RLS for 15 years. Now I avoid dairy and have eliminated RLS/ Periodic Limb Movement

[Cosicat]

Hi there, I'm a 40 year old female from Melbourne in Australia. I have two young children (2yrs and 5yrs) and I have suffered from RLS and Periodic Limb Movement for over 15 years.

I didn't really twig what was happening but as the years passed by it eventually became untenable. I saw my local GP, then a leading RLS and sleep specialist, participated in an overnight sleep study, had multiple iron infusions along with seeing a wide variety of health consultants. I was consistently told to remove alcohol, caffeine and sugar from my diet as they are well known triggers for RLS. Even when I eliminated these three items from my diet I would still suffer from RLS.

I have tried nearly every drug mentioned on this blog and cannot say that any worked for me. From Sifrol, to Gabapentin to Ropinirole to Tramadol and many more. They all made me feel groggy or nauseous or light headed, especially the opiates. I never felt confident driving a car in the morning as I always felt I was not alert enough and it was a danger for my two small children to be in my care.

Last year a lovely masseuse in Avenel, VIC suggested I see a particular practitioner of Chinese medicine. He was very experienced (over 20 years) and had trained in the 2000 year old chinese medicine, not the more modern/recent chinese medicine. On my first appointment he suggested that I eliminate dairy and in particular cheese from my diet. I was devastated as I love dairy, especially cheese and thought I'll do everything else he suggests and ignore this bit.

But then after a month I thought, maybe I will try and see what happens.

I can honestly say that after not eating dairy and in particular cheese I now do not experience RLS or Periodic Limb Movement.

It is so obvious when I have consumed diary that my husband will say after a night's sleep - "you had dairy yesterday didn't you"?

I will wake up ridiculously tired, my legs will feel like logs of concrete and my feet and ankles will have a very strong achey feeling.

The Chinese practitioner explained to me that dairy is hard to digest and as the day progresses the undigested 'dairy' pools in the body, predominantly in the legs. Hence restless legs at the end of the day.

I recognise that removing dairy is a BIG adjustment to any person's diet. It has taken me the best part of a year to get used to no cheese, no yoghurt, no cream. I can tolerate very small amounts of milk in cooking and good ol' fashioned butter but that is about it. Too much of it and the RLS will appear.

Removing dairy may not be the golden ticket for all RLS sufferers but I thought it would be remiss of me to not share this as it has absolutely worked for me.

*(I should also say that drinking alcohol will absolutely give me RLS, as will drinking more than 1 coffee a day, as will eating copious amounts of sugar at night. So these three are still triggers for RLS.)

[Hidden]

Hello! Wow, thank you so much for sharing! Congratulations on getting to the root of your RLS👏 That is so interesting about dairy! I never knew that, but it makes perfect sense.

I love dairy as well; it would be so hard for me to give up.

So, just to clarify. You aren't on any meds. at all? Dairy was your culprit and your RLS disappears when it's eliminated? Fascinating!

[Cosicat in reply to Hidden]

That's right. No medication at all. I don't eat any dairy and now have no RLS. It has been life changing.

[Hidden in reply to Cosicat]

So awesome!!

[Madlegs1]

Great news, and real Respect to you for carrying out the "abandonment of dairy"👍

I'm delighted for you.

The alcohol issue may be the actual alcohol or the sulphites ingredients.

If the alcohol is the issue ( I'm on opiates ,so alcohol in any form is out) you could try alcohol free varieties, some of them have 0.05% ( Erdinger alcohol free) but I find San Miguel 00% is excellent. I love the Erdinger, but can only survive half a bottle.

If it's the sulphites, I haven't done enough research to determine that, but some drinks didn't give me rls, (in the pre opiate days)

All the best. And congrats!!!!💪

[Hidden]

This is great. You've identified THE major trigger for you.

Other triggers will still apply however.

Brave of you to go lactose free.

I've been vegetarian 45 years but never neen tempted to turn vegan.

[martino]

Good for you! On reflection I think I take in very little dairy. I use oat milk and have stopped cheese and spreads of any kind because of pre diabetes. I suppose we are all different.

[Jumpey]

I'm really glad you have worked out what helps you. How long did it take before being dairy free stopped the RLS?x

[Cosicat in reply to Jumpey]

not long at all - maybe a few days, if that.

[Jumpey in reply to Cosicat]

I will give it a go.x

[Minkiowl]

I was off dairy for a year (moral reasons) and didn't see a positive effect on my RLS. That being said, I did get pregnant around that time and so it was pretty bad anyway. I am pretty convinced my 17 month old has it so I will try logging when she seems bad and see what she's eaten that day. I hope it is that simple for her!

[texdeb6989]

This is fascinating. Do you still eat eggs as some people categorize eggs with dairy.

[Cosicat in reply to texdeb6989]

Yes I still eat eggs.

[silkusmaximus]

I've almost cut out all dairy but I still have a small amount of butter. Have you found that even that amount each day would make a difference or do you think it needs to be totally removed?

[Cosicat in reply to silkusmaximus]

Yeah - if I have too much butter then my legs do feel heavy and achey the next day.