come off for a few weeks and think oh RLS so awful, let’s try supplements again, and sometimes do seem to notice a bit of an improvement. Good luck!

[Hidden]

Your GP was good to check your Ferritin levels. When you get the result, the GP might just say it's "normal". If so ask for the actual value. If it's less than 100 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL), then it would be a good idea to start on an iron supplement, If the GP says you don't need iron, simply ignore this as a Ferritin level below 100ng/mL can be a factor in RLS.

It appears your GP thinks you have mild RLS. This may be the case, but in order to judge this properly it would be a good idea to complete the RLS Severity Scale.

Click on this link, then scroll down to access the severity scale

rls-uk.org/diagnosis

Whether your RLS is mild or severe, there are national (NHS) guidelines on the management of RLS.

Click in the link below to see the guidelines. These are what the doctor should have told you

cks.nice.org.uk/restless-le...

First note that your GP should have checked for any underlying conditions or if any current medications you are taking might be causing your RLS symptoms.

If you think your RLS is severe, scroll down to drug treatment.

Zinc and magnesium may help, but there's no mention of these in the guidelines.

[ironbrain]

If you take extra iron, you should also take extra zinc and copper (but not too much, particularly of the latter). In supplement form, they compete for binding sites, so taking more of one decreases the absorption of the other.

An NHS GP saying about taking extra zinc is (therefore) good news. With quite bad anaemia, they will generally just prescribe iron if you develop other deficiencies, I guess that's just another problem. Asking if I might find out my zinc and copper levels when I went for a blood test a couple of years ago, the response was something along the lines of "on the NHS, you must be joking!"

There is a scientific/medical understanding of the calming effect of magnesium, principally, its action on the HDMA receptor. I seem to find that taking magnesium (about x2 RDA) is useful, but, of course, no cure.

[Hidden in reply to ironbrain]

That's interesting thanks.

[Suberino]

Since someone posted something about a study showing potassium helps, I've been taking that too. Like Valleysjumping I think supplements make some difference. And any difference is better than none!

[Hidden in reply to Suberino]

Just to say I'm sceptical about taking supplements generally. The body has it's own ways of keeping vital minerals within a necessary range. There are many homeostatic mechanisms which enable this. If causes problems if for some reason the level.of a particular mineral goes below or above the normal range. Unless there's a significant dietary insufficiency, it usually means there's some homeostatic mechanism that's dysfunctioning.

Naturally, if for some reason we become deficient of a particular mineral, it's useful to take a supplement to bring it up to optimal, but we also need to understand why the deficiency occurs.

It seems just pointless in some cases to take a supplement of something we don't have a deficiency of because the relevant homeostatic mechanism will act to stop levels going higher than normal.

Some minerals are more "immediate" than others. A deficiency of potassium is going to have a relatively more significant effect than a deficiency of iron, You'd have to suffer a fairly major health condition to have a potassium deficiency.

The serum potassium level is controlled by the kidneys. Normally if you ingest extra potassium, if there's no deficiency, the kidneys will just eliminate it. So it seems pointless.. Here's the thing, if for some reason the kidneys fail to do this it can lead to death. Quickly.

[Suberino in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, Manerva, for taking the time to write and explain some of the science. What you say makes sense and I admit I have no idea what my potassium level is.

It's hard to know what is right with such conflicting advice. Even the RLS UK most recent newsletter suggested potassium might help some RLS sufferers if I remember correctly. But my memory being shot to bits by lack of sleep that is possibly being a bit hopeful!!!!

At the moment I am so desperate for sleep that I am happy to grasp at straws - placebo effects included so this doesn't feel like the right moment to give up the supplements.

I ought to be scared by what you say about the kidneys failing to eliminate excess but I can't find the energy to care very much. However, I will speak to the GP next time I have a medication review as it sounds as though that would only be sensible so thank you for the warning.

[Hidden in reply to Suberino]

Supplements are useful if there is a deficiency, so RLS UK may not be wrong, it's the "if there is a deficiency" bit that's key.

Really high potassium does result from kidney failure.

There are other causes, "Excessive" use of supplements is named as one of them, but I believe it would have to be very excessive OR in the presence of undetected kidney failure

[Sara_2611]

No ive never used them so dont know.My apologies I am unable to assist

[RLS1952]

When Sifrol (dopamine agonist) stopped working properly at .25 mg, the largest allowable dose, I went to a naturopath and she added 1000mg magnesium chelate 3 x a day. Also two capsules of Nature's Sunshine Gotu Kola 2 x a day. This is a brain and nerve tonic. This was last October and has been very successful. I still have to be careful to stay hydrated and not to get over tired but overall a lot better. I would never have found the doses by myself. Have spent years playing with different magnesiums so pleased with the advise I got.

[Templeton666]

I have been advised that it is Magnesium *Malate* that is supposed to be the most effective for RSL. ?