Intravenous Iron Therapy
Intravenous Iron Therapy
Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder of Sleep are conditions characterised by defective Dopamine metabolism in the brain. Dopamine synthesis requires iron as a co-factor. The transfer of Iron from blood to brain is impaired in patients with RLS and they are often unable to transfer sufficient Iron into the brain, despite having blood level of Ferritin and Iron which would be considered normal for bone marrow function.
The current international guideline for Iron treatment of RLS recommends keeping the Serum Transferrin Saturation at 45% while maintaining serum Ferritin level below 300. This often requires continuous oraI iron supplement and/or intravenous iron infusion.
Many patients with low iron levels have severe fatigue, which improves upon improvement in in blood iron levels. We are able to offer intravenous iron infusions where needed
We use Ferrinject, an intravenous iron preparation. The iron in Ferrinject is released steadily and is taken up in to the iron storage system in the body.
Ferrinject is injected into a vein on your arm. The injection is given over a 15 minute period. In patients with RLS, usually one infusion of 1 gram of Ferrinject is enough to improve the iron status, unless there is ongoing blood loss through associated conditions.
As with all drugs administered intravenously, Ferrinject can also cause side effects. The most common side effect is headache. Other immediate problems include dizziness, feeling sick, stomach discomfort. Skin rashes may occur. An anaphylaxis like reaction may occur; fortunately this is very rare.
