Anyone else using these?

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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Flying_Jim
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:32 pm

I am trying exercise and diet

Post by Flying_Jim »

I am a 60 year old diabetic who was been on mirapex for several years to control worsening restless leg. The mirapex allows me to get a few hours' sleep at night but I have to endure several hours of nausea each morning. My restless leg is complicated by diabetes and sleep apnea. I weigh about 240 pounds, which is down from 265 pounds in January of this year.

I am exercising using a stationary bicycle and walking. These are not yet curing the restless leg, but they provide temporary relief. They are assisting me in losing weight, since the exercise is burning between 600 to as much as 1500 calories a day. I am hopeful that this may make my restless leg more tolerable as my weight comes down. One of the many doctors that I've consulted has adjusted that my restless leg may be made worse by the CPAP machine I use to control my sleep apnea. I have not noticed a correlation between the use of the CPAP machine and the severity of my restless leg. I am hopeful though that improving my sugar levels and reducing my weight will help with the restless leg, but other than temporary relief I have not noticed any impact so far.

I am also trying to a 500 mg a day magnesium supplement based upon suggestions made on this bulletin board.

I will post a progress report outlining whether or not these combination of measures are successful. Has anyone else experience with these?

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