Iron and Vitamin E deficiency/RLS Tufts University

[Guest guest]

There is an article in the June 1999 Turt's University Health and Nutrition

Letter called " What to Swallow (or Avoid) for Better Sleep "

About RLS it says:

" ...an iron deficiency or a need for more vitamin E could be responsible for

restless leg syndrome, which is an urge to move the legs that disrupts the

sleep of as many as five in every 100 people... "

In a separate article titled " Could an Iron deficiency - or a need for more

vitamin E be keeping you up? " says (in it's entirety)

" Up to five percent of the population has restless leg syndrome - and urge to

move the legs, often accompanied by a creeping, crawling, or tingling

sensation, which worsend when the body is inactive and thereby causes sleep

disruptions. TReatment traditionally includes prescription drugs such as

Valium, Sinemet, and opieates lke Darvon. But studies have indicated that-

and slinicians at various sleep disorder centers have found-that in patients

with low levels of iron, iron pills may be all it takes to relieve symptoms

and allow for a good night's sleep "

" 'The iron defecit doesn't have to be very large' says Dr. Bruce Ehrenbery

of the New England Medical Center's Sleep Disorders Unit. Consider that the

low end of normal for serum ferritin - a blood measure of protein that gives

an indirect indication of iron stores throughout the body - is 20 (micrograms

per liter of blood) But research has found that even people whos serum

ferritin falls between 20 and 50 and therefore have a normal level can

sometimes benefit from iron supplementation. 'There's even a small percentage

of people' Dr. Ehrenberg says, with serum feritin levels of 50 to 100 'who

respond' to iron supplementation with reduced restless legs symptoms. "

" Why iron helps to 'calm' the legs is not kown for certain, but the mineral

is needed for a brain chemical, dopamine, to work right, Whatever the

mechanism, Massachusetts General Hospital's Sleep Disorder unit cliniciam Dr.

Sassower has found the same thing as Dr. Ehrenberg (my note: so has

Barb, the Ferritin lady) He has seen an improvement in patients, he says, not

just without-and-out ron deficiency anemia but allsoe with low-normal serum

ferritn levels. Thus, if someone suffers from restless leg syndrome and a

doctor notices on a routine blood test that iron appears ib te low side, it

might pay to go the extra step of getting the serum ferritin test. (The

routine test won't say if iron levels are low due to a true iron defieiency

or some other cause) " Note: the bold is theirs, not mine

" Dr Sassower has also found that advising parients to take supplements of

Vitamin E has helped in some cases. A couple of studies have suggested that

Vitamin E 'quells a lot of nocturnal, lower leg movements,' he says. "

" He recommends 400 IU of E in the morning and 400 units at night. In his

clinic, he says, 'It's probably effective in about 20 to 25 percent of those

patients' with restless leg symdrome for whom he has suggested it. "

I think most of us have heard this before. But on the off chance someone

hasn't....well, maybe it'll help.

44 NYC

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/24/99 4:10:38 PM !!!First Boot!!!, Sqrl523@...

writes:

<< But studies have indicated that-

and slinicians at various sleep disorder centers have found-that in patients

with low levels of iron, iron pills may be all it takes to relieve symptoms

and allow for a good night's sleep "

>>

I would like to add that one should be careful, especially older men, about

taking iron supplements without proper evaluation and without proper medical

supervision.

Many people suffer from " iron-overload " - hemosiderosis and don't know it.

This disorder can cause damage to the lungs, liver, heart, etc........

Taking iron supplements if you suffer from this condition would be like

throwing gasoline on a fire. RLS will not usually kill ya but liver

cirrhosis, heart attacks, etc. can!

RAINBOWPED@...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/24/99 4:10:38 PM !!!First Boot!!!, Sqrl523@...

writes:

<< But studies have indicated that-

and slinicians at various sleep disorder centers have found-that in patients

with low levels of iron, iron pills may be all it takes to relieve symptoms

and allow for a good night's sleep "

>>

I would like to add that one should be careful, especially older men, about

taking iron supplements without proper evaluation and without proper medical

supervision.

Many people suffer from " iron-overload " - hemosiderosis and don't know it.

This disorder can cause damage to the lungs, liver, heart, etc........

Taking iron supplements if you suffer from this condition would be like

throwing gasoline on a fire. RLS will not usually kill ya but liver

cirrhosis, heart attacks, etc. can!

RAINBOWPED@...