Thank you for your concern, Merry, with which I absolutely agree. I was likely unclear in my post that the ferritin level should be checked first before taking any oral iron supplement (under a medical provider's guidance).

Part of the problem with restless legs syndrome is this: The majority of doctors do not understand RLS management and do not recognize that a low-but-normal ferritin level is not normal if you have RLS. It needs to be boosted. This is the first line approach, because medications to resolve RLS can in themselves cause problems like amplification.

Thankfully, there are medical providers at the Quality Care Centers such as Mayo who are true experts in treating RLS. The RLS Foundation website is a good place to start. Wrongly treated RLS can be a medical disaster for patients. Been there. Done that.