Spate of elevated respiration abates RLS

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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nephriticus
Posts: 88
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:02 am
Location: Sequim, WA

Spate of elevated respiration abates RLS

Post by nephriticus »

In about my forties, I began experiencing difficulty sleeping during certain atmospheric conditions. Most specifically, foggy weather drives me nuts. However, certain low-cloud cover and sometimes rainy weather aggravates me. My body reacts to these weather conditions much as if I had consumed a caffeinated liquid, which I never do. I experience headaches, tension and difficulty sleeping. I did not acquire RLS until the age of 57, but its symptoms also seem to bear some relationship to atmospheric conditions. My doctor prescribed Sinemet which usually is quite effective. However, during periods of high humidity, especially during fog, my prescription of Sinemet is rendered null and void.

Fortunately, I have a backup solution, such as it is. I have performed regular exercises for the last thirty years and am in fairly good physical shape for 59 years of age. I learned that I can sort of “burn out” the RLS symptoms by getting out of bed, down onto the floor and banging out eighty push-ups. Usually the one set of push-ups suffices. Occasionally, during the worst of humidity, I may resort to a second or third set of push-ups if sleep is elusive. However, the symptoms of RLS are exacerbated ten-fold immediately following the activity. But once my respiration returns to normal I generally fall asleep in a few minutes.

Whether this would work for another RLS sufferer, I think not that it is the quantity of push-ups but rather the elevated respiration. I suspect that those who walk or bounce their legs before retiring are not relieving the symptoms at the source but rather elevating the oxygenation of their blood which performs some chemical benefit. Bottom line, if it works-----do it.

jumpyowl
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Location: Yantis, TX
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Welcome, nephriticus!

Post by jumpyowl »

You bring up a very interesting experiencea and method to get rid of paresthesia (after an intense attack). Probably very few of us could do 57 pushups at any age. So you must be in a fantastic shape with a well developed musculature.

Yes, you are breating heavily because during your intense exercise (which is no way aerobic, but not completely anaerobic either) you work up an oxygen debt and also accumulate lactic acid and even possibly carbon dioxide. Now this state is what probably causes the flare up of your symptoms. That goes away once your increased respiration rate brings the normal balance and steady state values back. Then you probably fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion. :)

Thank you for sharing. It will be included among the interesting factoids and observation. I assume you are M/59?

Thanks for the interesting contribution!

One more comment, when I was one half of my present age I started to do weight lifting. The stronger I became the less number of pushups I could do. Possibly I became muscle-bound to a certain degree and my push-ups became a completely anerobic exercise. At around 30 pushups my muscles became paralyzed due to lack of oxygen and high accumulation of lactic acid.

Another thing, deep breathing for about 20 times lowers the CO2 content of the blood. One's extremeties become paralyzed and in certain things one appears to have superhuman strength. I recall a performance trick from my early youth, when four people were able to lift a person by one index finger stuck under the armpits and under the knees over a high back chair while the palm is to the side. :shock:
Jumpy Owl

nephriticus
Posts: 88
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:02 am
Location: Sequim, WA

Post by nephriticus »

Yes, JumpyOwl, I am male and 59. And I have the body of a greek god (personal fantasy #407). Actually, I am in fairly good shape for an old guy who had to shed 480 pounds-------the same twelve pounds forty times. I'm not smart enough to take it off and keep it off.

What was particularly notable regarding my acquirement of RLS is that one night I did not have and had never experienced it, the next night I had it and it hasn't gone away. Reading the reports of many others in this group, my case is a mild one at this time. I like to think it will stay that way because I have difficulty imagining having to perfom a hundred and sixty push-ups ten years from now at age seventy.

Heronak
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Post by Heronak »

Greek God (might as well continue your fantasy!),

My solution for years when the RLS started in bed was to get up and do leg lifts and toe raises until my muscles maxed out. Generally I could go back to bed and fall asleep. For me it wasn't an elevated heart rate that gave relief but the maxing out of my leg muscles.

I still use these techniques (along with meds), as needed. All the best,

Heron

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