Things that trigger and help my RLS

[RestlessStudent]

Hi everyone. I’ve had RLS since I was a baby. Grew up being told it was all in my head.

Triggers: Bananas, antihistamines (allergy meds), cheese is the worst, all dairy, anticholingerics (NyQuil, sleeping pills), melatonin, winter season, room is too hot, small amounts of alcohol, being dehydrated, leg workouts, ropinrole, naps!!, oversleeping, under-sleeping, my period, stress, sleeping with a heavy blanket.. or maybe because I need to kick my legs and restricted with such, diarrhea (maybe bc of dehydration)? I have a sensitive stomach if my poo comes out as liquid or has leftover fat I know my legs will be kicking that night

Help: massaging my feet every night, put legs up against a wall, magnesium, slow release iron two times a day, set sleep schedule, leg stretches every night. Substitute probiotics since I can’t eat yogurt. If my legs feel kicky I’ll massage my calf muscle in a “vibrating motion” loosening the muscle, orgasms, weed, opioids.. being intoxicated on alcohol

I never liked the psychoactive effects of weed but I will admit I slept the best when I did use it and my legs never kicked. I’m going to explore into CBD oil for a better nights sleep as well.

[involuntarydancer]

That’s a great post and corresponds a lot with my own experience except weed doesn’t help me and being intoxicating often sends legs into hyperdrive especially if I have been drinking wine. Spirits are far less bad.

But bananas! That’s a first. There is even a suggestion that rls responds well to increased potassium.

Have you tried solo Adeline or Kratom (not sure if you can access it where you are - it is illegal in some places)?

[Hidden in reply to involuntarydancer]

I think banana is a trigger for me as well. I don't want to believe it as I like them but if I try them I regret it!

I also think ice cream is a trigger. My husband keeps buying them for the freezer and if I spot them I can't resist them but regret that too! I know for both it could be the sugar contents but I think there's more to it than that. I've wondered for ice cream about vanilla as custard is the same which I've always loved.

re cheese which someone mentioned I suspect the same. I used to think it was all cheese, now I'm not so sure. Someone on this site suggested certain cheeses were OK eg I think mature hard cheese. Again I miss it a lot if I avoid it and because I have bad RLS every night it is very hard to work out what is doing what. But some of the above seem to give me these total God awful nights where I get the attacks all night and rarely get as much as 30 mins free and it's still on the go at 7am.

I know I should do an exclusion diet -b ut hunger kicks in and when i'm exhausted or have day time responsibilities I need some energy and i always have something which must be done!

I hope you all have a decent night tonight. Last night for me was dreadful so after taking the car for it's MOT without my wake up coffee I have just had a couple of hours in bed. ...... I did grab some sweets yesterday pm when I needed to babysit a lively 1 year old ......

[TEAH35]

Yep me too .... altho you missed a couple of things that made me suspicious when I was younger. Shaving my legs too often, not shaving my legs often enough, eating pumpkin, being overweight, (which was rare). Altho symptoms doubled in severity while pregnant.

[Madlegs1 in reply to TEAH35]

Sugars,artificial sweeteners,raising agents,msg??

Great to share all our experience.

The sulphites and alcohol in "Alcohol" really do me in.

Found a genuine non-alcoholic beer on holiday- 0.0% San Miguel, which actually tastes like beer. Erdinger alcohol Frei has 0.5%, tastes great but can only take half a pint. Beck taste like P.

BTW- I'm not an alcoholic 🧟

This rls is such an individual thing.

Restless student- it sounds like you may be Celiac or have IBS of some degree- may warrant looking at.

All the best.

[SueJH1963]

I'm curious -- do your parents or grandparents have RLS? If it is genetic, are there still triggers or is it just a given you'll have it? My father had it, I'm sure, as I often saw him restlessly moving his legs especially if he was sitting in bed. I've had it since I was young, so I assumed it was just a given, not something diet or other things could really change.

[SueJH1963 in reply to SueJH1963]

except for medications of course. Kratom, then Ropinole, now Neurotin have all helped at one time or another.

[LotteM]

Reading your post, it strikes me there’s not much space in between those triggers....

Fortunately for me, my legs are not that sensitive.