want help without medication, any suggestions?

[lizz_215]

I'm sixteen and when describing to my mother the feeling in my legs and my troubles falling asleep she suggested that I had RLS. Before I resort to medication I was wondering if there was anything I could do about the problem. I'm very active (I dance 4 days a week, and babysit a 6 year old which involves alot of running around among other activities) Any suggestions?

[wallenberg3]

If you're desperately being kept up all night with RLS, drink warm milk. It sounds gross & sounds like an old wives tale, but it really works for me. I just fill up a coffee mug with milk and heat it up in the microwave...make sure it's hot but not scalding. It doesn't seem to work if it's only lukewarm. It's not that appetizing but you get used to it and it beats staying up all night...it totally takes away all the jittery feelings in my arms & legs so I can get to sleep. I typically have to drink 2 cups of milk, & for a really tough night, sometimes 3 or 4. Someone else on this forum mentioned taking a calcium tablet. That would probably be quicker & easier... I never tried it myself....but if you don't have any tablets, try warm milk. Apparently the properties in lactose change when heated up.

[wallenberg3]

If you're desperately being kept up all night with RLS, drink warm milk. It sounds gross & sounds like an old wives tale, but it really works for me. I just fill up a coffee mug with milk and heat it up in the microwave ... make sure it's hot but not scalding. It doesn't seem to work if it's only lukewarm. It's not that appetizing but you get used to it and it beats staying up all night...it totally takes away all the jittery feelings in my arms & legs so I can get to sleep. I typically have to drink 2 cups of milk, & for a really tough night, sometimes 3 or 4. Someone else on this forum mentioned taking a calcium tablet. That would probably be quicker & easier... I never tried it myself....but if you don't have any tablets, try warm milk. Apparently the properties in lactose change when heated up.

[Guest]

Before I resort to medication I was wondering if there was anything I could do about the problem.

I'd suggest trying Valerian Root. It comes in liquid form and is an herbal muscle relaxer. I also don't want to start taking drugs/medications. You can find the Valerian at GNC stores or a local health food store.

Good luck.

Lisa S.

[karatemom]

Warm milk works for me, as long as the episode is not too bad. I put sugar or honey in mine and sometimes vanilla extract to make it taste better.

The valerian root supposedly works but I could not get past the smell. It's god-awful.

Hot bath or shower works well. I gradually increase the temp of the water if I'm in the shower so I can get it as hot as I can stand. Then when you get out, get into bed and relax. Hopefully you'll fall asleep before the warmth wears off. Hot bath works for the really severe episodes. The trick is to be sleepy, really sleepy, prior to the shower, so that when you get out you don't waste time trying to get to sleep.

Calcium works well for many. The new brand called Viactiv is chewable and comes in chocolate and two other flavors. Don't know what they are cuz when I saw chocolate that did it for me.

Massage by a person always works well but, in my home, those don't come easily. And with hubby and I both having RLS, it's an argument who is worse so who gets the massage. Guess who ends up giving in. I figure since he works all day, it's the least I can do. So I have to pay for mine and find a female I feel comfortable with. My old massage therapist/physical therapist is too far away now. However, now that I'm thinking about this, she did myofascia massage, and in remembering, it did more good than anything. She also taught me some pilates type stretching that requires another person to help me but those worked well.

I guess that's all I can think of for now. Best wishes on your search. I know that it's tough to get people to believe you when you talk about RLS. Just know that it is real, and in the future, we'll have better treatments and possibly a cure. Who knows. Anything is possible.

[suzcue]

Read my post just above yours....
I also danced all my life and had sensations during my teenage years. Of course I never knew what is was then. I would wake up in the night and all my muscles would be really tight. I would HAVE TO stretch them alot to get some relief. I wonder if this RLS thing has anything to do with over stretching your muscles during the years of growing. I was very flexible and could stretch my legs much further than the average person (splits and all that stuff) but would wake up with tight muscles and feel like I had to stretch them more or more to get relief....
good luck in finding your relief.

[nadine]

I have had very severe RLS over many years: taking very heavy drugs with a lot of side effect (nausea, vertigos...). I tried everything(calcium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, milk, warm or cold baths,sleeping tables, paracetamol...) but nothing worked . I have read on internet someone writing that he was treated by Ayurveda. I thought: what the hell... I can try, it can do nothing wrong. Well it worked!!! I do not have it anymore. I, who wanted to end my worhtless life, I can now sleep, enjoy reading. Ayurvedic massage once a day for 2.5 weeks and I am like new. If you doubt, please read some comments on Ayurveda.I live in belgium bu t went to Switzerland to get the treatment. IN US,or Canada, I am sure you get it in your own country
ususally RLS comes from too much "VATA". Do you also have dry skin, insomnia, problems with digestion...?
I am so happy that I want others to feel the same

[Lana]

I have had very severe RLS over many years: taking very heavy drugs with a lot of side effect (nausea, vertigos...). I tried everything(calcium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, milk, warm or cold baths,sleeping tables, paracetamol...) but nothing worked . I have read on internet someone writing that he was treated by Ayurveda. I thought: what the hell... I can try, it can do nothing wrong. Well it worked!!! I do not have it anymore. I, who wanted to end my worhtless life, I can now sleep, enjoy reading. Ayurvedic massage once a day for 2.5 weeks and I am like new. If you doubt, please read some comments on Ayurveda.I live in belgium bu t went to Switzerland to get the treatment. IN US,or Canada, I am sure you get it in your own country
ususally RLS comes from too much "VATA". Do you also have dry skin, insomnia, problems with digestion...?
I am so happy that I want others to feel the same

Nadine: I am very impressed that you were helped so significantly by Ayurveda info. I have been reading about Ayurveda since I read your quote. How long did it take to get you in balance? Is it still working for you? I have tried MANY things as well, but suffer with RLS every night. I have not tried any drugs yet, but am considering it since it is getting so bad. Thank you so very much for any reply! Lana

[Guest]

Great that you found this site. For non med treatment read all the things you find here from ......bar of soap under the sheets at the foot of the bed...>>>...to support stockings.......good luck... try everything...find what works for you.
So for , for me the compression stockings work very well....others hate them....If you need detailed info for the medical grade support stockings PM me.....

[lytled]

First off, I'd like to mention that I love this site! I found it about a year ago in the wee morning hours when I couldn't sleep because of RLS. I've experienced many of these sleepless nights. It's somehow comforting to learn I'm not alone.

I've had RLS since I was nine, many moons ago. When I was a teen, My grandmother recommended taking quinine capsules, as she did. That worked, but they made me nauseous. I found I could break them open, pour some out, making it more tolerable; not so nauseous.

In the meantime, quinine caps have been taken off the market. I very recently mentioned this to my doctor. He recommended putting a bottle of tonic water by my bedside, and taking a shot glass of it at bedtime. Boy howdy! It works! Allows me sleep well with no side effects. I just take two drinks out of the bottle, cap the bottle and leave it by my bedside.

I also experience hot feet. I have to have a fan blowing on my feet while I sleep. If my feet get hot, the RLS gets worse. I've found if I put lotion on the heels of my feet, and drink the tonic water, I can sleep through the night. At my age, a bathroom need arises usually about 3 a.m. Most times I have to reach for the bottle for another sip, but I'm asleep before I know it. Prior to this, following my bathroom trip, I'd be awake again for at least a couple of hours or more, which made for a very tiresome, yawning day.

Hope this helps someone. We're all desperate!

[nadine]

Reply to Lana:

I have had the treatment during 2 weeks (11 times) and after about 4 or 5 times I started feeling better. Now I have had it 3 weeks ago and I still sleep wonderfully.
However I must point out that the full tretament involves a drastic change of life patterns; new regime, more relaxation, other type of food ., meditation...massages every day,
If you want more info send me an email to
annoncesbelgique@yahoo.fr
Nadine

[KathyMarie]

I found that slow gentle stretches for the legs (yoga tapes may give you some ideas), really make a difference. Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds, I do a series, from standing, sitting and lying positions.

[Ellen]

My boyfriend told me about drinking a concoction of apple cider vinegar, honey and water several times a day. ACV is excellent for alot of illnesses. You can do a search on it and find all the things it is good for. Mixing 2 tsp of ACV, 2 tsp of honey and water and heat it and drink that at bedtime really helps you sleep and helps the RLS. Its the best natural way I know to help RLS. ACV is full of potassium and maybe that is why it helps. They recommend drinking it 3 times a day so if you have RLS real bad, you might try this and see if it helps. Make sure you get 5% acidity of apple cider vinegar, not regular vinegar. If you don't want to drink it hot, you can also just mix it with a little water and drink it fast. THat is how my boyfriend drinks it..

[Michael Blackman]

Before there is that gut level here we go again response, let it be known
that i have 30 years of clinical experience as a veteran chiropractor
spinal vertebral alignment distorts sensitive neural elements that show their true temper through prolonged sitting, overstraining..spinal canal stenosis from joint hypertrophy, disc buldging and fibrosis of ligaments
is a more extreme cause of RLS which i suffer from
i have found a few colleagues skilled in motion palpation to be the best remedy, too bad i can't adjust myself
although most medical people have an overwhelming bias they are correct in asserting caution, unskilled manipulation makes RLS worse

[ViewsAskew]

Many people with spinal injury or surgery find themselved with RLS, either for the first time, or worse than they had before. It would make sense that a GOOD manipulation might resolve whatever is causing the problem. But, the problem for most of us is how do you know whether the person is skilled or not? I have to take it on faith! My mom has some disk problems and tried four or five different chiropractors. Nothing helped. Then she moved and someone swore by their chiropractor. She drove an hour to see him, and still continues to many years later as he DOES help, where none of the others did.

Someone here posted about great luck with their acupuncturist, who was trying different needles similar to treating Parkinson's. She was getting good results. But, most of us go and they don't do that and we feel neutral at best, and sometimes worse. Again, it takes finding someone who really understands, is creative and intuitive in their technique, and is an excellent practitioner. If we had someway to assess that before we paid out, that would be excellent.

Ann