What Dietary alterations have we all ... - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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What Dietary alterations have we all made here?

ELMAGO_1 profile image
10 Replies

Just wondering what all everybody has eliminated as a result of their RLS.

I will be honest, the only thing I have eliminated absolutely has been caffeine.

My RLS started in November 13, only starting to get very bad by May 14.

Lyrica works excellently for me. When I wasn't on it, alcohol made it worse but since I started it, alcohol makes no change what so ever to my RLS.

In the future I intend to be a lot more stricter, and get rid of other dietary elements.

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ELMAGO_1
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10 Replies
beady3 profile image
beady3

If you are doing ok and stopped drink why are you going to stop other things. Sweet things start my legs going and as it says on the prescription do not drink I dont

RupertMac profile image
RupertMac

I find it impossible to eliminate caffeine altogether but I drink it only in the mornings now. I gave up alcohol a few years ago anyway (and that hasn't really made any noticeable difference to my RLS) . More recently I've cut out chocolate, cakes and other sugary things - things have been a bit better but I can't be sure it's related as for me the RLS tends to have peaks and troughs anyway. Good luck.

restlessinlondon profile image
restlessinlondon

My triggers are caffeine, dairy and alcohol, but we are all different. I've noticed a number of people mention sweet things as their trigger and I could try giving up more stuff, but I'm coping quite well at the moment - and I do enjoy sweet things! Oh, and some people have a problem with fried, greasy food.

BBGuess45 profile image
BBGuess45

I eat grains, Quinoa, Basmati brown Rice, Wild Rice, Tofu, Tempeh, white meat chicken, and my sin(one of them), Tillamook Dairy, OR, Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar, Veggies, organic when affordable. I'm trying to budget for as much Organic Food as possible, The fewer chemicals the better. I eat Whole Wheat or Brown Rice Pasta. Whole Grain Bread, multigrain chips and hummus, and Sin #2 or 3, microbrew beer. I do drink coffe, that I grind myself from organic beans, and in season, in Oregon, I eat Peaches and Berries, and organic fruit. I only eat organic fruit. I use Excel to budget all this, I definitely, obviously, feel better because of my diet. I take supplements, too, and most PolyPharmacy of too many medications.

We are what we eat. I drink 2-3 liters of filtered water daily. I still have Severe RLS, and Severe Pain, but I feel much better because of my diet.

For those of you not eating healthy yet, Healthunlocked has a Healthy Eating Forum . I'm male 70 yrs old, and enjoy cooking,

The Foods you eat that become you, can be controlled. RLS can't be very well, right now

Pippins2 profile image
Pippins2

It does not make the slightest bit of difference to my RLS as far as diet is concerned

jimeka profile image
jimeka

I haven,t noticed any difference with food being related to RLS. Caffeine is the only stimulant for me, but even though I have cut it out totally, RLS is still prominent. Jimeka

I havent found anything which makes mine worse either. A healthy diet will of course make us feel better all round.

ookla profile image
ookla

My triggers are breathing and sitting/laying down. Not sure I want to eliminate either one just yet, but some nights it's a close call. ;)

MumofSam profile image
MumofSam

Speaking as someone who was born with the condition and has suffered from it their whole life, diet isn't a factor. I didn't drink alcohol or have caffeine as a child (naturally). For me the trigger has always been stress, and then as I got older PMT would trigger it off too. I could always tell when my period was due as the week beforehand my legs would drive me absolutely crazy every night! As a child I would suffer from RLs during the day as well as night, but thankfully as an adult it's pretty much always just the night time.

It's a difficult condition as no two people seem to be the same.

Abookwriter2 profile image
Abookwriter2

I have read repeatedly that SSRI’s like Wellbutrin and lyrica are the cause of RLS. I used to think I only RLS when I drank too much caffeine (after 2 p.m. that third and unneeded latte). That worked and I didn’t the requip until I have tried going off Wellbutrin and found through extensive reading that most anti-depressants leave you with RLS when you try and stop.

Suddenly my RLS has gotten much worse so from all my reading, Gabapentin seems to be the least damaging. Any comments from users of this medication?

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