Aspirin for relief

[Casimira]

I know this sounds hard to believe, but I have found relief in the afternoon just by taking 2 x 300mg ordinary aspirins. My g.p. used to prescribe enteric coated aspirins for me but later my surgery said they were no longer being prescribed due to side effects. As you can buy them over the counter I still take them occasionally and they still work! Has anyone else discovered this remedy?

[ookla]

Drs usually don't recommend long term use of high doses of aspirin due to its affect as a blood thinner and damage to internal organs (usually liver, but can also affect kidneys and lungs). Not sure if your situation fits that, just something to keep in mind.

[ffrwdwin]

A person after my own heart. I have been discussing the efficacy of aspirin with my GP for ages and always I come up against the argument about side effects. I know it can affect the tummy but, after months of pleading, I am being prescribed Omneprazole to lessen any potential side effects. I am taking the least possible dose but, like you have found, this seems to work wonderfully in the afternoons. It has made such a difference.

[Hidden in reply to ffrwdwin]

This is exactly what they do in the USA. =) I have been taking aspirin because the more advanced drugs don't even touch the pain when it's bad. Aspirin seems to lessen the symptoms faster and better even on RLS (for me)

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Please let me rephrase this. I get pain along with rls. It doesn't lessen the urge to move but if your lucky enough to only have the pain , boy oh boy will you sleep pain free if you haven't had aspirin in a long while. I have had rls at a lessor frequency since taking aspirin over the last month.

[Hidden]

I have no doubt that there is something to aspirin if two people swear by it. After two hours of research the only thing I can come up with as to why it might work is the fact that aspirin is a prostaglandin inhibitor. Prostaglandins have a similar affect as anti-emetics/anti-nausea drugs which we know make RLS worse. So any substance that inhibits prostaglandins could very well be good for RLS. Dopamine in the GI tract will slow peristalsis. Slow peristalsis means nausea. Anti-nausea meds probably work in some way to reduce the release of dopamine from the dopamine receptors in our GI tract but they obviously also reduce the release of dopamine in our brains and that's why they are on the "no" list for RLS. Our bodies produce prostaglandins (or you can take them orally) and they too slow peristalsis and once again probably by the inhibition of dopamine. So if aspirin inhibits the inhibitor of dopamine release it should be good for RLS. Got all that?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Meant prostaglandins speed up, not slow down peristalsis. I was taking prostaglandin e2 agonist (called cytotec) as a far out there treatment for interstitial cystitis. Side effects were extreme and bizarre but one nice thing was it increased my motility. Cytotec is actually an old drug that was regularly prescribed along with aspirin or pain killers or NSAIDs because it supposedly protects the lining of the stomach by increasing the mucous like secretions that protect the GI tract. It was also used to induce labor during pregnancy. It's rarely prescribed anymore but I bet it would make RLS go crazy. Or not?

[mamaheltman in reply to Hidden]

did it help your ic?

[Pete-1]

I have found that if I take a couple of paracetomol first thing then I generally have a better day. I have assumed it just lessens the discomfort or pain in stiff muscles.

[Pete-1]

I use Paracetomol to give me a better day. It seems to reduce the discomfort or pain in stiff muscles.

[Pippins2]

One member used to swear by a dissolvable asprin allowed to dissolve under tongue

[Danthespan]

I only get it at night at my wits end

[Pippins2 in reply to Danthespan]

Hi Dan welcome to the forum ! As there are so many things that can worsen RLS and lots of different treatments/medications it would be a good idea to write a new post as your imput could get missed by many here.It would help us to help you if you say what if any medications you have tried and any other meds you are on etc.Can fully understand you being at your wits end most of us have been there and some still are.Take a good look over some of the old posts and comments .The sleep deprivation can be brutal but there are many things you can do to eliminate some triggers and find at keast some relief , best wishes ..Pipps

[Hidden]

I'm a little foggy on all this- does aspirin help with the pain, or the actual restless leg jerking, or both??

[Casimira in reply to Hidden]

I don't take it for the pain, which for me is minimal, but for the leg jerking. I discovered it by accident when taking it for pain somewhere else.

[Loisann61]

Ive had RLS for 30 plus years and aspirin works for me also. I just got off of Pramepexole and went back on aspirin. It's a miracle pill.

[mamaheltman]

i have ic and started taking Cytotec to help it anyone have IC been on this what side effects did u get and did it help

[Pierrebernard]

After 10 years of misery. Yesterday I took

8 baby aspirin and at night for the first times in almost 10 years no pain nothing

I was amazed. Please let me know