hi could anyone advise on natural remedies that have worked for their restless legs syndrome

[poppppy]

Hi friend of mine has rls but would like to try dietary adjustments or natural remedies that provide relief first . Oh and also sorry what blood deficiencies that can exacerbate it would be helpful thankyou . Any suggestions greatly appreciated . Thank you .

[Hidden]

Hi

The main deficiency that leads to RLS is not a blood deficiency, it's a brain deficiency and it's iron. Brain iron deficiency (BID) if treated can reduce the symptoms of RLS.

Treating BID is a bit complicated and really it needs some blood tests.

The blood tests are tests for serum iron, transferrin and ferritin.

Ferritin is the most significant as it correlates with brain iron levels.

If a blood test for ferritin gives a result of less than 75ug/L then BID can be treated by taking an oral iron supplement. Eating iron rich foods can also help. This will raise the ferritin level and the target is 100ug/L, at which point 50% of people with RLS will get some relief.

If ferritin is more than 75ug/L then it's not as easy to raisr it by taking oral iron, it will need medical intervention. i.e. an Intravenous iron infusion.

Anybody can try taking oral iron anyway as most people's ferritin is below 75ug/L.

"Gentle iron" (ferrous bisglycinate) is popular and it's best to take twice the recommended dose, but take it every TWO days not daily. Taken on an empty stomach with a glass of orange or a vitamin C tablet

Strange as this seems.more iron is absorbed this way, otherwise around 98% of it is wasted.

Other deficiencies which can affect RLS are magnesium, vitamin B12, vitamin D and possibly B6 snd E. Most people are vitamin D deficient and anybody can try taking supplements of magnesium and these vitamins without harm. The only issue is if there is no deficiency.then supplements are wasted. Also look for foods rich in these.

If your friend had some kind of intestinal problem that causes malabsorption then oral supplements will not be that helpful. If your friend regularly uses prescription antacids, this can prevent absorption as well.

Your friend should identify any aggravating factors or triggers that make RLS worse. There are a lot of medications that make RLS worse and so, if possible these medicines should be avoided.

Food and drink can affect RLS.

Alcohol can worsen RLS. If caffeine is taken a lot during the day, this can worsen RLS at night.. Strangely, once sumptoms have started at night, a shot of caffeine, for some people, can calm symptoms down.

Added sugar and any food with simple sugars or refined carbohydrate can trigger RLS. Basically, this is foods with a high glycaemic index.(GI). The short term.effects of these can be counteracted by eating a high protein snack at bedtime.

However there are long term effects of excessive carbohydrates, especially high GI, due to chronic inflammation. Some people find a low carbohydrate diet helps RLS.

Anything which causes inflammation, e.g. in the intestines can make RLS worse. It may be that your friend has signs of IBS or SIBO or they may be unknowingly sensitive to gluten or lactose. Oxalates can also lead to inflammation. Hence, depending on any particular problem your friend has, probiotics, a gluten or lactose free diey may help as may a low oxalate diet. An anti-inflammatory ( "mediteranean') diet may help in any case.

Antioxidants can help in this case also. A popular one for RLS is celery juice which contains a strong antioxidant. Your friend can get this inntablet form - no celery sticks required!

Your friend could keep a good diary i.e. a record of what they eat and drink each day and what their RLS is like.

All these measures may or may not work and if they do, may take quite a while to have effect, It's a matter of trial and error and a lot of time. If people try lots of things at the same time and then something works, they can't tell exactly what it is.

Gentle exercise helps with RLS especially leg stretches. Vigorous exercise makes it worse.

Temporary relief can be gained from using various ointments, gels or oils. These don't prevent symptoms e.g like supplements do, they reduce symptoms when they're happening. They include magnesium, menthol, lidicaine i.e. anything that has a muscle relaxant, counterirritant or anaesthetic property..

Other things that people try are compression stockings, weighted blankets or various "pneumatic" massagers or vibrating pads.

There are also what you might call "natural drugs' that can help RLS. Cannabis is popular. Some CBD oils are helpful for some people, but they're very unreliable and often expensive.

This isn't totally exhaustive , but i think I got the main things.

Finally, your friend may hear some RLS "myths" these are things which people claim work for RLS, but they don't.

They include -

Acupuncture and TENS machines

Tonic water

A bar of soap in the bed.

[Gingercat2 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Manerva - yes, I too, along with hypothyroidism suffer from Restless legs, however, I have found real relief from taking the tissue salt Mag Phos (8) Really worked for me - calms everything down, and allows me to enjoy a good nights sleep. Wouldn't be without it - worth a try - hope it helps !

[Hidden in reply to Gingercat2]

This isn't my post you need to reply to poppppy

[Gingercat2 in reply to Hidden]

Ooh so sorry - I am new here and I do apologise - my mistake !

[Hidden in reply to Gingercat2]

No problem

[poppppy in reply to Gingercat2]

Don't worry I read it as part of the thread . Thank you so much for your advice . I have passed it on . Very kind . And good luck

[poppppy in reply to Gingercat2]

does the mag phos help with your hypothyroidism please . And also what does the 8 in brackets mean . What brand do you buy

[Gingercat2 in reply to poppppy]

Hullo Poppppy - apologies for late reply .. no, mag phos only helps with the Restless legs ... tissue salts are all numbered, and mag phos is no.8. As far as brand is concerned, I buy 'Dr. Schuessler' manufactured in Germany, and readily available in the uk. As I say, I have obtained much relief from taking them - I do wish your friend the best of luck with them!

[poppppy in reply to Hidden]

thank you so much . This is so thorough . Thank you . It is so kind of you . I have passed all the advice on to my friend thank you

[drwasss2 in reply to poppppy]

Compression stockings works for many.

Worth the try. No meds. No sideffects

I discovered this myself after finding myself covered with ace bandages one night.

Try it

[rchobby]

Good morning Poppy, try the website rlcure.com it is a mine of information regarding a whole natural lifestyle and has definitely helped me.

[Mum007]

Could you tell us what medication your friend is on. Cold and flu remedies, antidepressants, antacids etc. all very important factors when treating restless legs.

[San-D]

Magni Life sells an over the counter cream that I rub on my legs and it gives alot of relief it is called Relaxing Leg cream PM. You can get at some drug stores but I usually get it on Amazon. Many people I have recommended it to have liked it. good Luck

[ijsgrandma]

Cut out all sugar, caffeine & foods from the nightshade family. Cut our all night sleep aids and most allergy pills. Both make RLS worse. Check side effects of any other prescription drugs they take as rls can be a side effect on many. She should Check her ferritin level and if low bring up with iron and vita C to help with absorption. Ferritin level should be over 100 (40+ is normal for people without RLS). I do not take any prescription drugs anymore. I take CBD at night which usually controls symptoms, but I am in the US. Not sure if legal where you are. Hope this helps.

[kicker2]

Hi Poppy,

First, what a KIND friend you are to look for help for your friend!!! I posted this before, but since your friend is looking for natural ways to relieve RLS, I'll offer what a nurse practitioner said. Three NeuroMag (magnesium L Threonate) twice/day; 6 120mg magnesium glycinate. Can take more. If diarrhea , cut back; L Theanine 200mg twice/day. Can increase up to 1200. I have not added the L Theanine yet. Waiting for Amazon delivery. Crossing my fingers this new addition does it. Valerian also helps me.

[AceVen]

Previously keeping my legs/body cool and hydrated in the evening helped a fair bit (no late meals, no socks, wearing shorts, downing a couple of pints of cold water - this was the most helpful for some reason). HOWEVER, since going Keto 6 weeks ago (very low carb / no sugar diet), my RLS has completely gone....is it too soon to celebrate.

There's an interesting 'SUGAR' thread on here that you might find interesting.

[involuntarydancer]

All the above are very useful BUT it is important to impress on your friend that it is a very individual disease and what works for one person may not always work for another. Dietary restrictions work fantastically for some but they fail to cause any improvement for others. The same is true for supplements and even iron (probably the most widely useful non-pharmaceutical treatment option) is not invariable. Some posters on here suffer from hemochromatosis (excessive iron levels in their body - the problem is surmised to be with the difficulty in getting the iron across the blood brain barrier and into the brain) so that taking iron supplements is dangerous.

Every rls sufferer is on an individual journey and some may have to try many different options to find the ones that help them. Thus, it is important to keep an open mind and remain optimistic and not to become too downhearted if something that works for others doesn’t work for you. There are alleviators out there for everyone. Keeping an eye on this forum is a really useful tool in itself. New suggestions are regularly thrown up.

I would second the person who suggested that your friend start by familiarizing herself with substances that can worsen rls symptoms such as benedryl, SSRIs, amitryptiline etc in case she is inadvertently worsening her symptoms.