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Dear Listfriends,
The June 1999 issue of "Tufts U. Health & Nutrition Letter" has a short
article on Restless Leg Syndrome that may of interest to some. It states
"studies have indicated...in patients with low levels of iron, iron
pills may be all it takes to relieve symptoms..."

The iron deficiency, measured by levels of serum ferritin, can be low,
low-normal, or even higher for some people to respond positively to iron
supplementation for restless leg symptoms. Iron is needed for dopamine
to work.

You MUST discuss this with your physician, preferably a neurologist,
before trying it -- abnormal iron deposits have been found upon autopsy
of PD patients, and the cause is not clearly known at this time.

The article goes on to say that about 20-25% of one physician's patients
with RLS have received benefit from supplements of vitamin E -- 400 IUs
in the morning, and 400 IUs in the evening. You should discuss this with
your physician also, especially if you're taking blood thinners such as
aspirin or coumadin.

Best regards,
Kathrynne


--
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
Medical nutrition therapy
Author: "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease"
"Parkinson's disease: assessing and managing unique nutrition needs"
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/