TSAT Numbers

[antelope99]

These are my results when asking my GP for a TSAT blood test.Is it the unsaturated iron binding capacity please?

[SueJohnson]

Did you not have your ferritin tested? That is the key number you want.

[antelope99 in reply to SueJohnson]

Hi SueMy ferritin is in the 100's around 137 as I recall

[Joolsg]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Ignore the fact the woman in this study was on Ropinirole AND an RLS triggering anti depressant and statin.

The article makes clear she needed iron supplementation because her serum iron was low.

The US rls foundation states serum iron should be above 60 for RLS. Yours is very low.

I would take supplements or ferrous bisglycinate last thing at night.

[SueJohnson in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks for catching this and I wasn't aware that serum iron needed to be above 60.

[Joolsg in reply to SueJohnson]

Ferritin is the most important figure but I know rls.org mentions that serum iron needs to be above 60.I'm meeting a haematologist in London in January for a chat about RLS. He treats patients privately here in the UK and has offered to help.

I'll ask him quite a few detailed questions, including clarification of timing of iron supplements. Professor Walker advises taking iron early in the morning when hepcidin is lowest. Other doctors suggest night time when RLS is at its worst.

I'll ask about his views on serum iron.

[SueJohnson in reply to Joolsg]

And from my notes: Mayo Clinic says There are data from nonhuman primate studies that iron is taken up by the brain from the blood at higher rates at night than in the morning. And Karla Dzienkowski, executive Director of the RLS Foundation says "Take the iron at night; iron redistribution in the brain is highest during the nighttime hours and studies suggest it may be better absorbed later in the day"

I'll be interested in what he has to say.

[DesertOasis in reply to Joolsg]

This is an interesting article that questions whether serum ferritin is indeed the most important parameter in terms of RLS: fluidsbarrierscns.biomedcen...

[Joolsg in reply to DesertOasis]

That is VERY interesting. I was asked about low haemoglobin yesterday by a friend who has just finished chemotherapy. She wanted to know natural ways of increasing haemoglobin.

[DesertOasis in reply to Joolsg]

I’m glad you understood the article. I kind of did. 😅. It’s somewhat contrary to what we’ve found on here wherein anemic RLS members get substantial relief from symptoms, sometime immediate, like Graham’s daughter.

[Joolsg in reply to DesertOasis]

I read another article yesterday about RLS in MS patients and they found it was related to the siting of the scars in the spinal cord and brain. It will certainly help to identify the patients who would benefit from iron infusions.

I have now met 3 RLS patients personally who had almost instant relief from iron infusions. A detailed history is key, as two of them had a clear history of anaemia during teen years or pregnancy.

But, that's all a least 10 years in the future. We first have to stop doctors prescribing dopaminergic drugs and damaging our dopamine receptors.

[antelope99 in reply to Joolsg]

Hi JoolsgI have been taking iron bisglycinate plus vit c, every other night for years.

I find trying to understand blood results quite confusing!

[Joolsg in reply to antelope99]

Most doctors also find it confusing and even haematologists disagree on required levels, benefits of infusions etc.

[WideBody]

I am a bit confused. So let me start by asking a lot of questions.

Did you do this test in the morning and fasted?

Did you stop all iron supplements at least 48 hours before the blood draw?

Were you supplementing with iron at all prior to the test? I find that TSAT will totally skewed, no matter how long I stop supplementing. I wait at least a week and my TSAT is still high.

I am going with the assumption that you were indeed supplementing with iron based on your TSAT score. What is missing is Ferritin.

Transferrin Iron Saturation Percentage is a calculation, there are two ways to calculate TSAT

1) TSAT = (Serum Fe/TIBC) × 100 <--- This is the one they used

2) TSAT = (Serum Fe/TF) × 70.9

So I think Joolsg nailed it. Serum Iron is low. I would continue supplementing at night. It would be helpful to know what your ferritin was. It may be necessary to increase the amount of iron being supplemented.

BTW, did you also test your Vitamin D level? Are you taking any B12 supplements?

[antelope99 in reply to WideBody]

Yes, I fasted for a morning blood test.Yes I stopped iron bisglycinate 3 days before.

Just looked up last ferritin it was 175 taken Jan 2023.

Stopped taking B12 a year ago because of high reading, 1382. My GP recommended this repeat which is now 945.

I take vit d daily.

[Joolsg]

Thanks. I'll pass on the info.

[WideBody]

Jan 2023, it might be time to retest. Interesting your b12 is so high, I’m not sure why.

How much Vitamin D do you take and have you had your vitamin D levels tested recently? I found it harder to raise my vitamin D levels than to raise my iron levels.

How are your RLS symptoms? Do you take any medication?