Advanced RLS, and suger

[acourtney98]

I was diagnosed with RLS 4 years ago. I take 2 Ropinerol at night. It helps, but now it is affecting me in the daytime. My neurologist wants to put me on a patch in place of the Ropinerol. The pharmacy called me and told me the cost would be $400/month. I can't afford that. I have found that the day after I binge on sugar it is much worse. Any thoughts?

[Madlegs1]

The course of action advocated by the neurologist is in line with established practice.

The cost is unfortunate and I don't know if rhere is a viable cheaper alternative.

Sugar is definitely a major trigger for rls. Just as many many other ingredients are.

I find raising agents in biscuits (cookies to you) are dynamite. Also high salt.

Antihistamines and SSIs ( Amitryptoline especially ) are also bad.

Keeping a food diary can be helpful.

The fact you only got the rls 4 yrs ago indicates a trigger source.

Are you low in iron? Worth getting a serum ferritin check. -- should be about 100 or slightly above to be good.

Cheers.

[acourtney98 in reply to Madlegs1]

Actually my RLS was diagnosed closer to 7 years ago. I have done more research and have found that the severe pain I have been having in the morning is rebound caused by the loss of Ropinirol in my blood. It's like RLS on steroids. It affects my entire body. I feel as if I need to stretch my entire body to the point of arching my back and pointing my toes. Thank God it's over by 9 a.m. or close to then. Interestingly, I have several mutations affecting the uptake of dopamine. I had my DNA analyzed by Promethease. I worked in molecular biology for 20 years, so I learned a great deal from that report, plus all the computer research I did with the information I got.

[Erilayco]

Mine is always much much worse after eating sugar. If I eat ice cream it's terrible and today I had blueberries and some watermelon and that triggered it some. So any sugar is bad for me, natural and definitely processed sugars

[ironbrain]

My intake of refined sucrose is very low nowadays, but I find that if eat a lot of naturally sweet food my RLS is certainly not helped. Conversely, if I eat a lot of "slow burn" carbohydrate, oats for example, then I can manage with a little less ropinirole.

Just looking at web information on the subject, I've just found:

"A low protein-high carbohydrate diet decreases D2 dopamine receptor density in rat brain."

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/134...

I wonder, and have wondered in the past, whether my vegetarian/vegan inclinations in my mid to late thirties into my forties isn't at least a contributory factor to my problem.

[Madlegs1 in reply to ironbrain]

Fascinating - thanks.