My current thinking about my RLS is that it is caused by heightened internal body temperature in the evening. I think drinking large amounts of cold water and taking my socks and trousers off often helps cool me down and get rid of my RLS. Recently I have stopped eating after 4pm. This seams to have also stopped me getting too hot in the evening and my RLS seems much less frequent. This is all uneducated theory on my part but was wondering if there could be a link between evening eating, internal body temperature and RLS and if anyone else has found the same?
thanks
Andy
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therockinghorse
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I find that some times holding my feet in really cold water helps...a bit.
The eating one is interesting, although I tend to be quite nauseous early in the day and eat at night so I'd get very little if I stopped eating after 4pm. In saying that would be an interesting one to try.
Yes not ideal if big early meals don't go down too well. If my RLS is linked to my internal body temperature then I wonder if more energy from an evening meal is turned into heat than meals earlier in the day due to less energy expenditure in the evening.
Yeah people just don't understand how debilitating it is. I have also ME and chronic back pain and if I had a choice to get rid of one it would be the RLS every time.
I notice that I sleep much better on cold nights - there definitely is a connection between RLS and body temperature, at least with some of us. For me, staying cool helps the RLS but doesn't eliminate it.
I have a hot water bottle on my legs for a bit then have to stick them out of the covers, window open so its cold.
I have been wondering about trying to wear shorts of an eve/daytime (in uk, so not exactly warm weather to try this) as i noticed on days i wore shorts my rls pain was less. ive already been aching since 8am this morning.
When I have it, as I do now, Chamomile tea seems to help....Its calming. I've found no connection to eating, but for me eating late is not a good thing regardless.
So glad you brought this up because I usually just hear how hot baths, warm compresses or hot water bottles make RLS feel better, however, I always felt heat made me much worse. I no longer wear long night pants for bed , it doesn't solve the problem but makes me feel a bit more comfortable. I never brought it up because I thought it was one more crazy thought with this RLS. I have to try the cold drinks at night, I live in very hot weather so the cold drinks will be welcomed, dinner at 4 is too early, we eat at 5, my husband is diabetic and that's his schedule, but I think 5 is early enough. Thanks for bringing up the cold relief. We're already thought of as crazy people when we try to explain it, so sometimes it's better to keep reserved, thank goodness for this web where we can express anything we feel crazy as it may sound.
Whether you prefer heat or cold (or i should say your RLS) is an individual thing. Some find cold is better to help with their RLS and some find heat is better. I can sit in a bath of very hot water and find it gives me relief when my RLS plays up. BUT, when i go to bed its cold all the way, i very rarely wear pj's, its usually a chemise, my bedroom is cold no heating even in the winter. i have my legs and feet out of the covers and a fan blowing all night. But i know people who use a hot water bottle and socks at night as they find heat helps them.
Letting my legs and feet get cold would sent my legs crazy! So I am the opposite to you,I have to wear woolly socks even in cold weather ,even wearing a skirt rather than fleecy trousers is enough to set my legs off.It is an individual thing I know literally hundreds of sufferers who have to keep body warm and hundreds who prefer the cold
I definitely find if my legs are hot it makes my RLS worse. I don't think being cold has the same effect. Also I've realised that pyjama bottoms can aggravate my legs as they can feel restricting. I took mine off in the early hours of this morning and the relief was palpable. As well as being restricting they must raise the temperature too.
I've been on requip for 10 yrs for PD - but I had RLS before that. Requip helps with both, but now I am reducing gradually . EXPERIENCING BAD SIDE EFFECTS. Hot Baths before bed time really help. During the day, I just STAY on my feet.
Wow! I get very hot in the evening and did not even connect the two. Interesting! I had read that RLS can be worse if your feet are hot but not the rest of the body. Also I admit that I do not drink enough water as I am so busy working all day that I don't even think about it. Hmm, time to test the theory I think!
Interesting comment because I suffer from thermogenesis! I get hot after eating and have a high metabolic rate apparently. I have found that I like my feet cool in bed and it helps my RLS just a little.
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