Vitamins and RLS

[Joolsg]

journals.plos.org/plosone/a...

A useful meta analysis of vitamins and RLS.

The conclusion shows Vit D deficiency is common

[Kakally]

it is interesting but these epidemiological studies are often difficult to make good conclusions because though there are significant associations, this doesn’t mean there are mechanistic reasons or causative explanations.

Certainly worth many more specific studies to clarify things

Thanks Joolsg

[Elisse3]

I take a VitD3 pill every morning have done for. few years mostly because i know with less sunshine in the UK we need VitD. Wish it did help my RLS.

[WideBody in reply to Elisse3]

Have you checked your Vitamin D levels? When I found I had low vitamin D levels, the Doctor said to take 4000IU daily. The problem was, I was already taking 4000IU of Vitamin D daily and I still had low levels. I took over 10,000IU per day for a year and got my Vitamin D level to 76. So maybe, your not taking enough Vitamin D to raise your levels.

Also, Vitamin D2 (to be more specific), it fat soluble. So take Vitamin D with a fatty meal to aid absorption. Apparently taking Vitamin D with my morning coffee wasn't very effective.

[Elisse3 in reply to WideBody]

Thanks for that information i will have to get to the doctors to get that checked out. Not sure about eating fatty meal i hate fatty food

[WideBody in reply to Elisse3]

I think it means, take your Vitamin D2 with food. Breakfast if you have it. Or lunch.

[BoldMove in reply to WideBody]

I take D3

[WideBody]

More specifically;

The Association between Iron and Vitamin D Status in Female Elite Athletes

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

How Are the Symptoms of Low Iron and Vitamin D Deficiency Connected?

cohamed.com/blog/low-iron-a...

Impact of vitamin D deficiency on iron status in children with type I diabetes

nature.com/articles/s41598-...

Low vitamin D levels are associated with both iron deficiency and anemia in children and adolescents

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/255...

It's no wonder that Vitamin D can help RLS symptoms.

A 2014 study of 12 RLS patients with vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L) demonstrated a median symptom severity score reduction from 26 to 10 after supplementation (oral/intramuscular) normalized vitamin D levels (median: 21.7 to 61.8 nmol/L).

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/251...

pharmacytimes.com/view/vita...

A 2018 case-control study (78 RLS patients vs. 123 controls) found vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L) in 75.6% of RLS patients vs. 42.3% of controls. Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with a 3.1-fold increased RLS risk after adjustment for confounders.

jcsm.aasm.org/doi/full/10.5...

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

A 2023 review concluded that correcting vitamin D deficiency in RLS patients should be considered standard care, noting symptom improvement in multiple studies despite some inconsistent findings.

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

Vitamin D does a lot for RLS. If you read the above studies you will find.

Vitamin D supports dopamine synthesis and receptor function, critical for motor control. Low levels may exacerbate dopamine dysfunction, a key factor in RLS pathogenesis.

Vitamin D promotes neuronal health and reduces oxidative stress, potentially mitigating nervous system disturbances linked to RLS..

Chronic inflammation is implicated in RLS. Vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory action may alleviate symptoms by modulating immune responses.

Vitamin D regulates calcium/phosphorus absorption, essential for muscle and nerve function. Deficiencies may disrupt neuromuscular signaling, contributing to RLS discomfort.

If you know me, you are probably wondering... He didn't mention Hepcidin, well never fear:

42% reduction in serum hepcidin levels after high-dose vitamin D supplementation (4000 IU/day) in deficient patients!

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

25% increase in iron bioavailability when combining vitamin D with iron supplements vs iron alone!

journals.lww.com/ctg/fullte...

TL;DR If you think you have RLS, get a morning fasted full iron panel and Vitamin D status.

I wonder how many people tried iron supplements and thought they didn't work because they were low in Vitamin D and could not absorb iron supplements.

Thanks Joolsg.... Sorry, you may have hit a nerve. Thanks for all the posts.

[Joolsg in reply to WideBody]

Vit D deficiency is linked to so many diseases.

[SueJohnson in reply to WideBody]

My laugh for the day - I don't think you have done enough research on the subject 🤣🤣🤣

[Typicallygaslit]

Interesting. I had a feeling I wasn’t tolerating synthetic vitamin D (or any synthetic supplements for that matter) so I started on good old fashioned cod liver oil without any additives, and It’s been working really well. Don’t know about it helping RLS but it seems to have lowered my heart palpitations by a lot, which already says something. In addition I also started on kelp, which contains several important minerals including iron, it also has a lot of tryptophan, and so taking it at night seemed to be somewhat helpful for my insomnia. (Just have to be a bit careful not to overdo it on the iodine).

I’m really surprised they mention B6 here because I seemed to get increased RLS, presumably because it stimulates serotonin. Who knows. As for B12, it’s a big problem for me as I’m mostly vegan and supplements seem to spike my nocturnal wakefulness. I’m experimenting a lot so not 100% sure about anything, it’s mostly hunches. But I started eating eggs and my iron levels went up very fast as per the blood test that was done, presumably it’s also helping with B12 so I’m hoping it’s sufficient.

[Boxer215]

I’m now trying potassium & magnesium, anything to calm the nocturnal RLS