Hi all: I've been reading your posts for the last couple of months and I've appreciated some of the good ideas for dealing with rls. So, I thought I'd share what's been fairly reliable for me. I'm 36 and have had rls for as long as I can remember. My case is not severe enough for me to try prescription meds but lately it's started bothering me at bedtime instead of a few hours earlier when watching tv. Because of the sleep disruption, I've been prompted to find new ways to deal with it. I now take 1000 mg of Potassium Citrate (about 1 teaspoon powder)....this gets my potassium intake up to 3000-3500 mg most days....the rda is 4700 but it's dangerous to take too much so I'm careful. I also take Magnesium Citrate and rub magnesium oil on my legs at night. I use a CBD oil tincture. (I don't think the CBD oil helps restless legs but I do think it calms my mind before bed.) Lastly, I take 18mg of iron every other day or when I know my intake is light on any day. Two other non-diet related things to try: If my legs are bothering me when I lay down in bed, I flip on to my stomach and bend my legs up underneath me...essentially (mildly) cutting off their circulation. (I do put two pillows underneath my stomach to support my back.) I sit like this for 20 minutes and read (or until I can't take it anymore) and then try to sleep. This generally works because I think it forces the blood to move with more speed down to my legs once I unravel. I think poor circulation is part of rls somehow so this makes sense. And, finally, I've ordered this: footbeat.com/health
I think it will help with circulation and some of the reviews mention it has helped with rls. They're on backorder so I won't receive my pair until August. I'll update after I've used them a few weeks.
Good luck everyone!
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Syvxdhkoy
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Sounds all good. The main thing is ,if it works for you, great.
Have you any thoughts as to why it's got worse recently? Or do you think it might be a matter of old age or body slowing down- even though you are only a youngster. How is your blood pressure and venous system, generally?
Thanks for sharing. It's great when people share information. That's how we all progress.
I'm not sure, Madlegs. I would probably guess just getting older is why they've become more bothersome. My mom has rls but hers doesn't affect her sleep, just the last few hours before bedtime. I've probably increased my level of activity a little bit. I like to run, hike, etc. and have always done one of these at least 5 days a week. I eat generally healthy and maintain a normal bodyweight. My blood pressure tests have always been normal. I do have sugar binges occasionally and drink a glass of wine a few times a week but have never noticed this affecting the intensity of the rls. As many people on here have said, it seems random. I can do everything the same 2 days in a row but have symptoms one night and not the next. I seem to have circulation issues because my feet and hands are always cold and I get plantar fasciitis pain almost immediately if I don't stretch my feet every single day. One reason I keep coming back to blood circulation being related to rls, (even though I have no idea if this true) is that I never have symptoms during the day except when I sit in this one particular chair. Something about the angle at which my legs rest in that chair seems to cause the symptoms or so I'm guessing. Very strange.
Thanks for that Syvxdhkoy. I do the legs under stomach thing too sometimes. Another circulation type remedy I find helpful is elevating the legs against a wall - ie lying on back, backside as close to wall as possible and propping legs up on the wall. I also find a variety of leg stretches helpful which again I suspect relates to circulation as the blood seems to flow more readily after stretching. I also sometimes spend time massaging cream into the legs which again can be soothing - thought not always reliably effective against symptoms. Finally, sometimes I find a cup of tea or coffee in the middle of the night has a very positive impact on the urge-to-move. I know it seems counter-intuitive but there is an interaction between caffeine and the adenosine system (which has been implicated in RLS recently) and I suspect this accounts for it.
Very interesting about the tea or coffee during the night. I'll definitely try that. Thanks! Now that I think about it, sometimes I wake up really early (not due to rls) and have coffee in bed. Then I fall back asleep for an hour or so and that'll be the most peaceful sleep. Maybe you're on to something! I've never tried elevating the legs in that manner either.....so nice to have options for remedies. Thanks again!
Yes, very similar to baby pose. Sorry, I should've said that. But I don't lean all the way down to the ground like baby pose. I want as much of my weight to be on my legs so their circulation is restricted. So, I put two pillows under my chest and lean forward on them... also so i can read while I wait until it feels like my legs are going numb.
You're welcome! I ordered the Footbeat Health recovery kit. I think there's also a Sport recovery kit but that's more for people who need to recover from running marathons, etc. I was only willing to purchase it because there's a 30-day money back guarantee. I should be able to tell if it's working within that time frame. I'll definitely post an update!
Thank you for all this info. Please post again about your experience with footbeats - they’re expensive, but if they help significantly it would be worth it!
Yes, very similar to baby pose. Sorry, I should've said that. But I don't lean all the way down to the ground like baby pose. I want as much of my weight to be on my legs so their circulation is restricted. So, I put two pillows under my chest and lean forward on them... also so i can read while I wait until it feels like my legs are going numb.
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I ordered the Footbeat Health recovery kit. I think there's also a Sport recovery kit but that's more for people who need to recover from running marathons, etc. I was only willing to purchase it because there's a 30-day money back guarantee. I should be able to tell if it's working within that time frame. I'll definitely post an update!
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