I was attending a lawn party..I overheard a comment re rls..The comment was to stop dairy for a while and see what happens..so I did and lo and behold my severe RLS abated to the point where I have my night life back..not 100 percent but 1000 times better than before I quit the milk and cheese..and the results were felt after about 3-4 days of no dairy..I just wanted to share in case this could work for you
..btw..this is my very first post
That’s great news. I think a lot of other people have found that too. Unfortunately it makes no difference to me.
It’s nice to hear a success story - long may it last!
Pam
Hi and welcome!
Thanks for sharing this awesome news! Long may it last!
Hi ty for information I will try
Thank you for posting bgtm and a positive post too. I have heard of others who have found that a non dairy diet really does help them. Unfortunately this does not work for all sufferers but it is good that it works for you and that you have your life back. I am sure that you are making the most of it. 
Thank you for sharing your experience! I will give it a try! What do I have to lose? Absolutely nothing!
Welcome, and thanks for that. Long may it last! I'm more and more convinced that it all begins in the gut - the digestive system - the microbiome and absorption or dysregulation of certain nutrients.
Thank you, BGTM. I've been wondering whether a change in diet might help me and, like Gratitude first, what do I have to lose? Pity though, I love all dairy products and they help with the reflux - swings and roundabouts! But I've never had to diet before, so it could be quite a challenge!
RosieRow
Unfortunately it does not work for me, I'm Vegan and haven't eaten any dairy for 9 years. The meds I'm on get me off to sleep but then the RLS can wake me up in the middle of the night for a couple of hours. It's not as bad as it was without my meds but still annoying. Hope this works for others xx
Cutting back on dairy has helped me a great deal - along with a number of other steps that have been recommended on this sight. It is very much trial and error to see what works for you. I don’t know where I would be today without this forum! Thank you to all who post!
There was a point where I would have rather broken my foot by kicking the wall than tolerate RLS anymore. It was hell. Having to get up an hour after i'd gone to bed and then start running and exercising at 3am & have a hot bath because it would buy me a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
For some it's not just Lactose, It's gluten too & other common foods which are known to cause reactions. Most people with SIBO have multiple food sensitivities. An estimated 70% of people with RLS have SIBO. When you have SIBO because your good gut flora is impaired not only are they not able to keep the balance right in the gut anymore but the bad bacterial are able to thrive on the not fully digested foods.. This is caused by either Antibiotic use or a poor diet. These bad bacteria initially just cause a little discomfort here & there which usually gets passed off as IBS but as the bad bacteria grow they crowd out the good & weaken the protective layer in the gut (gut permeability). This then allows those common allergens to pass through where the immune system attacks because in the blood these are invaders to the body. This causes inflammation & irritation of the nervous system/nerves going to the legs.
Just 1 course of Antibiotics can wipe out entire colonies of good bacteria in the gut.
I'm on a Plant based diet.. I haven't had RLS now for a few years. I don't consume dairy or gluten & there are a few other things which cause a reaction like mushrooms & the lectins in tomatoes. I'm rebuilding my gut flora with fermented foods and finding I can now eat some of the things which caused issues before.
Just removing food groups only stops those known culprits from entering your body which brings relief but it doesn't solve the problem. You have to repopulate the gut flora once the SIBO have been starved in order to eat those foods without issue again.
Thanks for your post. A Whole Food Plant Based eating plan has improved my RLS markedly. However I have suspected tomatoes cause flare-ups. I will see what happens without them. Yes the microbiome needs to be changed and fed. At nutrition facts there are 17 short videos explaining, from the latest research, how to do this. Here is link:
nutritionfacts.org/topics/m...
I can get away with tomatoes for a few meals and then I get signs of irritation so I tend to not repeatedly eat tomatoes multiple days in a row. You can get around this if you remove the skins & seeds but sauces you buy in a Jar are usually made from the whole blended tomato. Plum Tomatoes are a better choice because they come peeled.
Dr Greger is the Boss.. Anybody in doubt check out the reviews of his book "How not to die" on Amazon.
Hello..
Your letter is one of the most helpful that I've read in a long time.
I'm a believer.. like Michael Moseley says..keep gut healthy and your body should be healthy.
I've got low ferritin docs have discovered..but iron supplements aren't good if there's an underlying cause.
I've often thought I take too much dairy..or it could be gluten..but the gut theory..and leaky gut seems the most feasible.. causing inflammation in the body..so in effect..any ordinary food can kick it off.. sugary stuff.. chocolate etc.
I'm a female over 50 and during my lifetime have had many antibiotics..but I'm aware that I need probiotics..so I take this as.. Yeo bio natural yogurt.. Kefir..and sauerkraut..as much as I can.
I've read half of Michael Moseley s book about gut health and apparently there's hundreds of good bacteria to help us if we can source them.
I think the western world probably has the worst gut health.
I've even had an autoimmune disease for ten years..in came from nowhere....
It's ITP..
Docs can't cure this either..
No amount of supplements have helped me apart from magnesium oil and taking some gentle iron.. just in case that helps.
Some nights are worse than others so I guess I should keep a food diary to try to pinpoint..
Anyway.. you've brightened my morning by reading your comments.
Thank you.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WORTH THE TRY
Possibly because lactose is a sugar. I've eliminated my rls by avoiding sugar and sweetened foods although I do consume a little milk. I agree with DicCarlson in the microbiome theory. Maybe you have a bacterium which feeds specifically on the lactose, and releases neurotransmitters that cause the rls.
E202 artificial preservative also sets me off so I avoid that as well.
RLS and Dairy
What's worked for me
DVT Socks Worked for Me
I have found that going Dairy Free helps my RLS meds work effectively
It worked!
