I am at my wit's-end! One hour (in two half hour sessions) sleep last night. I wanted to know if anyone has tried the Restiffic? You can buy it in the UK for £199 (in the US is's $199 which seems unfair that it's so much cheaper but hey ho - we have the NHS so I can't complain!)
Let me know if you've tried it and what effect, if any, it had.
Hi SophShaw, If you plug the word Restiffic in the Search box you will be able to read quite a few past postings of members views of these wraps. Here is one posting: healthunlocked.com/rlsuk/po...
Here is another past posting: healthunlocked.com/rlsuk/po...
Hi Soph
I was sent it by my cousin in the USA while going through horrible withdrawal from Ropinirole. It was certainly a distraction- I tied it so tight I think I switched off the blood supply.
It didn’t stop the RLS though.
I tried it whenever the RLS played up at night but it made no difference. I would save your money & try to find other solutions.
What meds are you taking? Have you had full panel blood blood tests & checked serum ferritin is above 100, preferably 300? Also ensure you’re not taking meds which worsen RLS like anti depressants and anti histamines.
Squats and yoga stretches are better than the restiffic.
Hey Joolsg, I'm not taking any meds because I'm pregnant. The RLS has got so bad during pregnancy though, and I still have 3 months to go. You're right, I need to ask about what the exact numbers are in terms of my Ferritin, they were 121, on the last check though, so when she said they were fine, I didn't question it because they were so high last time.
I know I probably just need to ride it out and hope that my symptoms go back down to being a few sleepless nights a month rather than 6/7 nights a week after the birth, but I don't know what the impact the lack of sleep is having on the baby.
I will try taping my feet before I spend a fortune on the Restiffics though.
Thanks so much for your reply. I really appreciate it.
The iron needs of a growing fetus are a major cause of RLS in pregnancy. I would look into iron supplementation. Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate is a non-constipating and gentle on the stomach form of iron supplement.
Amazing, thank you so much! Defo want the non constipating one! Thank you.
It’s very common in pregnancy. I remember not sleeping at all for the last 3 months of my second pregnancy.
Magnesium and ferrous bisglycinate should be fine. As your ferritin is 121 you can safely take ferrous bisglycinate every other night. Studies have shown iron gets to the brain faster this way. It seems strange but it works by blocking Hepcedin ( a chemical that stops iron getting to the brain).
Massages and rubbing Deep Heat with menthol all over the legs may help.
B12 & folic acid are also helpful.
Thank you so much Joolsg! I spoke to my midwife and she actually said that she didn’t measure my ferritin, just my iron, and in actual fact it had gone down to 112. The NHS cut off point is 110 before they tell you to take Iron supplements, but she will happily check my Ferritin levels next week. I think I’ll take the ferrous bisglycinate you we’re talking about. Thank you so much. And thanks for the congrats!
Hi Jools,
So, I asked for another blood test to get my Ferritin levels tested as they only checked my Iron levels last time. My Iron levels were 112 as I said before (NHS cut off is 110) and my Ferritin level is 10 (NHS say that normal levels of Ferritin are 9-120). The midwife (who is really amazing and has also suffered from RLS when she used to work shifts) just said that although they are on the low side, they are within normal range. I know you said that preferably Ferritin levels should be over 100 (or even over 300). Can I ask if you can remember where this is evidenced and how I might go about getting my levels up? I'm taking the Iron Bisglycinate every other day as suggested.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! You have really helped me so far.
Sophie
God that’s WAY TOO LOW.
I can refer you to research articles but they are out of date. Most RLS experts say it should be above 100. Your level of 10 means you qualify for an IV iron infusion in the USA.
Definitely ask for urgent referral to haematology department for an Injectafer infusion. It would raise your levels much faster than oral pills.
I’ll attach a link from sleep medicine for you to give to the haematology dept and I’ll bet they agree to an infusion!
sciencedirect.com/science/a...
hopkinsmedicine.org/neurolo...
health.harvard.edu/diseases...
I guarantee your RLS will improve by taking oral ferrous bisglycinate every other day in the meantime.
Remember that even Neurologists have no idea about RLS so your midwife will also be unaware of the link to low brain iron.
Also- your baby is at risk of suffering RLS if your ferritin levels are that low so definitely ask to see haematologist. Your low iron can be passed onto baby. Have a look at recent posts and you’ll see that babies and children can suffer RLS and you want to avoid that.
Do not let them put you on dopamine agonists after birth as they can cause lifetime problems. I think if I had managed to raise my ferritin levels in pregnancy I would never have had to take Ropinirole for nearly 18 years. I now have severe RLS and suspect my dopamine receptors were permanently damaged by dopamine agonists.
I feel really positive for you. Get hustling and force the haematology team to see you. Where are you? I know several UK hospitals have given IV injectafer infusions for RLS. You just need to show them the evidence.
Fingers and toes 🤞
Joolsg you are amazingly helpful! not just to SophShaw (🤞🤞& congrats to you)! - I will also follow up your suggestion to see a Haematology team. I am 53 & have suffered sine mt teens with rls & plm & now CFS & fybromyalgia for years. In and out of deep depressions & for years Dr’s prescribing me anti-deps. I am now trying to come off pregabalin as it doesn’t help much & brain fog is soooo bad I am now doubting my ability to work. I therefore need to try to find a way my self avoiding antidepressants but trying to calm my rls & total inner fizzy ness & fidgety anxiety 24 hrs a day. I am like a washing machine at night and just frustratingly skim sleep so am always fatigued. I am hoping this idea may help me too. Thank you so much 🙏
hopkinsmedicine.org/neurolo...
frontiersin.org/articles/10...
More research articles you can show the haematology department.
Thanks so much for these. I will read up on them all and then make an appointment with my GP on Monday. I'm in London, so very very lucky with most hospitals doing all specialist treatments. My GP is fantastic and of course the NHS is an incredible service. We are so fortunate to have it here in the UK. I will take the evidence to the GP and explain clearly the symptoms I am experiencing. That, along my my bloods should be enough to get a referral. As I say, my sleep and symptoms have improved, since dietary changes and bedtime routine but I still think they can be better, and I am still having at least 4 bad nights per week, making work very difficult.
Thanks so much for all the info and reading, off to swot up now!
Good to hear. If you're at St George's, Bart's or King's I can give you details of neurologists/haematologists who are sympathetic towards alternative RLS treatments, including Iron infusions.
actually that would be great to know their names. My midwife called me up this morning to say that she is actually concerned with how low my Ferritin levels are, and that although the NHS wouldn’t normally give an infusion with Iron levels higher than 90, because my Ferritin is so low she is going to email the Obstetrician to find out if they will give me an IV . It’s unlikely but possible!!!
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