It seems like it wouldn't work, but many people report that a bar of soap in bed can relieve RLS. I don't have RLS so I can't test the idea, but it seems like a potential remedy that is very inexpensive to try :
Another remedy that works for some people is Magnesium Chloride Oil or mag oil , which is also very useful for rapidly alleviating muscle cramps and mild to moderate joint pain.
You can read customer reviews of mag oil for RLS here if you follow the link and then click on the "restless legs" tab and the "leg syndrome" tab :
This is a direct quote from the first link I posted in my original reply :
' How Soap Is Used
Some say you should place the bar of soap at the foot of the bed. Others say it must be close to the location of the cramps. Under the sheet and inside a sock are two other suggestions. It isn't clear how soap in such different locations could have the same effect on the legs. '
Higher incidence of RLS in those treated for PD. Not receiving PD meds but diagnosed with PD has lower incidence of RLS.
Twenty-four investigations looked into PD populations of 2 types: de novo or treated PD, with some investigating mixed cohorts. The frequency of RLS varied substantially across countries and studies. In patients with de novo, untreated PD, the prevalence of RLS was not significantly different from controls in population-based studies from Norway (15.3% vs 9.6%)11 and Italy (lifetime prevalence of RLS in PD 5.5%, controls 4.3%12), with prevalence of 16% RLS in untreated Korean patients with PD.48For patients with treated PD, RLS prevalence is generally higher than expected. The prevalence of RLS in Thailand was reported to range between 0.98% and 1.2% for consecutive patients with PD (untreated and treated) and 3% in Singapore vs 0.5% in ethnically matched controls. In contrast, in India, a study found 7.9% RLS in consecutive patients with PD vs 0.8% in controls,49 and 12% in patients with treated PD vs 3% in controls in Japan.e24 In a cross-sectional study from Canada, patients with treated PD showed a significantly higher prevalence for RLS (21%) compared to controls with pain 4.1%.e25 Similar increases (up to 16%) found in Korean patients with treated PD correlated with the duration but not the dosage of dopaminergic treatment.e23 This is of note as another study found an inverse correlation between the dopaminergic dosages for PD with RLS.e26 In European and US studies, the percentage of RLS in treated PD varied between 11%e27 and 24%.e26 When applying the 3 epidemiologic questions reflecting roughly the 4 essential criteria of RLS, one large studye28 found a 4-fold increased risk for PD in patients with RLS in a US male population, but only for the first 4 years after assessment.
I have a mild RLS occasionally (not every night). I am speculating that RLS can be minimized with exercise 30 min before bedtime or if the exercise was extensive during the day. I also experimented with massaging the soles of my feet using a rubber prickle ball, a ball that looks like a virus in soft rubber. At first gentle pressure and later I try to stand on them which massage the feet, is a form of exercise and works on balance. Of course this is anecdotal.
“Approximately 20% of DA-treated RLS patients were prescribed doses above the approved and guideline daily maximum. Pramipexole, Neurology as specialty, and patient age were independently associated with HIGH/VERY HIGH DA dosing. Increased education is warranted regarding risks of high-dose DA exposure in RLS.”
Thank you for this link. After reading this elsewhere, I realized my sudden onset of extreme RLS is likely due to my taking Azilect , the DA agonist. Now I’m not sure what to do.
The attached screenshot is from an interview with the author of the paper. You could also try to contact him - he is the corresponding author but I really don't know how helpful this would be.My Neurologist never told me about the downside of the DA. I am trying to discontinue Rotigotine and it is a living hell. You have my sympathy.
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