I have been reading over all the posts and found some interesting stuff; I also have some to share
A few years ago I told a friend about this feeling in my legs (like mice running up & down inside) and she said her husband had the same problem and kept it under control by taking zinc. Since then I take one 25 mg dose when my legs are restless. On days they are not restless I do not take any extra zinc as too much can suppress your immune system.
I also take calcium magnesium for bone strength and I drink lots of lime and lemon juice to keep from forming kidney stones - interesting to see that magnesium works for some and that acidic drinks help this - also the acid probably helps my PH balance. So I guess this is all good stuff and the reason my case is mild.
I don't drink coffee unless it is decaffeinated, but I do love my tea and feel its anti-toxin agents outweigh any small effect it might have on my legs.
For those of you who get restless when you sit too long, try using low chairs and footstools to prevent the backs of your legs from pressing against the seat. I recently made two successful 4.5 hour plane trips by using my carryon luggage as a footrest.
I am very glad to have found you!
Has anyone tried zinc?
Has anyone tried zinc?
Celia
Hello, Celia--
Thanks for posting your experiences here, and welcome to the group!
I've not tried zinc, but will keep it in mind. The supplements that my research (and an auntie's) have indicated might be most beneficial were folic acid, vitamin E and magnesium. I had also heard about calcium potentially helping.
I've not gone on any routine of supplementation yet, frankly, because I'm absolutely spastic when it comes to remembering to take the darn things at the right time (before meal, with meal, etc.)
But should I ever get my act together, I will let everyone here know if I have any improvement.
So happy to hear that you're finding relief, and that my happening to not be a caffeine-consumer in really any form might be helping my RLS without my having to purposely cut back on anything!
Who knew my natural tendency toward something could be a benefit? I'll have to think about your carry-on luggage story and how it might apply to car rides... that's a bad time for me.
Welcome aboard, and take good care. Thanks again for sharing!
Sara
Thanks for posting your experiences here, and welcome to the group!
I've not tried zinc, but will keep it in mind. The supplements that my research (and an auntie's) have indicated might be most beneficial were folic acid, vitamin E and magnesium. I had also heard about calcium potentially helping.
I've not gone on any routine of supplementation yet, frankly, because I'm absolutely spastic when it comes to remembering to take the darn things at the right time (before meal, with meal, etc.)
But should I ever get my act together, I will let everyone here know if I have any improvement.
So happy to hear that you're finding relief, and that my happening to not be a caffeine-consumer in really any form might be helping my RLS without my having to purposely cut back on anything!
Who knew my natural tendency toward something could be a benefit? I'll have to think about your carry-on luggage story and how it might apply to car rides... that's a bad time for me.
Welcome aboard, and take good care. Thanks again for sharing!
Sara
Hi, this is Celia again
I've been monitoring this site for a month now in order to educate myself. I think you are all giving each other great support. However, I find it interesting that you insist you will do anything to improve your situation yet not one other person has considered zinc.
Is it that you have tried it and it didn't work, or is it that you don't believe me? My symptoms are mild, it doesn't affect my lifestyle and I get enough sleep to survive. Do you think that because I don't suffer, I don't have anything valuable to offer?
Do you think I am just lucky?
Is it luck, or is it zinc?
I've been monitoring this site for a month now in order to educate myself. I think you are all giving each other great support. However, I find it interesting that you insist you will do anything to improve your situation yet not one other person has considered zinc.
Is it that you have tried it and it didn't work, or is it that you don't believe me? My symptoms are mild, it doesn't affect my lifestyle and I get enough sleep to survive. Do you think that because I don't suffer, I don't have anything valuable to offer?
Do you think I am just lucky?
Is it luck, or is it zinc?
Celia
Zinc
Hi Celia, this is Jan
I don't remember if I have welcomed you or not, but Welcome Again!!! I'm so glad you found this site, but am really sorry that you suffer from RLS. And, believe me, ANY AMOUNT of RLS is intolerable!!! I've had it for 20 some years, and, by now, mine is pretty bad, but when you get those creepy crawlies and can't sleep, it's miserable--doesn't matter if it's once a month, once a week or once a day!! We don't ask "how bad is your RLS" on this site. Just having it at all is bad enough!
Now, to the zinc. I haven't tried it Cecila because I would have to take too much to be healthy for me. But, every day, people read these posts over and over (they really do) and some people are more hesitant to post--it may be that they are shy or they just like to read and prefer not to reply. Sooo, many people may have tried zinc and just didn't post anything about it. So, please don't take offense. I've been a member for a fairly long time and I usually read these posts once or twice a week, and check in every day so I won't miss anything. We value every idea, because YES we all want help, and many of us have tried lots of things--and there are many great ideas in the non-pharmaceutcal site.
Thank you so much for the information. Please, if you hear or or try any other no-pharm methods, please share them. You never know who you might help, even if they prefer to remain anonymous!!
Once again welcome, and THANK YOU for you information. I appreciate it and I know many others do to.
Jan
I don't remember if I have welcomed you or not, but Welcome Again!!! I'm so glad you found this site, but am really sorry that you suffer from RLS. And, believe me, ANY AMOUNT of RLS is intolerable!!! I've had it for 20 some years, and, by now, mine is pretty bad, but when you get those creepy crawlies and can't sleep, it's miserable--doesn't matter if it's once a month, once a week or once a day!! We don't ask "how bad is your RLS" on this site. Just having it at all is bad enough!
Now, to the zinc. I haven't tried it Cecila because I would have to take too much to be healthy for me. But, every day, people read these posts over and over (they really do) and some people are more hesitant to post--it may be that they are shy or they just like to read and prefer not to reply. Sooo, many people may have tried zinc and just didn't post anything about it. So, please don't take offense. I've been a member for a fairly long time and I usually read these posts once or twice a week, and check in every day so I won't miss anything. We value every idea, because YES we all want help, and many of us have tried lots of things--and there are many great ideas in the non-pharmaceutcal site.
Thank you so much for the information. Please, if you hear or or try any other no-pharm methods, please share them. You never know who you might help, even if they prefer to remain anonymous!!
Once again welcome, and THANK YOU for you information. I appreciate it and I know many others do to.
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
Celia---
Glad you're still monitoring the site,and that you're finding relief and willing to share your experiences.
Another reason that folks may not have seemed to jump right on your suggestion is that many of us are at various stages of trying a number of things already. Perhaps we ought to all immediately try zinc, and perhaps when we do we'll regret that we didn't earlier.
But there are a lot of different strategies that seem to work for some people... but with supplementation, especially, we seem to all have different needs and body chemical issues. Personally, I've started on a supplemental strategy that sounds reasonable and hopeful for me, and I think it's counter-productive and confusing of the issue to add too many things in at once-- since that makes it much harder to tell the effects of any individual supplement and increases the chances of over-supplementation on any of them.
Sara
Glad you're still monitoring the site,and that you're finding relief and willing to share your experiences.
Another reason that folks may not have seemed to jump right on your suggestion is that many of us are at various stages of trying a number of things already. Perhaps we ought to all immediately try zinc, and perhaps when we do we'll regret that we didn't earlier.
But there are a lot of different strategies that seem to work for some people... but with supplementation, especially, we seem to all have different needs and body chemical issues. Personally, I've started on a supplemental strategy that sounds reasonable and hopeful for me, and I think it's counter-productive and confusing of the issue to add too many things in at once-- since that makes it much harder to tell the effects of any individual supplement and increases the chances of over-supplementation on any of them.
Sara
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jpkb
will try zinc
Celia:
I am new to this site and since my restless legs are driving me totally nuts I am going to take all of your advice and try especially the zinc. I have found massage works when the symptom are there, and I am just looking for the right massager that will go deep enough when I have the restless legs, so that it actually works. My husbands hands are getting tired ! Someone said to try Sharper image so that is what I am going to do. Thanks to everyone for this helpful information
I am new to this site and since my restless legs are driving me totally nuts I am going to take all of your advice and try especially the zinc. I have found massage works when the symptom are there, and I am just looking for the right massager that will go deep enough when I have the restless legs, so that it actually works. My husbands hands are getting tired ! Someone said to try Sharper image so that is what I am going to do. Thanks to everyone for this helpful information
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Gerard
Zinc
Celia,
Over a year ago I posted my experiences with homeopatic tablets of Zincum valerianicum D3 on this site. On evenings I fear rls will become a problem, I take one or two tiny pills, and usually this does the trick.
Of course I do not know whether this will work for you as well, but it might be worth trying.
Gerard (from the Netherlands)
Over a year ago I posted my experiences with homeopatic tablets of Zincum valerianicum D3 on this site. On evenings I fear rls will become a problem, I take one or two tiny pills, and usually this does the trick.
Of course I do not know whether this will work for you as well, but it might be worth trying.
Gerard (from the Netherlands)
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Jeff
zinc for RLS
Gerard,
I never know during the evening if I will have RLS when I try to sleep that night, so I'm curious how you know. Maybe if I thought about it more, I would be able to predict.
About zinc: I have sometimes taken a Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium supplement during an attack, and sometimes I thought it helped. Sometimes I thought it was giving me Euphoria as I fell asleep. Ohter times, when the RLS was worse, it did not work.
Jeff
I never know during the evening if I will have RLS when I try to sleep that night, so I'm curious how you know. Maybe if I thought about it more, I would be able to predict.
About zinc: I have sometimes taken a Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium supplement during an attack, and sometimes I thought it helped. Sometimes I thought it was giving me Euphoria as I fell asleep. Ohter times, when the RLS was worse, it did not work.
Jeff
Hi, Everyone; I was super-busy for a while but tonight I decided to check in.
Jeff, I was not ignoring you! As for how I know I am going to get RLS, I actually got it in the evenings. I always took zinc, along with a calcium/magnesium supplement, when it started then waited between 30 - 60 minutes. My legs would settle down and I would go to bed.
I had a total reprieve for a couple of weeks and kept forgetting to take anything. Lately my RLS has come back sporadically. One night I got woken up so got up and took a calc/mag and within 30 minutes my rls was gone. A few nights later it happened again, I took a calc/mag but I got woken up a second time.
Two nights ago the rls woke me up again and so I took the calc/mag plus a zinc, went back and slept the night through. I should take the stuff every night but I don't remember unless my rls starts up while I'm awake.
I'm still not entirely sure if it's the magnesium, the zinc, or the combination. I just feel lucky that I don't have it bad.
Celia
Jeff, I was not ignoring you! As for how I know I am going to get RLS, I actually got it in the evenings. I always took zinc, along with a calcium/magnesium supplement, when it started then waited between 30 - 60 minutes. My legs would settle down and I would go to bed.
I had a total reprieve for a couple of weeks and kept forgetting to take anything. Lately my RLS has come back sporadically. One night I got woken up so got up and took a calc/mag and within 30 minutes my rls was gone. A few nights later it happened again, I took a calc/mag but I got woken up a second time.
Two nights ago the rls woke me up again and so I took the calc/mag plus a zinc, went back and slept the night through. I should take the stuff every night but I don't remember unless my rls starts up while I'm awake.
I'm still not entirely sure if it's the magnesium, the zinc, or the combination. I just feel lucky that I don't have it bad.
CeliaCelia
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Stella Smith
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:23 pm
- Location: johannesburg, South Africa
Zinc
Hi Cecelia,
I am new to the site, and am interested in the zinc suggestion. Will consider it. I have used cal/mag, though not with my problem feet in mind, and don't remember that my feet improved during that time. Perhaps will try that sometime too.
Stella
I am new to the site, and am interested in the zinc suggestion. Will consider it. I have used cal/mag, though not with my problem feet in mind, and don't remember that my feet improved during that time. Perhaps will try that sometime too.
Stella
Stella Smith
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Stella Smith
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:23 pm
- Location: johannesburg, South Africa
Zinc
Hi Cecelia,
I am new to the site, and am interested in the zinc suggestion. Will consider it. I have used cal/mag, though not with my problem feet in mind, and don't remember that my feet improved during that time. Perhaps will try that sometime too.
Stella
I am new to the site, and am interested in the zinc suggestion. Will consider it. I have used cal/mag, though not with my problem feet in mind, and don't remember that my feet improved during that time. Perhaps will try that sometime too.
Stella
Stella Smith
Stella--
My mom has mild-moderate RLS, and she's taken Cal/mag/zinc as long as I can remember. A couple of times she's stopped for various reasons for a short time, and we were trying to remember if there was any worsening of her RLS, since some people seem to get relief from this mineral supplementation. She does not recall any worsening, but perhaps the reason she's in her late 60s and only has mild-moderate RLS has something to do with all that cal/mag/zinc. Hard to say.
Welcome to the forum.
Sara
My mom has mild-moderate RLS, and she's taken Cal/mag/zinc as long as I can remember. A couple of times she's stopped for various reasons for a short time, and we were trying to remember if there was any worsening of her RLS, since some people seem to get relief from this mineral supplementation. She does not recall any worsening, but perhaps the reason she's in her late 60s and only has mild-moderate RLS has something to do with all that cal/mag/zinc. Hard to say.
Welcome to the forum.
Sara