Iron Problems

[Jammarie]

I get relief from PLMD with iron bisglycinate nightly. I did not take the iron for 48 hours and got an early morning blood draw fasted. My ferritin level has gone up to 48 but iron saturation is now 33% and I am worried about what to do next. I don’t want to get saturation too high and am having to be my own doctor.

[ChrisColumbus]

So you're largely following the guidance given by SueJohnson in response to your post a month ago, and have increased serum ferritin from 19 to 48? Well done.

As Sue indicated, you can keep supplementing while your transferrin saturation (TSAT) is under 45%: I don't see what it was when you started, but at 33% you're still fine.

Presumably you were unable to get an infusion?

[Jammarie in reply to ChrisColumbus]

No infusion but need to continue taking iron as it is the only thing that stops my rls/plmd. I want to stay low enough that it doesn’t become a problem.

[Jammarie in reply to Jammarie]

Saturation was 9 when I started. Hip surgery. 😑

[SueJohnson in reply to Jammarie]

It doesn't become a problem until your ferritin is 1000 or your saturation is over 45%, so no worries.

[Munroist]

At last years RLS-UK AGM there was a talk by Toby Richards who runs the Iron Clinic where he said it was virtually impossible to cause iron problems through taking supplements at normal doses so you should be OK to continue. Iron supplementation is one of the therapies with the fewest side effects or issues so if it's working for you then I would definitely continue.