Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

[quote="doety"] "... when I read, I usually get RLS, unless I'm lying on my stomach. Wonder if anyone else is like this?..."

I often have to stop reading because of the RLS too, which is SO aggravating! It's funny that you mention lying on your stomach, because I used to do that to watch tv, and it seemed to keep the RLS at bay. Now I'll try that for reading. Thanks for the idea!
Along the same lines, I also read once that it helps to sit up on pillows so that your legs are at a downward angle, (as opposed to how most of the time, on a couch or chair, your butt is lower than your legs. -something about the circulation?) Anyway, I found that helpful too.
**By the way, I'm new to this forum. - It's great! I read postings for 2 hours last night and learned so much! VERY helpful! Thanks to all of you!

I don't know if any of my other posts counted towards the positive Iron tally, but I have to say it definitely has made a difference to me.

Before I had my other recent problems, I was kinda slacking on my iron supplementation. When problems piled up and I couldn't take my regular meds, the one thing I knew to do was to get serious with the iron so at least my RLS and its new PLMs wouldn't be my primary problem. Increasing my iron was the difference between a 10pm onset with PLMs and a 1am onset, with milder symptoms and no PLMs.

I keep my iron just above where it needs to be by sensing when PLMs might be on their way back and using that as the signal to supplement. (I don't want to keep arbitrarily increasing it, since iron overdose/toxicity is bad.)

The obvious disclaimer here is that my RLS is milder than most people's.

Thanks so much for all of you who post suggestions. I have finally after many years.....(It has gotten increasingly worse with age) gotten relief. I started with the calcium/mag, added ,vit B and Omega (for good mesaure)!!1 can of tonic water+(orange juice for taste)(apparently there's quinine in which helps(my pharmacist's idea) and 1/3 niacin tablet. Don't take the whole thing I did and got an alarming sensation of flushing and pins&needles which subsided after a couple of hours but don't recommend taking the whole thing. At bedtime I have a hot bath and 1 tylenol +1/2 sleeping pill and am getting a wonderfully good nite's sleep. I also watch what I eat before I go to bed and am off anti depressants altogether which I know contributed to my problem but there again if your fighting RLS and get no sleep you do get depressed, but once I recognized they were part of the problem, weaned myslef off.A lot of these suggestions I picked up from your site and am so grateful.Good luck Thank you again. Hope this helps also. My pharmacist was very informative and helpful,printing off info they discuss among themselves.Most of the info is the same as it is here tho.
As usual doctors have no answers and seem disinterested.
Jackie

ViewsAskew wrote:In this thread, I hope to go back through all the posts and list what's worked. Allow me a couple weeks to finish it, if you would - it will take me awhile to catalog it all and get it in place.

If you are still there: I have had RLS for 45 years, and finally I have found what starts it and what stops it (for me). I get severe leg and, if I eat eough sugar, arm RLS. Sugar during the day causes RLS that night; no sugar, no RLS. And if RLS starts, ferrous gluconate, 10 mg, stops all symtoms in 25 minutes, and lasts all night. Aspirin (normal adult dose) can also stops the symtoms, but not as quckly, and not as completely.

I am new here, but came in desperation the other day and read this thread. I looked for some things to do that MIGHT help, and I started Calcium and elimated all soda... I found relief with those two simple changes, and I want to thank you for having these lists here to refer to.

Joannie

H Joannie and welcome to this group. I am so glad that you found relief for your rls and hope that it continues.'

Keep us posted on how you are doing. We are one huge family and we do care about everyone.

I have been on prescription medication with melatonin for over 15 years. One night two weeks ago, I fell asleep without taking it and had no RLS problem. Decided to see what would happen and continued without it. I was fine until the night I had a piece of leftover birthday cake just before I went to bed. That night the RLS started again. I had never made the connection before, but I have NOW. No more carbs before bedtime has solved my long and serious problem. Everybody should at least try it!!

Hi Lynandmas and welcome to the group. I am glad that you are doing good with your rls. Sorry that you had a bad bout but back on the mend.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Hi L, Glad you have found something that helps you get some sleep and also glad you have found a link to why you might not sleep. Welcome to "our place" and thanks for the tip.

Best wishes.

M.

tell me about the soap thing.....

Wish it worked, but it doesn't. Even the doctor who says it works for muscle cramps says it doesn't work for RLS. Makes your bed smell nice...

interesting,,,your own review seems to show that the stockings/pantyhose work probably better than anything else....even beats pot...yet I can't get most people to try it.....Also...why is all this medicine here on the non-pharmaceutical section....

I would like to hear more from those who have tired the stockings.....The don't stop it totally, but it seems to satisfy the need to move and you can stay still and sleep.

I'm willing to help anyone who really wants to try a non drug solution..
try message here....I don't check in that oftern....but willing to help.

try it.

Not being mean, but you do post about it a lot, so your posts add extra weight to my counts . I did try to filter out the same person posting multiple times, but I wasn't always able to make the determination.

The list is a vague method for tracking what people have done, just to make it easier for people to find a starting place. But, it's certainly not scientific! Members don't always post what does work...or what doesn't. Members sometimes post something that worked once or twice, but then stops working, but we only see that it worked. Members don't always post everything they try, just some.

So, results are quite skewed and we really have no way of knowing. There may be thousands of people who have tried your method. It doesn't work for everyone - people have also posted that, too. Some people want to only try what is guaranteed, which is why they choose pharma methods. Who's to say what's right or what's wrong?

the stockings/pantyhose seem to have a very high YES they work vs NO they don't yet I can't seem to get enough people to try it. funny. Most would like some kind of non Pharmaceutical yet they have some kind of pre concieved notion it won't work.... well I tried.

First of all I'm taking 40mg of prozac a day and will be on it for the rest of my life as without it I'd be dead. I've tried other antidepressants and had bad reactions to them. Wellbutrin gave me intense mood changes from uncontrollable anger to hysterical crying.

I've had RLS since I was a baby. I'm 65 and its much worse.
My mother has RLS as does my son and my daughter.

Things I have found to work sometimes (but of course not constantly):
support stockings
frozen socks (soak and put in freezer for later use or just soak socks in cold water)
lying on my stomach
Seldane (they discontinued it)
caffeine
Premsin
Asprin
folic acid
quinine
doing fast exercises with my legs (I do modern dance exercises I learned in college in the 60's) I can do twice the repetitions without getting tired when I have RLS

Things I've found to make it worse:
Massage while I have RLS drives me crazy
When I have RLS my legs feel swollen and pants, socks, shoes make it worse.
RLS starts when I'm just dosing off, even in the afternoon when I'm sooo sleepy and relaxed.
Possibly sugar
I've been using Splenda instead of sugar and RLS has been worse.
Watching TV, Movies,Slide Shows
Airplanes
Car riding
Tens machine can start it
Sex with orgasm
Excessive exercise during the day