Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Here's another long message which is hopefully easier to read than multiple short ones. We are aware of the incompatibility of taking calcium and iron supplements at the same time, so my wife aims to take three cal-mag citrate tablets at a time, in the morning, afternoon and before bed. She takes he...

I am not surprised that a good hot bath helps. Can you tell us where abouts on your body do you apply the "Icy Hot"? How long does it take for there to be relief, and how long does the relief last? I assume you are discussing relief from an urge to move the legs (or arms) and/or them being twitchy, ...

Hi Sherry, I am glad you found this Calcium and Magnesium thread. While I am happy that you find Tyrosine helpful, (as you mentioned in the "Tyrosine experiment" thread) at least for a few hours, I think that the best idea is to sort out longer-term nutritional needs which might affect RLS. Then, ho...

Thanks Ann for your response. I found various other threads in this and other discussion lists indicating that for some people, Magnesium and/or Cal-Mag Citrate was helpful. I understand that the two are best taken together so it may better to take Calcium and Magnesium in the 2:1 ratio, with vitami...

Can anyone report their experiences with Magnesium and Calcium? I am not suggesting that getting these right will cure or even affect everyone's RLS. RLS is clearly affected by many things, and I suspect this is one aspect of nutrition which many people could improve, with a chance of helping reduce...

Yes, I think these sites and the wares they sell are a scam! Wry understatement can easily be misinterpreted when it is conveyed through plain text, without the facial expressions, nuances of vocal delivery etc. . . . particularly when the reader is up past their bedtime, as I often am! - Robin

My wife's RLS varies considerably, with sometimes a week or two without symptoms. 9 of the last 10 days have been without RLS. Perhaps this is due, in part, to her generally having really good exercise and to her taking some vitamin E, fish oil and evening primrose oil. These last two are good sourc...

This message is to record the fact that the site: m (also m) offers a downloadable "eBook", for USD$29.95, (it was $19.95 in August 2004) which according to all reports recommends the reduction of salt (sodium) as a "cure" for RLS. While high sodium may be a factor in causing RLS, I think reducing i...

Tryptophan (the "L-" means "Levo", or "left-handed" which is the form humans need it in) is the precursor for serotonin. Serotonin regulation seems to be imperfect and having more tryptophan will tend to increase serotonin production. This is likely to help with depression, but it can also make you ...

Thanks Sherry for giving details of your success with tyrosine. I understand from your posts that with tyrosine and NADH you have been able to reduce your dosage of Mirapex (pramipexole) from 0.4 to 0.02 mg over 4 weeks. For some people, my wife included, RLS symptoms can vary quite a lot on time-sc...

In March, in the "Tyrosine experiment" thread, Sherry wrote of her success with NADH and tyrosine. I will discuss NADH here in a new thread. This is arguably a pharmaceutical approach, but perhaps NADH or similar compounds are normally found in food, so it could be thought of as a nutrient. There is...

Thanks Sherry for reporting your experiences. How much tyrosine do you take and when? Do you find it protective for two to three hours as my wife and I do, or do you find it effective for some other time period. Is your RLS normally only a problem when you go to bed, or does it appear at other times...

Can anyone report on how their RLS depends on their
menstrual cycle?

There are so many factors affecting RLS and I don't
have a clear impression yet of how the menstrual cycle
may affect it, but perhaps someone has some theories
or observations.

- Robin

Can anyone report their experiences with different sleep positions? My wife has had RLS every night for about a month now, which is worse than before. We find that when she lies on her side, the problems are reduced, but she does not find this comfortable and rarely sleeps like this. Likewise she do...

I intended my previous message to have a signature, which should appear below. I want to encourage people to make their own decisions, based on their own understanding, not just take the work of someone on the Internet who they think may be well informed and well intentioned. While I think many doct...