RLS in the lower back

[Blues1234]

Hi all, I've researched RLS many times but I don't suffer from it- I get the same sensation but in my lower back.

It's not sciatica, not as painful by any means, but the irritating dull restlessness similar to RLS and has been a contributing factor to my insomnia for as long as I remember (more than 20 years). Has anyone ever heard of it in the back? I try to take iron tablets but want to know if anyone has any other tips or knows anyone doing research. I can't find much research on it specifically.

My daughter is almost 2 and my partner has noticed that she does similar things in her sleep to me, which is making us suspect she has the same thing, so obviously has fuelled my desire for (non-medical preferably) advice.

[nightdancer]

You will not find research on RLS in the back. You may find mentions of it, here and there. RLS can actually happen anywhere. A much better name would be Restless Body Syndrome. When mine is bad, i can feel it in my back and hips, and in the legs and arms. But, don't wear yourself out looking for RLS research on the back, it is not there.

[Cantstopwontstop]

I too have it starting in my L5 S1 area. I have RLS terribly bad. For me it started in my legs 10 years ago and then when I started to augment from Mirapex two years ago it moved to my back and arms. It feels like a cattle prod touching my back. It sucks. If I don’t medicate I’ll get pain sensation every 15-30 seconds once sleep pressure hits and I am trying to sleep. I feel for you.

[Eryl]

Yes, it can appear in other parts of the body. I had it in my chest. One day it got so bad that I thought that I was having a heart attack. The hospital ran tests, and said that it wasn't a heart attack, but couldn't explain it. I found that a double dose of magnesium kept it at bay, but made no difference to the rls In my legs and arms. I have since found that my rls was due to my consumption of sugar. Since I have avoided sugar I have not had rls. After 6 months of being relatively free of rls I stopped taking magnesium as a trial, and the feeling did not return. You should try it. You've got nothing to lose except maybe a few inches off your waistline.

[Blues1234 in reply to Eryl]

Thanks for that, I’ll explore that option!

[Eryl in reply to Blues1234]

Remember that you have to consider sugar from all sources. Cakes, biscuits, drinks etc. Also vitamin b12 supplements may help as B12 has anti inflammatory properties and will counteract some of the inflammatory effect of the sugar.

[rls_optimist in reply to Eryl]

Hi, Eryl, I'm so glad this has worked for you. I also have seen real benefit from reducing my sugar intake. Do you also reduce your intake of other refined or simple carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, etc.? I believe that non-whole-grain carbs get quickly metabolized into sugar in the body.

[Eryl in reply to rls_optimist]

I do restrict bread. That was originally to reduce my gluten intake and I have seen some benefit bowel wise. I have not found it necessary to reduce it further or cut it out completely. I very rarely eat pasta these days though. I don't find rice or potatoes to be a problem except when they're fried. As a diabetic would tell you, chips have a high glycemic index. I do miss chutneys with my curries and cold meats as I find the high sugar content a problem with most.

Other than that I find that sorbate food preservative is also a trigger, though I am slightly less sensitive to it since I gave up sugar.

[RuthCrick in reply to Eryl]

This is great to hear, I get RLS in my lower back but usually only during my holiday times, which is when my sugar and alcohol intake increase! Thought there must be some correlation but couldn’t find any info, thought it was the alcohol but probably alcohol and chocolate 😢

[Eryl in reply to RuthCrick]

Yes, alcohol and sugar have the same effects on the liver and blood sugar apart from that only alcohol can be metabolised by the brain.