Has there been any data on what effects living in a warm weather climate has on RLS? My husband has Myasthenia Gravis and while we were visiting relatives in AZ, he felt so much better. Because of that, we are going to become Snowbirds: Winter in AZ and Summer in WA. But just dawned on us, will this be better for me, also, or worse, or no difference?
Thank you for any information you can give me!!!
Tori
I could not say I have ever found my symptoms improved or exacerbated by weather conditions ... I like the sound of Snowbirds though.
Yes, warm dry weather does sound wonderful. I have a lot of arthritic issues, so living in snowy, wet climates make me feel miserable! I know I will feel better in that respect, but just wondered if I could get relief from RLS as a bonus. One could wish........
Not Sure. I have Multiple sclerosis as well as RLS and warm dry or cold dry weather is really good for MS. Humid or wet weather is really bad for the MS.
The weather doesn't seem to make any difference to my RLS but I think everyone is affected differently. Give it a try and see how it goes. I presume AZ is Arizona in the USA? I'm envious- it looks beautiful.
Jools
I am so sorry to hear of your MS. My daughter-in-law has it and I pray for a divine healing for her daily! My mother-in-law had it.... not something I'd wish on anyone! I have a feeling that my son and daughter-in-law will eventually follow us to Arizona due to her health issues.... and 'yes', it is beautiful there. As far as the RLS goes, can't hurt, hopefully.
Thanx for your quick reply!
tori
I live in Green Valley and moved here from beautiful Oregon and trust me my RLS is 100 times worse. But if you want to try it I have my home up for rent for next winter. We want to go to Texas for three months.
My RLS is always bad when I am tired. The only thing I have found that helps (apart from going to the doc which I prefer not to do) is a glass of tonic water, must be to o with the quinine.
Hey, worth a try. My husband has used it in the past for his leg cramps. He uses turmeric now... works like a charm. I have literally adopted every non-prescription suggestion this site has suggested. I will add tonic water to my new found arsenal. I have also started using RESTAVIN and so far so good. I can't help but think that all of this 'natural' stuff is a step in the right direction, for me anyway..... crossing my fingers as I go along.
Tori
Hi Sylvs and Aqua, my understanding of quinine is that it is in the quinolone family of substances. And some members of that group are literally dopamine agonists used by scientists when trying to evoke the release of dopamine from the brains of rats. The same is true for a sufficient quantity of potassium. It will tend to evoke a release of dopamine. As far as I can tell it poops out after a bit unless you keep upping the dose, just like any good DA. How many stories have we heard of people eating a banana or two a night and it helping their RLS and then suddenly not. I truly believe it was NOT the placebo effect but rather the fact that they now needed to ingest more potassium in order to get the same level of relief. So while it is a great emergency med I don't know that I would take it the way I do a supplement. Quinine may also have some other healthful benefits including being anti-microbial in nature.
I mean quinoline family. And it does appear to be a "partial" D2 agonist. Hopefully quinine won't down-regulate your receptors the way DAs do. Help in the short run, hurt in the long run? Stick with the ferrous bisglycinate at night on an empty stomach.
I'm from Arizona. When I have loved in colder states, it was much worse. Even in palm springs my rls gets better. Not sure if its weather or moisture but it makes a difference for me for sure.
I have dificulty sleeping in hot weather. I often sleep without a duvet on the bed, and use a Summer weight one most of the year. This never affects my rls.
What I think may be happening is that your diet varies with the weather, and that in cold weather you tend to eat sweeter foods, or more carbohydrates, both of which will raise the level of blood sugar. This I believe is the cause of the itchy feeling in the joints which most of us have. This is I believe due to the sugar causing inflammation in the membranes.
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