I've reported, that intermittend fasting improved my RLS but christmas threw me out of it and I couldn't get back into anymore. My RLS is so bad that I have to eat to calm it down, my brain is screaming like a baby and I can't manage to overcome it. It's like the craving for a drug. But when I eat I break my intermittend fasting, it's a vicious circle.
I experience the following:
1) if I have an RLS attack eating would calm it, maybe because food is producing dopamin/serotonin in my brain
2) If I overcome this urge to eat, the RLS stops, maybe because it doesn't get energy from food
So food seems to be like a drug to my brain and RLS a symptom of withdrawal. But I've often experience the opposite as well: I get an RLS attack when I eat because I was hungry.
And I even wake up in the middle of the night and must eat something or I can't sleep anymore.
So food is like a drug: I feel bad when I take it but I feel also bad if I don't take it.
But food isn't the only problem that has connections to my RLS. When I become tired RLS starts as well. It is spooky that Pramipexol does wonders to my body. I took Restex prolong and it calmed my legs but I couldn't sleep. After being awake for about 40 hours I felt so bad that I took 1 Pramipexol 0,35 and it beamed me away. 30 minutes after I ingested it I went to bed and slept for 13 hours.
RLS, Pramipexole & Vine Extract
Pramipexole and connection of RLS to Parkinsons
Treatment of RLS with Pramipexole 
RLS - pramipexole vs Wrap
Transitioning off Pramipexole for RLS
Hi, thanks for sharing this.
Interesting to hear of your relationship between food and RLS.
If you eat something you find particularly enjoyable then I guess it could boost your dopamine levels, but I imagine this is a psychological rather than a physical phemomenon.
There doesn't seem to be any consistent connection between your fasting, eating and your RLS.
It might be a particular foid, or class of foids that you're not eating or eating that might be the connection i.e.triggers.
Finding out more about dietary factors in RLS might be useful for you.
Great that you're finding pramipexole wonderful.
If your RLS is intermittent, then it might be best if you only take it when you need it. This might be difficult however.
One reason for this is because if you take it one night and not the next, then you may suffer "rebound".
The other is that, although I'm only guessing based on the dose you mention, but it sounds as if you're taking extended release pramipexole, not the immediate release. This might or might not help.
Although the dose suggest the ER version, the speed at which it worked suggests it isn't.
The other thing about pramipexole is that if you take it regularly, then it's recommended to keep the dose low. If you're taking the immediate release version, the dose you mention is probably too high.
In this case it may be better to take less, say no more than 0.25mg, which might mean you sleep less and it works but pethaps not quite so wonderfully.
" OK" in the longer term is better as a compromise against it being wonderful in the short term followed by failure in the longer term.
I hope you find an acceptable balance.
I wonder whether you fast simply because of RLS, or if you're trying to lose weight or for some other reason?
>>If you eat something you find particularly enjoyable then I guess it could boost your dopamine levels, but I imagine this is a psychological rather than a physical phemomenon.<<
Maybe it's partly a psychological thing but i.e. chocolate is known for releasing endorphines, opiates, etc. in the brain. I don't like sweets and chocolate but I am a carbohydrate junkie. Carbohydrates increase the Tryptophane level in the brain and this amino acid turns into serotonine.
I don't suffer rebound by pramipexol and I don't take the ER version as it isn't allowed for RLS in Germany, unfortunately. The dose of 0,35 mg Pramipexol is very low as I've had 1,05 mg ER plus 0,35 mg as supplement if needed, but since I moved I have new doctors and they don't prescribe the ER version.
I try to avoid taking Pramipexol so I can take it in emergency cases because if I take it regularly it stops working and then I don't have anything that lets me sleep.
I started intermittend fasting cause a friend of mine recommended it as cure for many illnesses and we RLS patients are out of any other options, but not to lose weight.
Apologies for any misunderstandings.
You seem to have taken exception to my attempts to offer some help.
Nothing I wrote was intended as judgment or criticism merely matter of fact observations and explanations based on what you wrote.
Just a couple of points which you may find helpful.
Tryptophan, serotonin and other neurotransmitters are made from amino acids, but these come from protein, NOT carbohydrate. Thrre are no amino acids in carbohydrates.
0.35mg of pramipexole is above the ideal maximum dose of 0.25mg and raises your risk of suffering augmentation.
I didn't take it as critism what you've wrote but as very precious tipps! <3
Concerning carbohydrates read this: "Consuming tryptophan or a carbohydrate-rich, protein-poor meal increases brain levels of tryptophan and serotonin." ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/640...
This is interesting as I am not a big fan of proteins like meat or eggs. My favourite dish is spagetti with tomatoe sauce and both have high amounts of tryptophane/tryptamine.
Thanks for the link. Tryptophan is in fact an amino acid but I can see that your quote is correct. The connection between carbohydrates and tryptopahn is insioin. It's a little more complicated than I tnought.