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7 year old with low ferritin and restless leg syndrom

Posted , 4 users are following.

Kpiec
Kpiec

Hello,

I was hoping to see if anyone had any other adivce on if I should get anythign else tested on my son. I will try to make a long story short. I am actually in the US and I live in a small town and I feel that the doctors we have seen here are not the best.

My son has a condition called hypoplasia of the Corpus Collosum. The middle part of his brain is thinner than normal. So he is a littel delayed in gross motor/fine motor skills.

He also has low iron and restless legs. The kid has never slept thru a night. He had a sleep study done to confirm the restless legs and they wake him up at least 5 times a night.

His neurologist says the low iron has nothign to do with the brain condition and his other issues like low weight and no muscle tone but from what I read low iron can have many different side effects. I also heard that B-12 can cause issues. We have never had his B-12 checked. I am just wondering if there is anythign else we should look into.

His Ferritin is 41.2 (this is in normal range but he takes ferious sulphate three times a day) before he started those it was at 17

His TSH is normal at 1.53

Iron is 163

Transferrin is 266

Binding is 396

So if anyone would have any insight on anything else that would be great. Thank you.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • lizzyluv
    lizzyluv Kpiec

    Posted

    Hi Kpiec,

    I am so sorry to hear your boy is having health issues.

    Have they determined the cause of the low iron? Low iron is uncommon in males, though no unheard of, but it is very important to determine the cause in his case. I was anemic a couple of years ago and I can't begin to tell you all the problems I had. Yes, restless legs is definitely a symptom and it took months of my levels being normal for it to go away. One thing that helped a lot with RLS was magnesium.  Im not sure about dosing for children and you should consult with your doctor to make sure is safe with his condition. You could also try warm baths with epsom salts (magnesium) before bed if you havent, It really helps to relax your legs.

    I'd suggest getting his vitamin D tested. Vit D deficiency symptoms include bone pain, muscle weakness and many other Musculoskeletal issues. Vitamin D is needed in order for your body to absorb calcium properly. Mght be worth to have it checked. Many doctors believe feel that vit D is not that important,but it is! Make sure his levels are wthin the ideal range ( between 50-80ng/ml).

    Keep us posted!

  • ladydawn
    ladydawn Kpiec

    Posted

    I am so sorry to hear about your son having these problems. I have to say I don't believe that any nutrient deficiency happens alone. You are right to question the B12 because you lose iron if you don't have adequate levels of B12  however th? idea of adequate is different all over the world.. so much for evidence based meds eh? In Japan under 500 is deficient, in Wales, UK it's under 180? however for a child I am not familiar with the numbers. I think you should ask for all his nutrients testing, he could be suffering from something stopping him from absorbing. If testing B12 then it is best to do Folate and B6 along with it because they all work together.

    I really feel for your son because I had low serum iron and got the restless legs and it is hellish. (did they test serum iron or just ferritin? None anaemic iron deficiency is nasty).

    As Lizzyluv said it is quite unusual for a boy to be low in iron and I would certainly get more investigations going, your motherly instinct is good. Any chance of going to a doctor that deals more in deficiencies and their causes and is a little less mainstream?

    Hugs and God bless x

    • ladydawn
      ladydawn

      Posted

      Almost forgot to mention the importance of taking vitamin C with iron to get the best absorption possible. Cannot get iron into the system without the vitamin C. Plus it is great for you smile
  • Kpiec
    Kpiec

    Posted

    Thank you for the responses. I am definitly going to look into getting all his levels drawn. Not one doctor has ever given me a specific answer. It is hard to tell since he also has his brain condition and not much is known about how it affects people. I belong to a board specifically for that condition and the affects on each child are so different but none that I know of have to low iron so I am not convinced it is from that. I just dont want to miss what the underlying cause could be. I will keep you updated.

    Thank you very much!!

    • lizzyluv
      lizzyluv Kpiec

      Posted

      Hey Kpiec,

      I wanted to add, since I am also in the US (not sure how it is in the UK), but you know how some doctors are MD and others are DO? well I'd suggest if you can to try a DO instead. After the last year dealing with soooo many doctors, I can tell you that DOs are definitely way more open to trying altertanive methods. I know it depends on the individual, but I think it has to deal with the fact that DOs do get a more rounded education and tend to see the body as a whole instead of prescribing pills to quickly treat symptoms. You can google the difference between both if you want.

      I was thinking about your son, does he have any stomach issues? Low iron sometimes is caused by malabsorption. If that's his case then he is probably low in other minerals and vitamins like Ladydawn said.

  • Kpiec
    Kpiec

    Posted

    I can look into those.

    He doesnt have stomach issues, but he doesnt gain weight very fast either. He is 7 and only 45 pounds. He has very low muscle tone too.

    Thanks

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