Nocturnal foot cramps after iron infusion

[sigurdur]

First of all when I got the infusion I was not very low in iron. My saturation levels were just above the lower mark. I just pushed my doctor to give it to me anyway, and he kindly did. However a month later I started experiencing a new symptom in my left foot during night. Cramps. I still had RLS in my right foot. Now 6 months have passed and I still have a burning sensation in my left foot followed by cramps that are different in intensity. I do not experience the "good" old RLS often. At the beginning of the year I cut out all sugar and carbs. I did so in case my RLS was caused by chronic inflammation. I also took supplements like there was no tomorrow. Something I have never done in my life so extensively. With RLS kind of gone but replaced by these cramps, which are no better than RLS I have struggled to find the reason why.

It was only after watching a video by Andy Berkowski about painful RLS where he says painful RLS can be caused by too much iron that I started googling, and yes it turns out that this can be the case. Cramps are a possible side effect of iron infusion.

I will just leave this here, to have this documented in case somebody else may experience the same. My next move will be blood analysis to see where my iron levels are at. They were 847ng/ml and saturation 58% after the infusion.

[SueJohnson]

If you tested right after the infusion they would be artificially high so you are doing the right thing to test them now.

Leg cramps can be a side effect of infusions but they would show up shortly after the infusion so I doubt that is the cause.

[sigurdur in reply to SueJohnson]

I tried everything recommended. Nothing helps. This is why I think it is iron overload. As I did not have this before the infusion.

[SueJohnson in reply to sigurdur]

Let us know what your blood tests show and do test for your magnesium too.

[SueJohnson]

Some ways to treat or prevent leg cramps are making sure you are well hydrated, light massage, applying heat, magnesium.

You might want to have a blood test for magnesium.