Wiggly and wobbly legs from iron deficiency?

[mmjxc]

Anyone feel the RLS in their legs and everything, and then when you try to get up and move around you just feel too weak to keep standing? These past 2 days have been bad. I don’t know how to stop the restlessness.

I was drifting in and out of sleep at around 11:30 PM, and every time I woke up I’d have to reassure myself I wouldn’t feel as awful the next day. My thoughts were racing. I didn’t get to bed until 2 AM. I was shivering and tremoring, my muscles were tensing and untensing. I took 2 iron bisglycinates, and switched positions so my feet were pressing up against the arm of the couch. Then when I finally went to sleep, I still kept waking up. Then when I woke up this morning, my heart rate was 136 bpm. I had to sit and try to calm myself down, which was hard because my mom wasn’t there with me (at an appointment). Then I had to go to the bathroom, but SURPRISE!! I bled on my heated blanket through my pants. So I had to change pants and find a towel, all while I’m still anxious and tired. I sat down again and put my legs up because I have this huge need to have them up all the time. I think that’s from fatigue. I haven’t had a restorative sleep in over 3 months. Anyway, more shivering and tremoring until my mom got home and she asked me how I was (she had come out to the living room while I was still awake) and I just broke down. I cried and rocked back and forth because walking just makes me more uncomfortable. And then she asked if I had taken any of my valium, and I hadn’t. So I took 1/4 of the 2 mg pill I have cut up. I eventually dozed off for a couple of hours. When I woke up I was still restless, but it was easier not to focus on it. But I don’t want to just ignore it, I want it to go away. I want it to not be as bad. I can’t eat again because everything seems repulsive to me, and it also just makes me anxious. I wish I could get into a doctor sooner to add Lyrica and try an infusion. I’m going to need a megadose of iron, I swear.

On the bright side, this birth control comes out on 12/29, and I go to see a sleep specialist on 12/30. I hope the sleep specialist can help me out. I’m convinced I have sleep apnea on top of an iron deficiency.

Sorry this got all rant-y, but I’m going through a lot. No one around me understands what I’m feeling or going through right now. You guys all get it, a lot of you have been in a really similar situation.

Anyway, question’s at the top of my post, I’m sure you’ve forgotten what it said by now.

[Hidden]

The answer is yes. If you're suffering iron deficiency anaemia then you can feel weak. You may find you get breathless easily too. If you're significantly anaemic then despite your ferritin, your haemoglobin will be low.

This will exacerbate your RLS.

It's possible you may also be vitamin B12/folate deficient, which also can lead to anaemia, (macrocytic).

I'm afraid that taking an iron supplement is not like taking a medicine. If you take a painkiller or a valium, it acts within a couple of hours. Iron isn't like that firstly because it's not easily abosrbed. In fact the more often you take some, the less you will absorb. Secondly it takes time for it to get to where it's needed, i.e. into Red Blood Cells.

It does sound that anxiety is also a big factor in what you're experiencing and some of the symptoms you have could be explained by that alone. Plus anxiety will exacerbate your RLS. It's a vicious circle.

Anxiety can reach the point where it becomes overwhelming and you can feel helpless to do anything about it. I think you may need some professional help.

In the meantime, I don't know how much valium you're prescribed, but in an emergency and for a short time 0.5 mg seems insufficient.

[mmjxc in reply to Hidden]

I have no clue whether I’m absolutely iron deficient yet, but I do have all of the symptoms. The weakness, breathlessness, the extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, fast heart rate and palpitations, I’m even paler than I was last month, and so are the insides of my eyes, and i also have pain in my chest. Like an actual heartache. When I get my birth control taken out I’m asking for another full fasting iron panel to be done, so if I am deficient, I can get that infusion. Which means I should probably hold off on the iron supplements so my results are accurate. I could also be B12 deficient, my grandmother also deals with that. Maybe my gyno would add that to the tests. This wouldn’t be my first time dealing with anemia, I just don’t think I was this deficient last time.

As for the weakness and discomfort when I’m standing, that could either be from the anemia or it could be another condition I’d have to take care of.

The reason I’m so anxious is because it’s been months and I still have no definitive answer as to what is wrong with me. I do have a professional, I go to therapy every week. That only does so much when every day is just the same thing over and over. I do very much feel helpless and hopeless. I’m restless, but if I get up to walk around I’m just more uncomfortable because of how weak I am. I don’t know what to do. My mom’s going to clean off this rocking recliner we have, maybe rocking will help. I’m just frustrated.

I have 30 tablets of valium, 2 mg. I split it into 1/4 because I’m sensitive to medication. It had me knocked in about 30 mins.

Could I ask you what your RLS felt like? I mean before medication. I’m sorry if I asked you this already, I have a neurological disorder that makes me forget things very easily.

[mmjxc in reply to Hidden]

Oh, and thank you for responding!

[Hidden in reply to mmjxc]

Before I had medication for RLS, I had mild RLS for decades. It actually started with PLMD (Periodic Limb Movement Disorder). That usually happens when you're asleep.

The first thing I knew about it was when my wife woke me up and said I was kicking her.

PLMD is associated with RLS.

Later that disappeared but I started with mild symptoms, usually in the evening that felt like there was a chill blowing on my legs or water was trickling down them. It wasn't all the time and it didn't disturb me.

It became quite severe about 12 years ago, following a course of an antidepressant. Then I had symptoms every evening. The "urge to move" is a good description of it. I also had unpleadant sensations like currents running down my legs. It was very unpleasant and prevented me getting to sleep. Some nights I managed 2 or 3 hours but often, none at all. This went on for a few months, every night.

It was impossible to keep still.

I was very ignorant about RLS then. I saw a neurologist who started me on a dopamine agonist. He gave me no advice about it and no warnings.

He never mentioned the antidepressant.

Looking back I wonder if the neurologist had been more knowledgeable e.g. about iron levels and antidepressants I may never have needed the medication. However once you start taking it, especially dopamine agonists, then you're stuck with them.

I do hope you get your obvious iron deficiency sorted out quickly. It does sound quite serious and not just for RLS.

[mmjxc in reply to Hidden]

That’s insane! I can’t believe the neurologist didn’t even try to warn you about it. His mistake caused you more suffering. I can’t stand doctors like that. I’m glad that we have this website to inform each other, I honestly don’t know where I’d be without it.

I hope it gets sorted out quickly as well! The chest pain is what’s getting me the most right now (besides the RLS). And when I see my doctor about pregabalin, he better listen and give it to me!

[Akashrajput in reply to mmjxc]

I've low iron , b12 and b9