sleeping indian-style

Please share your experiences, successes, and failures in using non-drug therapies for RLS/WED (methods of relief that don't involve swallowing or injecting anything), including compression, heat, light, stretches, acupuncture, etc. Also under this heading, medical interventions that don't involve the administration of a medicine to the body (eg. varicose-vein operations, deep-brain stimulation). [This forum contains Topics started prior to 2009 that deal with Non-prescription Medicines, Supplements, & Diet.]
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amyjo

sleeping indian-style

Post by amyjo »

I must have a minor case of rls to listen to some of the posts to this site. But I have found that if I cross my legs indian style in bed the moment I start to feel rls coming on, it relieves the symptoms. I know not everyone (maybe no one) will be able to do this--much less while you are lying down--I am pretty flexible--but thought I'd post and let you in on my find. Maybe it can help someone else.

formarks

sleeping Indian style

Post by formarks »

Too funny! I have slept this way for years when my RLS is acting up. Or even on my back with my calves folded under my thighs.
My husband thinks I am crazy, but agrees anything that will help. I have tried Tonic Water (quinine water) as well, seems to help at times. Someone told me recently that you can find quinine in tablet form but I haven't been able to find it yet.

sardsy75
Posts: 862
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:56 am
Location: Queensland, Australia

Post by sardsy75 »

Hiya

Actually, it doesn't sound strange at all! Although I have a rather chronic case of RLS, when I get the "gotta stretches" those positions you describe are some of the "knots" I get myself into when I'm attempting to stretch the NERVE instead of the muscle (if that makes sense!?).

The Indian style sitting/sleeping with the legs crossed is one of the better ways of stretching out the main nerves in the legs, which is why I've found it good.

As for quinine tablets ... hubby and I spent just over two weeks in South America back in 2002 ... and before we left, our GP gave us a script for Quinine Tablets just in case either of us contracted malaria. So, yes, they are available in tablet form!

Take care!
Nadia

My philosophy is simply this: Life is too short to be diplomatic. Your friends should not care what you do, or say; and for those who are not your friends ... their loss!!!

Sara
Posts: 493
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:40 pm

Post by Sara »

Hi, all--

How interesting.... I'll have to experiment with some different leg positions. I used to love to sit "indian style", and I THINK I'm still flexible enough to lay that way. (My hubby normally hogs the bed; if I sleep that way, I'll be taking up a lot more space... payback, perhaps? :twisted: ) Like Amyjo, I have a milder case of RLS... but it's daily now so I'm interested in any non-pharmacuetical options.

As for the quinine tablets, didn't someone here post about Hyland's having a leg cramps with quinine tablet? If any of you have had babies, you might have seen that company's colic tablets (used to be a little white tubular bottle with red and blue writing I think.) Seems like I heard SOMEWHERE that people had some luck with Hyland's leg cramps with quinine tablets... and also that they were being stocked by some of the larger chain drug and sundry stores. A friend of mine with RLS said that quinine does help some of her older lady friends who also suffer RLS.

Gonna try pretzelling myself in bed tonight, and see if that helps! :D

Sara

lilmom
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Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:44 pm
Location: santa maria

Post by lilmom »

hi all,i'm new to this site but i've suffered ALL my life i'm now 28 married w/ 2 boys one of whom i think also suffers. we have found that yes hyland's leg cramps w/quinine does work at least for my son,it takes the edge off for me but i think now that i know what is wrong w/ me i can get the right diagnosis & hopefully more help!!oh ya longs drug store carries it. thanks for your time & i hope it helps someone. :)

Sara
Posts: 493
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:40 pm

Post by Sara »

Hi, lilmom, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks so much for the product information, and I'm glad it's helping your son. Wish it helped you more, but it's just one product and as you said, there is more help out there-- just a matter of getting it. Good luck to you!

For others reading this discussion, I actually did try amyjo's recommendation of sleeping indian-style last night, a couple of times. My husband was out of town, so I had lots of room to experiment with sleeping postures.

I normally sleep on my side curled up, or half on my stomach with one leg bent, so I didn't stay in that position--just too different from my looooong-term sleeping habits.

But when I first went to bed and the couple of times I was wakeful in the night and feeling symptoms, I transferred to that position. The jury's still out on this, but I WILL say I noticed one very interesting thing!

My worst RLS is in my feet, not as much in my legs as a lot of sufferers, and when I changed from my normal bed positions to the indian-style (yes, I am still limber enough to do that lying down, too :P ), the symptoms in my feet DID lessen and change a bit!! But interestingly, I had more creepiness in my thighs. Still a possible improvement, because the sensations were milder and more generalized... not so focused and intense in my feet (which is what really drives me NUTS!)

I will continue to experiment with this a bit, and I also want to try some stretching and other activities to see if they have any effect. So far I've found more things that DON'T help/effect my RLS than things that DO.... but it's all a learning process, nonetheless.

Lilmom, take good care, and I especially wish continued relief to your son. It's tough to be a kid anyway, without something like this. (My husband and I have two sons, too.)

Sara

jmarie1979

Post by jmarie1979 »

I have had RLS for as long as I can remember. As a kid ( I am 25 now ) I can remember teachers asking me if I was ok because I would be bouncing my legs to reduce the sensations in my legs and feet. I never, ever sit with both feet on the ground (if I am in a casual setting of course) but the pretzel twisting positions I get myself into are starting to take their toll on my joints, my knees are very sore. I have yet to try the quinine but are there any other suggestions, at times my RLS gets so bad that I just want to cry.

Sara
Posts: 493
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:40 pm

Post by Sara »

Hi, Jmariel--

and welcome. So sorry that you're having so much trouble. We here can definitely relate. I've had RLS at least 20 years (but probably when I was a kid, too, I'm 39 now), and I know I've DEFINITELY been so uncomfortable I've wanted to cry (and when I've had the flu and RLS together, I know I HAVE cried... that's been some of my worst episodes. :x )

If you read through the forum (and I think there are a couple other messages from you I saw and haven't replied to yet, so looks like you ARE reading), you'll see lots of suggestions. Seems like different things work for different RLS sufferers. But the good thing here is that there are pharmacuetical things, non-pharmaceutical things, lifestyle ideas and pretty much the whole gamut. So share what you've found helps you, and we'll do the same-- and we'll all muddle through this condition as best we can together.

It caught my eye in your post, though, when you said that your joints were really bothering you. I have sore joints (ankles, wrists, fingers, toes, occasionally knees) because of hard physical work I've been doing the past couple of years and also, I think, because of early arthritis (I also get tendonitis in one elbow from a repetitive motion thing).

I've not found it to help at all with RLS (and I've tried everythig in my cupboards for RLS, just in case!), but I get really GOOD joint and tendonitis pain relief by topical application of arnica cream or gel. It doesn't feel like it's doing anythig when you put it on (not hot or cold like most topical things), but
I've gone to sleep with wrists so sore I could barely stand to flex them in any direction (just laid my forearms and hands together flat and left them that way as I went to sleep), but if I put arnica on before bed, in the morning they would feel absolutely fine.

Not sure if arnica would help your joints or not, but it's not too hard to find or too expensive (check a healthfood store or there are places on-line and mail-order that have it, too (what I have now is a gel from the Vermont Country Store catalog.) And it's good for some other minor injuries and ailments, so not a bad thing to have hanging about the house. Thought it was worth mentioning, anyway. I feel for you for the pain you're going through. :cry:

Again, welcome to the forum and very best wishes to you.
Sara

LDL007
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Post by LDL007 »

It does work but the trouble shifts to the feet.

LDL007
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Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:11 pm
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Quinine

Post by LDL007 »

Watch out for quinine tablets. They can cause deafness.

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