hot tubs

[emm50]

has anyone found hot tubs/jacuzzis help rls?

[Parminter]

Hello Emm.

Yes, I find that a hot bath helps, but only temporarily. I have an old bathtub long enough that I can do stretching exercises in it, and massage my legs with one of those rollers with bumps.

It would be best to put lots, I mean lots, of Epsom salts into the bath to help the muscles relax, And in order for the body to absorb the magnesium, you must slosh around for at least twenty minutes, massaging a lot of the time.

Then more stretches when you emerge,

I have no jacuzzi, but during the hot season when I swim, I put my legs as close as I can to the entry jet, which pounds the muscles very thoroughly indeed. It is blissful and painful.

The take-home from this is that both heat and cold, and pressure, all help. The nerves cannot cope with too many messages at once, and you can displace the misery with other inputs.

[Eryl]

I think most people would tell you that any relief is only temporary. Like the sensation just masks the rls until the body acclimatizes to the warmth. The same with cold. the relief only tends to last for a few moments.

[Goldy700]

I am trying to treat my RLS the natural way - I read about augmentation and I am scared and am not going to take dopamine agonists. However I have been taking 200mg of gabapentin which is only a small amount but it helps me to sleep. I still get RLS which I am treating with a hot bath when I get it. It calms my legs long enough to get to sleep. I keep my diet very healthy, no sugar, lots of salads, gluten free. It seems to be keeping things manageable. Yes a hot bath or shower is now an absolute necessity for me every night.

[Hidden]

Definitely! The warmth coupled with the pounding of the jets feels so good! I wish I had my own!

[LanaCSR]

Yesssss, our jacuzzi/hot tub DEFINITELY helps! But, unfortunately, as others have said, it is temporary. It only helps for the period of time you are in the hot tub. As soon as you get in, the RLS symptoms go away...but as soon as you get out, the symptoms come right back within a matter of 5 to 10 mins, in my experience.

[Goldy700]

Actually Bodziu - I really believe in a health diet and lifestyle. I am nearly 70 and run, walk everyday. I look a lot younger than I am and feel great except for RLS. My brother has always been into junk and beer and has manifested the entire cacophony of bad genes in our family, - arthritis, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, glaucoma and cholesterol - non of which I have. However when it comes to RLS I am with you - it is resistant to just a healthy lifestyle and I am attempting to keep the drugs I take low and not gradually increase. I am actually back to only 100mg of Gabapentin as I notice it is causing me to put on weight even at 200mg. If I can manage to go off it or keep it low I will be very happy.

[auntiesioux]

Yup and it does help for a short while at the worst and all night at the best. Sometimes I need to take several showers during the night. It is exhausting but gives some relief and I am awake anyhow. Sioux (auntiesioux)