What home remedies have you tried?

clemson_tgr · Post by **clemson_tgr** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:34 pm

Here's Mine:
Leg punching(my favorite), putting on socks, cold water, Icy Hot. The only reason these work is that they give you something to do to take your mind off the situation. Once back in bed it starts all over. Maybe I should get more creative.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:40 pm

Hi there, try hot shower, then cold, cold spray on legs and feet. Followed by moisturisor, or aloe vera get, ( I've jsut started this gel). A couple of diazepam 2mg helps, tho my doc is only just coming around to this idea. I also take Requip 2mg at 2 hours before bedtime. Also magnesium, folic acid, and Vit B. I hate taking all this stuff.... but I gotta work, so gotta get some sleep !!
Good luck, Betty

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:47 pm

I'm going to move this to the non-pharma section so that no one looking for these types of solutions misses this. I'll leave a shadow post here.

Aff · Post by **Aff** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:55 pm

compression socks - to be effective circulation cuts off (don't like)
chillow - nice for hot feet but no good for RLS
magnesium & B-complex - possible benefits but not consistant
valerina - no longer works
nytol (non-herbal) - a combination of ok sleep but worse RLS!
Marijuana - works very well on RLS but not sure it's a 'clean' sleep
Iron - no effect
AllCalm - made legs spasm and difficult to guage amounts
Shiatsu - the guy knew alot about RLS and identified 'blockages', verdict open until i go again but maybe something in it
Actifed - cold remedy works better than nytol.

Sleeping alone - Helps ALOT!!! :wink:

dipstick · Post by **dipstick** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 1:54 am

You are not kidding. I sleep 1000% better with my husband elsewhere.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:15 pm

Me too, I think part of it might be that psychologically we try not to move so as not to disturb our partner, and that of course makes it worse. Tho still don't want to go to spare bedroom!!
Betty

Aff · Post by **Aff** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:47 am

i agree that it's psychological. i am aware of my partner being aware of my condition. so if i move i think 'oh she'll wake up soon and be annoyed'.

this makes me try and control the urges but as we all know this is impossible.

if i'm alone in the bed i can wiggle away until i fall asleep without this extra 'burden' which can prolong the time taken getting to sleep immensely.

we're all just too considerate :lol:

it's a shame that the spare bed is a better solution for a good nights sleep. what must our partners really think? about three times a week she will wake up and i'm not there, having left the bed in the middle of the night where i just think to cut my losses and be done with sleeping on my own rather than fight to stay still just to be in the same bed. madness i say, madness!

clemson_tgr · Post by **clemson_tgr** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:32 pm

I also like sleeping solo. The only problem is that the wife thinks I am avoiding her.

dipstick · Post by **dipstick** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:42 am

Yes I have tried many of these ideas. One night I slept from 2am until 7am in my( very large and deep) bath.. my head was resting on a folded towel so I didn't slide down and drown ( I reckon I would wake if that happened anyway).. and I kept the bath hot by running the hot water constantly at a very slow rate.. so that the water ran away through the overflow at the same rate as it came out of the tap. This was a desperation measure as I hadn't slept properly for about a week at that point.
Another thing I find helps is to sit in a freezing cold bathroom ( with a warm robe on to keep the rest of me from freezing.. and let my feet and legs get really cold... then rub in aloe vera moisturiser.. and go back to bed with my feet outside the duvet... This has saved my sanity a number of times.. but I had to tell my husband not to cover up my feet if he woke and found me hanging out of the bed!!!

I definitely think that exercise is a help. I try to do something reasonably energetic in the evening.. as if I spend the evening lazing around.. I will definitely end up with the dreaded "twitch"!

LoneCrow · Post by **LoneCrow** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:17 pm

Solution to partner getting disturbed = king size bed, a good one, where you can't tell very much if the other person is moving..

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:25 pm

I'll add to that: a king size bed AND either a memory foam mattress or a king-size made of two separate twins. Then you do not feel any movement at all. It saved us and our ability to sleep in the same room and me not feel guilty.

dipstick · Post by **dipstick** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:06 am

Does anyone have any ideas for situations where you have to sit still for a long period.. eg I have to wait for two hours in the car for my son once a week... I often end up having to get out and walk up and down the road by the car.. which is not ideal as it isn't a specially salubrious area and I would MUCH rather stay inside the car with the doors locked!

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:44 pm

Dipstick, is it possible to change where you wait? I assume you have to drive him to a place and wait while he takes a lesson or some such. I'm sure you've thought about it, but maybe, if the RLS is nasty, waiting there is out of the question, so driving part of the way to somewhere where you can walk around would be worth it. Just trying to think out of the box, so to speak.

Anytime we sit, we get in trouble. If you HAVE to sit, medication is the best option. Second best are leg exercises you can do, such as to buy a "cush push" pillow and press on it repeatedly.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:48 pm

Good Lord.. I can't think of anything worse than having to sit in a car for 2 hours, and not actually going anywhere which is bad enough.
I agree, spend your time nearby - and have your son ring on his cell phone when he is ready. What a nightmare !!
Betty

dipstick · Post by **dipstick** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:26 pm

Yes going somewhere else is something I have tried.. but my son is autistic... and if things go badly I have to be available to calm him. Once I went to the local Sainsbury's and did a little shopping. It is only about five mins from where he has his session. But it turned out to be a disaster as he had been told I would be outside if he needed me. When I wasn't.. well he was very upset. Soooo.. I have to stay there. I will try to find the cush push.. never heard of that before.