Cold Water Treatment

[sudokufan]

One of the Non-Medical treatments suggested by RLS-UK (on rls-uk.org/self-management), is a shower alternating warm and cold water for 20 second intervals in the evening. Well - OUCH - I tried to do that but standing under cold water on a November night? I can't cope with that! HOWEVER - I've tried getting in the shower and spraying JUST MY LEGS for 10 seconds with warm water, then 20 seconds with cold, alternating a couple more times, finishing with warm water for a while, then dry off. I do this immediately before getting into bed for the night. It doesn't take long, but I find it really helps me. We're all different, but hope this might help some of you. Best wishes to all anyway.

[Madlegs1]

Whatever does it for you!I prefer soduko myself.😜

[Hidden]

Hi sudokufan, I have been doing the Wim Hof course recently and went from hyperventilating in a 10 second cold shower to enjoying a 10 minute cold shower.

The key is slowly adjusting yourself to the cold in 10 second bursts for a week, then 30 seconds for a week, then a minute then 10. It goes a little quicker in the course but that is a doable way.

It is amazing how much you can get your body to tolerate in a short time, even more so if it stops the RLS symptoms.

[LotteM in reply to Hidden]

Sounds powerful, raffs. I admire you.

But you left us on a cliff hanger!

Does it affect your RLS symptoms? Or your otherwise your general condition?

I knew about Wim Hof. Of course, he is Dutch like I am 😊. But I never knew about the science now underpinning his achievements. Interesting. Very. Maybe worth trying. Please elaborate - in a different post? Because, if he can control pain, will he also be able to control the RLS feelings? Or at least temper them, which may help to reduce the use of medicines.

[sudokufan in reply to Hidden]

Hi Raffs and LotteM - this sounds very interesting - I'd like to know more about this! I'm sure the cold water/warm water does something to the nerves - would like to know what it is. I don't find the effect always lasts very long, but when it's long enough for me to get to sleep and stay asleep I find it's worth it's weight in gold. If someone has already done some research, bring it on!!

[Hidden in reply to sudokufan]

Well, I have been take the showers in the day so not when the RLS is playing up. I can say that I find them exhilarating and definitely wake me up I did have a night or two where I had some very mild symptoms during the 5 weeks doing this (am poorly this week so had to pause it) and have had a couple of worse nights since it stopped! I have also been doing Yoga stretches at night which may have been helping too.

In the past when RLS has been bad I have stood in the snow or sat with my feet in ice water. I did it as my feet tended to burn as well not to treat RLS. I had always looked to hot water to treat the RLS mainly because it worked and partly because up until recently I would have thought anyone having freezing showers were either very strange or very weird

I'll have to experiment with cold when I'm feeling better...or worse, you know what I mean

[sudokufan in reply to Hidden]

Hope you're better soon! Your total cold showers sound impressive, but way to touch for me. I'll stick to just spraying my legs - quick and simple but it works for me. Good luck raffs.

[Hidden in reply to sudokufan]

As long as it works!

I highly recommend the cold showers for general vitality. I can't say how good for RLS but will try the next night my legs play up and I have the energy to crawl into the shower.

As I said - when I was trying the 10 second cold showers at the beginning I was hyperventilating. I can now do the 10 minute one as long as I concentrate at the start and don't let my breathing get out of control. I guarantee anyone can do it if I can, persistence, gentle increase and a desire to do it, like anything, else will ensure it happens.

I know form reading that cold helps reset the vagus nerve which I think has a role to play in RLS so i

[Bruxelles in reply to Hidden]

Interesting - I. Didn't know it reset the vagus nerve. Where did you find that information?

[Hidden in reply to Bruxelles]

It's on a variety of life hack sites as well as cited in different bits of research I had read some time ago but cannot find at the minute.

Wim Hof cites it on his site as well however he's hardly an unbiased source.

[sudokufan in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Raffs I had a look at ?Hot Vim's website but at my age that looks a bit too challenging. But well done!

[Embroiderer]

Yes I find several mugs full of cold water alone poured over my legs can help.

[sudokufan in reply to Embroiderer]

Thanks! I'll try that this evening/tonight!

[YodaDog]

My mum leaves a jug next to her bath so she can pour cold water over her legs if she wakes up in the middle of the night with RLS. For me, it's a soak in a hot bath that works.

[Whymelord]

Hi thank you for your suggestion, its something I've never tried but I certainly will give it a go,I think most rls sufferers on this forum are grateful for any input on what could ease this horrible feeling.

[sudokufan in reply to Whymelord]

Best wishes. We're all different, so what works for one doesn't necessarily suit another, but good luck.

[Micafe]

Interesting. I'll try it!!

🤗

[Clarina123]

I used to paddle in a bath of cold water, and found it very effective, but now I,m older I just can't bear the thought! I really should toughen up!

[sudokufan in reply to Clarina123]

Hi Clarina. I'm 75 myself - had RLS for 60 years. I'm sure you have other tactics to cope. I have to grit my teeth to take cold water on my knees so don't blame yourself!

[mdk1949]

Hi Sudokufan, I use exactly this treatment that you describe, every night! And it works for me! I got restless legs after having been on Oxycodone medication for two and a half months. The restless legs came as a withdrawal symptom. No doctor in the Netherlands would know a solution. For five weeks I hardly got any sleep because of the restless legs, I would often fall asleep around 5 a.m. Through searching on the internet I found this remedy. The person who wrote it stated that it would not work for everyone and that it was not scientifically supported. However I tried it and it worked for me! Since October 2020 I stand every night in the bath for around a minute and use the hand shower alternating cold water on both my legs: thighs, knees and feet. I start with warm (37 Centigrade, body temperature) for 15 seconds, then switch to cold water for 15 seconds, then warm 15 seconds, then cold 15 seconds, then warm 15 seconds, then end with cold for 15 seconds. Only the first time cold is a bit hard, there after it feels okay. Then I go to bed and have no restless legs during the night (or day). I subscribed to this site to share my experience with you and other readers. Having restless legs in the night is hell! In the daytime you do not function at all. And in my country no doctor could help me. They subscribed the Oxycodon and had no clue about withdrawal symptoms (which is a small group). Hope our posts help more people! PS Only now, I see I'm not the only Dutchman here! 🙂

[sudokufan in reply to mdk1949]

Hi mdk and best wishes to the beautiful Netherlands from locked-down northern England! I first picked up the idea from advice on the RLS-UK website which suggested standing under a cold shower etc, but although I believe you can get used to this with a bit of perseverance I couldn't cope with it! Hence the "legs only" idea! But I admit at the end of the showering I do put some warm water in the bath and lie back and relax in it for a few minutes, so it maybe this that's helping me as much as the cold shower. But I'm so glad you too have found the routine helpful! I'm still having sleeping troubles at the moment because I'm withdrawing from a dopamine agonist, but I hope that won't always be so bad. Interesting you mention Oxycodone. I was given that a few years ago for pain after a knee replacement operation. I only took it for about 3 months, stopping gradually, but did later realise I'd run into all sorts of withdrawn problems to that - insomnia, skin rash etc. (Another forum member referred to Wim Hof and said he followed his method. Hof is a Dutch extreme athlete who recommends bathing in ice cold water - good luck to him but I'm not trying it!) Again, it's good to meet you.