It's become apparent RLS for me peaks in the summer. I have weeks when I barely sleep at all no matter what I do. Things that might help relief symptoms, don't. I'm up and down all night and miserable.
As a rule some remedies might be helpful for a while and then I find the effectiveness wears down. I've tried magnesium lotions/oils/supplements, taurine, Restful Legs from Hyland, and on and on.
I'm thinking of trying CBD oil. Some folks say they've had great results, and of course, others say don't bother.
I'd appreciate any input. It would be wonderful to actually go to bed tired and go to sleep
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LJWholley
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LJ, is the heat in summer keeping you from sleeping? I turn on the air conditioning an hour before I go to bed (then I turn it off when I come to bed because I don't like the noise). But I find I sleep much better in a cool room.
IV had very bad restless legs for 3-4 months now.. mostly summer..
I am getting worn down by it as I have 3 jobs to do as well.. physical ones..
Like yourself .. tried practically everything..
Lots amino acids..aloha lipoic acid..l-tyrosine..theanine.. magnesium..plus oil for legs..iron tablets from boots..bit Different.. plus few other vitamins..b complex and omega 3 oil..
I drink milk before bed..or maybe bowl of porridge..
Up several times in the night..it's dreadful.
Went docs who just gave me pramozole..?
I just didn't take it after reading side effects..
I wanted to get to cause of problem..
After about 2 months saw another doctor who arranged blood test results of which were low ferritin levels..(my stored iron or lack of it ) which affects the brain..
I think it's causing low dopamine levels..
So I started to take these ferrous gluconate tablets I was prescribed..
But horrendous stomach cramps next day.. felt ill..so had to go bed for couple of hours in daytime.
It was a good job I only too half the dose of ferrous gluconate (300 mg... instead of the prescribed 600 mg.!!)
At least I know it's low ferritin levels which are causing restless legs..
So my plan is..ask doctor for ferric tablets instead..less side effects..or cut the original ferrous gluconate tablets in half effectively having 1/4 dose each day..or eat more liver and red meat.. which I hardly ever do...foods that contain loads of iron.
As one gets older..iron levels drop I believe.
I also bought serotonin tablets and cannabis oil tablets ..IV spent a fortune..
Swap your iron supplement for Ferrous Bis-Glycinate - a non-constipating version that readily crosses the blood/brain barrier. Iron and dopamine dysregulation in the BRAIN is frequently cited as a leading cause of RLS. Ferrous Bis-Glycinate is also available as a transdermal patch from PatchMD. albionferrochel.com/
Very good advice from DicCarlson. And take it only once a day - otherwise the body’s reaction prevents it from being absorbed. If you still het constipated, onve every teo days works almost as well as once a day. Empty stomach is best, e.g. before bed.
The most recent advice is that your chances of success by increasing ferritin level might require you to reach about 300 to 350 The best way to do this is to get an iron infusion. Not everyone responds to an infusion. Oral medicine may never get you that high and it is very slow anyway. If ferritin is going to make the RLS go away then the quicker the better. You might have to wait 12 weeks to feel the benefit of an iron infusion.
In Australia this is probably available bulk-billed. (Free to the user)
I have finally given in to taking a medication Gabapentin. The good thing about this medication is how sleepy it makes me and it also calms my legs. I don't get RLS in the day so I just take 200mg at night. This is a low dose but it seems this is all I need and although I get the restlessness once in the night - a hot bath is all I need and the rest of the night is OK. Prior to taking Gabapentin I would get up 3 times a night with really bad RLS. I used to get insomnia before taking Gabapentin and now I sleep well. It has very few side effects and does not cause augmentation like the dopamine agonists. I am hoping to be a able to take this in a low dose and continue with the benefit. I have taken CBDa oil and it is great for general health but I think for sleep it didn't work for me but then it was raw and this is totally different to the CBD oil which has been decarboxylated and has a different effect. Problem with CBD oil is there are so many varieties and doses and for some people a little THC is really important to help them to sleep. This can be illegal depending where you live. It is trial and error.
The reason that you may have more problems sleeping during the summer is "light". Our body has various circadian rhythms, biological clocks that cycle about (circa) a day (dian). They include variations in various hormones and neurotransmitters ( e.g. noradrenaline = norepinephrine, cortisone, growth hormone, dopamine, serotonin ), muscle tone and SLEEP. They are usually synchronised, e.g. noradrenaline is highest at times when we're awake and growth hormone when we're asleep. Sometimes they can become de-synchronised e.g. "jet lag" and some forms of depression. What regulates these cycles is the light-dark cycle , we tend to sleep at night and wake during the day. As you know night is longer in winter and shorter in summer. This has a significant impact on us. Some people suffer from depression in winter (SADS = Seasonal Affective Disorder) and RLS is sometimes classified as a sleep disorder associated with sleep regulating neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin).
RLS has various causes, one such being low iron levels. I have Idioipathic RLS (no known cause) and my iron levels are always OK despite being vegetarian. I guess if your iron levels are low, they may be low all year round. All the remedies mentioned here are sleep remedies which may work on anyone who doesn't have a sleep disorder, but not so much on someone who does. No harm in trying the lavender oil etc, but obviously not that effective. I call this the "grasping at straws syndrome", for some the same for cancer, you try anything and everything that might possibly help.
The answer may be - light. If you're a night shift worker, a miner or flight crew I suggest you find a day job (or jobs)on the ground.
The best bet might be to modify the light levels you're exposed to and at what times during a 24 hour circle, E.g. SADS is treated with using a "daylight" lamp for at least an hour between 10am and noon.
The circadian cycles are literally affected by the amount of light that enters our eyes. Amongst other things this sends nerve impulses to our pineal gland (some call this the third eye), which then releases a regulatory hormone. I've never read anywhere about this, but you may like to try such things as getting blackout curtains, wearing sunglasses at some times of the day, reduce artificial light levels (you usually only use artificial lighting when otherwise it would be dark. e.g. not just at night, but in places where there is little or no natural light, a mine, a warehouse etc.).
Of course it might help if you did take some medication. I have taken Pramipexole (Mirapex) for years, it isn't ideal and it does have side effects but on the whole I'd say my quality of life has been better with it than it would have been without it. It's a compromise, you can't expect a perfect solution. I've recently also started Gabapentin for nerve pain and noted an effect on my RLS. Also as a last resort and infrequently I take Clonazepam, for a month only as it's highly addictive and quickly loses effectiveness.
But I suggest experimenting with modifying the amount of light you're exposed to.
Let us know if that helps
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Hi! I find you're replies informative and helpful, so thank you!
On a similar subject: have you read "The Sleep Solution" by W. Christ Winters, MD? It's a fascinating read!
I use about 10 drops of 500 mg CBD oil. I don't think it helps my restless legs but it does calm my mind before bed. For the rls, I take iron, magnesium citrate, and potassium citrate supplements. Good luck!
I refuse to take meds that have 45 million side effects, fortunately natural remedies work, what hacked me off told doc i gave in and decided to tell doc ill take a med for rls, she said no just take 800 mgs magnesium, i do that daily, essential oil lady made me bottle of massage oil then added circulation minerals,, mercy, i found immediate relief, then and now i use apple cider vinegar just put on paper towel rub it on arms/legs it doesnt smell. Old time remedy take any bar of soap and rub it on legs/arms.if meds work and the natural ones work they open blood vessels up so o2 can flow thru and that stops rls. I hope thiss can help.
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Tips for a new UK sufferer
27 year old suffering with RLS 
Trying to pin down what causes it
I'm so miserable!!
Eight days into withdrawal
