Relaxis Pad

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.]
Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by Joanie60 »

Let's keep our fingers crossed that they move quickly on insurance coverage!! And maybe you've discovered a "mini cure" in the mean time!!

Joanie

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by ViewsAskew »

Joanie60 wrote:Let's keep our fingers crossed that they move quickly on insurance coverage!! And maybe you've discovered a "mini cure" in the mean time!!

Joanie


Not so much, lol. Didn't work last night 2 of 3 times I tried it. But, it did work once, which is better than none! So, one more think to add to the arsenal - and this one allowed me to stay in bed one extra time instead of going walkabout in the house :-).
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

niteflier
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:06 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by niteflier »

I recently bought a Relaxis pad after a two week trial. So far, so good. I'm pleased to report I've been able to taper down my dosage of Requip and gabapentin and still get to sleep. I'm *hoping* that using the pad will help me quit my meds altogether, though the withdrawal symptoms have been unpleasant at best.

Unfortunately, my insurance company didn't cover any portion of the Relaxis device, so I shelled out ~USD$1,000 for the hardware. If it proves to be a long-term solution for my symptoms, it'll be worth much more. :D

Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by Joanie60 »

Please keep us posted!! Also, do you have a "sleep partner"?? I am very curious how this will affect my husband? We have a queen size bed and he is pretty tolerant of my periodic limb herky jerky thing and pretty oblivious of my RLS (mostly because I do get out of bed when it gets going). But a vibrating pad?? Hummmmm..

Best of luck niteflier and please please keep reporting in to us!!

Joanie

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8798
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by Polar Bear »

niteflier, very happy to hear that this is working for you. :)
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

niteflier
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:06 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by niteflier »

Joanie60, great question! I can't say how the Relaxis pad might affect one's bedmate since I sleep alone. I can tell you that my medium-sized pad (16x20 inches) takes up plenty of real estate, but if you share a king mattress you could contain the device to your half of the bed. The "intensity" of the pad's vibration is highly adjustable and automatically declines over 35 minutes, at which time the pad shuts off. It's even possible your husband might like the low humming noise and rippling vibrations around his feet.

If your doctor prescribes Relaxis, you might be able to rent the device for a couple weeks to try it. The Relaxis customer service department will put you in touch with a medical supply dealer in your area. My nearest dealer is 500 miles away, but they happily sent me a unit by FedEx.

First impressions: Relaxis has worked great for me, so far. I'm almost completely off my meds now and am gradually sleeping longer each night. No more 5 a.m. rebound! Of course, until I'm fully withdrawn from gabapentin (a months-long process, I realize), I won't be able to say with confidence whether Relaxis is "the one" long term solution for me.

Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by Joanie60 »

I am so happy for you!!! That is just amazing :-)

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8798
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by Polar Bear »

niteflier - please do keep updating us as your medication reduces further.
The is a wonderful result for you.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by ViewsAskew »

I appreciate your sharing of your experience. Please do keep us informed. As you noted, there are so many variables...I've often thought something helped, but over time realized it didn't :-(. When something helps consistently over time, it's a wonderful thing and we all need to know about those!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

pjmccoy1
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Below the Mason Dixon Line USA

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by pjmccoy1 »

niteflier wrote:First impressions: Relaxis has worked great for me, so far. I'm almost completely off my meds now and am gradually sleeping longer each night. No more 5 a.m. rebound! Of course, until I'm fully withdrawn from gabapentin (a months-long process, I realize), I won't be able to say with confidence whether Relaxis is "the one" long term solution for me.


Niteflier, how is the pad working? My sleep doc wants me to consider. But this won't do anything for daytime RLS will it? And can you move it to sofa for early evening while trying... to sit and read or watch TV with spouse?
PJ, Heaven Bound

niteflier
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:06 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by niteflier »

pjmccoy1 wrote:Niteflier, how is the pad working? My sleep doc wants me to consider. But this won't do anything for daytime RLS will it? And can you move it to sofa for early evening while trying... to sit and read or watch TV with spouse?


Hi, PJMcCoy1! I'm not sure about relief for daytime RLS symptoms. The device is advertised to be effective with primary RLS only -- I'm not sure why -- and I've only ever used mine at night in bed. But you could absolutely plug it in and use it on almost any flat and reasonably firm surface as long as it stays under or between your legs. Because of the cost, I'd be extremely careful about placing the pad or the attached controller any place where it might get stepped on, sat on, or bent.

I'm not sure I'm completely over my Gabapentin withdrawal, but I'd describe my current unmedicated situation as mostly stable. I use the Relaxis pad every single night. I'm a side sleeper, so I position the pad between my knees and calves. Some nights, I fall asleep before it automatically shuts itself off. Other nights, I've had to turn it on for a second cycle (80 minutes total) in order to get relief. What's become clear is that the vibration 'intensity' setting is critical. If I set the intensity too high, my calves get very excited. Set it too low, and I need an extra cycle. I've found that the second to the lowest setting works well for me most nights. Also, positioning the pad correctly is important. If the pad touches my feet or a certain part of my knee for too long, it can cause some painful tingles. I've found my personal 'sweet spot' now, though, so this hasn't happened in a while.

What I'm still trying to determine is how long the counterstimulation effect actually lasts, and this might be relevant to your daytime usage question. Sometimes, after falling asleep with the Relaxis, I wake up after 5 hours and both legs feel like the third rail on the subway track. I've found that taking a magnesium pill before bedtime helps me sleep through most nights. Gotta ask my doc about the long term viability of that, though.

I'd very strongly recommend getting a trial unit. Apparently, Relaxis now requires all of its U.S. resellers to send a trial unit to any customer who requests one -- as long as they have a prescription, of course.

Hope that information helps and that you find some relief soon. :D

pjmccoy1
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Below the Mason Dixon Line USA

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by pjmccoy1 »

Do only have RLS at bedtime or do you have it in mid to later afternoon if seated or in relaxed state? I've been taking Calm Magnesium Powder for over a year at 5p.m. everyday. Only thing you might notice if loose stool. It does help relax nerves and muscles and in my case, I need the extra magnesium to help with calcium absorption for osteoporosis. It's also helpful for GI issues related to pain med's used for RLS treatment. I was on Horizant successfully for about a year but it lost it's effectiveness. How long have you had RLS?
PJ, Heaven Bound

niteflier
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:06 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by niteflier »

Sorry for the slow reply. It's unfortunate that your body habituated to Horizant so quickly. A year doesn't seem like much time at all. Maybe I'll give magnesium powder a try. So far, the magnesium pills, taken 30-60 minutes before bedtime, aren't doing much to help sleep onset. I'm not sure how long I've had RLS, but I first noticed severe symptoms while taking a high dose of SSRIs about 12 years ago. Have you tried Relaxis yet?

pjmccoy1
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Below the Mason Dixon Line USA

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by pjmccoy1 »

No. I got call about the trial and 15% restocking fee which equates to $128 or so if it doesn't work for me. Is it still working for you? Thought about asking what they are selling the returned (used) pads for and what that restocking fee would be?
PJ, Heaven Bound

SCRLSmom
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:34 pm

Re: Relaxis Pad

Post by SCRLSmom »

I just saw that the web site has $100 off the trial price. Sounds like a reasonable option now.

Post Reply