Can anyone give me some suggestions to try to help RLS symptoms

[ge7521]

I’ve been suffering from RLS for years now

Only 6months ago I realised I had it.

I have cut out caffeine and refined sugar/carbs and workout everyday which all help. But I’m looking for other things to try before having to resort to drugs.

Thanks

[Hidden]

Try iron tablets takes a while to get in the system but has helped me I’ve had r s l in legs arms for 58 years autopsies on r s l shown nearly every patient had low iron in the brain although blood level was ok

[ge7521 in reply to Hidden]

Yeah I heard about this, I’m going to get a blood test to see if it’s below 75ug/l then try iron supplements. Iv heard someone with restless legs needs like 150 ug/l

[Hidden]

I suggest having a blood test for ferritin.

If your ferritin level is below 75ug/L then you may find taking an oral iron supplement helpful.

The aim of this is to raise your ferritin to at least 100,at which level 50% of RLS sufferers find some relief.

The most popular supplement is ferrous bisglycinate, "gentle iron". This causes less gastrointestinal upsetthan prescrption irons.

Oral iron is difficult to absorb. Three things you can do to boost absorption.

1). Take it 30mins before or 2 hours after eating.

2). Take a vitamin C tablet or drink a glass of orange with it.

3). Only take it once every 2 days,not daily. You can take a double dose.

Here's some more info about iron and RLS.

sciencedirect.com

If you have any deficiency in vitamin B12 or vitamin D then supplements in these can help.

Another things you can do is check if any medications you're taking may be making your RLS worse. The main ones are antidepres sants and sedating antihistamines. There are a lot of others too.

Try keeping a daily food diary, what you eat/drink each day and what your symptoms are like that day. Different people are sensitive to.different things.

Diets that can be tried include gluten free, lactose free, low oxalate, low carbohydrate or an anti-inflammatory diet.

[ge7521 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the advice. I don’t take any meds. I will get a ferritin test. For those diets how long should I try each one out for? I had some shortbread last night too see what would happen it made my RLS much worse, woke up in the night couldn’t get back to sleep do you think it caused inflammation?

[Hidden in reply to ge7521]

There are some things that affect RLS quickly and others that affect it over time.

Added sugar and foods with simple carbohydrates in them will affect sumptoms more or less the same day e.g. the shortbread. It's because they are absorbed fast. This isn't necessarily inflammation. It may be something known as reactive hypoglycaemia - low blood sugar.

This can be counteracted by a bedtime high protein snack, if necessary.

Carbohydrates that aren't absorbed so fast if consistently eaten may affect RLS over a longer term and the affect may be cumulative and cause chronic inflammation.

Other things that are quick acting are alcohol and caffeine for example.

Various things can cause inflammation and this may be chronic or "sub-clinical" meaning you may not realise you have the inflammation. It is alo means that if you eliminate the particualr cause, it could be quie a while before you see any result.

You may be "sensitive" to some things without getting the classic allergy symptoms e.g. non coeliac gluten sensitivity. You might be able to get some sensitivity tests.

A low carbohydrate diet may be helpful, but maintaining a very low CHO diet can be difficult.

An anti-inflammatory diet (or mediterranean diet) can help generally.

I'm afraid that controlling your RLS with diet could be a long process involving lifestyle changes.

For many, like myself, who lack the self discipline or motivation to try things that might not work anyway, I find it easier to take a medicine, which work for me.

In my defense, with little knowledge of RLS I was prescribed a high dose of a dopamine agonist for years. It seems to have caused permanant damage and even though I haven't taken it for years I still need some medication.

[ge7521 in reply to Hidden]

Very interesting thank out, I think I might try gluten free diet as my sister gets bloated and pains when eating gluten so maybe I have a slight sensitivity to it as well which effects RLS. A low carb diet would be very hard for me as my diet mainly consists of Low releasing carbs like whole grain pasta and granola. I can try gluten free versions. And lactose free soya milk.

[Hidden in reply to ge7521]

It's worth trying, good luck.

[Joolsg in reply to ge7521]

You may be someone for whom diet makes no difference. I am one of them.

I followed very strict, restricted diets for very long periods to see if it would help. I’ve tried paleo, keto, low FODMAPS, low oxolates, vegan etc and not only did they not help but the keto diet actually made it much worse. Similarly coffee, alcohol & sugar don’t affect my RLS.

I know diets definitely help many so it’s a case of trial & error & hopefully you’ll find a diet that helps you.

Many also find Magnesium citrate or Threonate help their RLS. I take it to counteract opioid induced constipation but it makes no difference to my RLS.

I hope raising ferritin helps- that’s the first thing you should try before anything else. There are many research articles which support iron therapy for RLS.

Try one thing at a time so you know what helps.

Good luck.

[ge7521 in reply to Joolsg]

Interesting thanks yeah one thing at a time

[ge7521 in reply to Hidden]

Iv saw online these fitbits that track how much REM sleep/light sleep your getting. I thought it looked interesting so I can compare my sleep cycles to others. Maybe I’m not getting Enough deep sleep. I’ve ordered a cheap knockoff version that does that same thing.

[Hidden in reply to ge7521]

You may be interested in a recent post relating to sleep and RLS. RLS and PLMD can cause a lack of deep sleep.

More reading

healthunlocked.com/rlsuk/po...

[ge7521 in reply to Hidden]

Very interesting thanks

[Joolsg in reply to ge7521]

They’re really helpful. I was actually surprised that I was getting more sleep than I thought I was. I was woken 3-4 times a night & thought I was awake for at least 20-30 mins but the app showed I was back to sleep within 5 minutes. So psychologically it’s great. I also seem to get more deep sleep than the average person which was surprising.

I also take medical cannabis oil with THC & the app shows I get most deep sleep within 3 hours of taking it.

[Munroist]

Everyone is different but many people find a little exercise helps and a lot of exercise can make things worse so it may be worth experimenting with how long or hard you work out. Good sleep hygiene helps a bit (not eating late, not taking caffeine 5 hours before sleep, not napping, consistent bedtime and rising etc. ) but RLS normally wins out. At least if you are tired you might get back to sleep occasionally. Some members of this group have compiled a list of all the things that have been suggested and with a bit of luck will post that by way of reply. All the best.

[RLSofManyYears]

Alcohol makes it worse, and I've personally found that too much salt does not help me at all.

[ge7521 in reply to RLSofManyYears]

Ok thanks I’ll keep that in mind

[Eryl]

If cutting out sugar and carbs helps then it indicates to me that your rls is caused by inflammation. Another cause of inflammation may be refined cooking oils. Try avoiding processed foods and home cooking with only coconut oil or cold pressed olive oil. As has already been mentioned Vitamin D helps to combat inflammation and it also supports the innate immune system which should give you some protection in these days of Covid-19. Your body makes a lot of your Vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight, so in winter take every chance you get to be outside.

[ge7521 in reply to Eryl]

Funnily enough iv been cooking with a lot of refined coconut oil recently as the supermarket didn’t have cold press in stock. And my RLS has gotten a bit worse this week. I also had some shortbread last night to see what would happen and it made my RLS much worse, took hours to get to sleep, woke up in the night and couldn’t get back to sleep at all. So you say it causes inflammation interesting I will try cutting out all refined stuff

[Megamania]

I have found artificial sweeteners are the main culprit for me. I've 99% cut them and solved 99% of my problem

[ge7521 in reply to Megamania]

Interesting thank you, I don’t eat artificial sweeteners anyway

[Guitarpickin]

Because you expressed interest in trying more natural things first, the things that work for me (except when my symptoms are flaring) are 500 mg of magnesium glycinate at bedtime and laying on the floor with my butt against the wall and my legs going straight up the wall. I try to stay in that position 10 to 20 min and sort of use the time meditatively. I have since graduated to an actual inversion table, but I’m assuming you don’t have one of those. I have also just started an intermittent fasting diet after reading another person’s post on this site. Reading what they said reminded me that both my general practitioner and my neurologist had recommended intermittent fasting years ago when I first developed symptoms and I never really followed through. This is my second week and I do not have any good things to say about it yet (in fact, I think the days where I do not eat are actually worse- on those days I am taking an iron pill and vitamin c an hour or two before bed). I’m hoping this week goes better. I plan to try to stick with it for at least 6 weeks to give it a fair shot. Also, indica marijuana edibles (I do either 1/4 or 1/2 of a dose) are very helpful on bad nights, and feels more natural than any of my prescription alternatives. Good luck. Please let us know if you find something that works for you. I’m rooting for you!

[Wolph215]

I’ve had rls since my 20s. I’ve been on everything known to man to help it subside. Other than an opiate med at bedtime, I recently found on my Lyme disease support group that kratom ( a natural plant) that helps with pain but for me the best benefit is complete relief from rls. You should google it. Research well before making a decision... rls is awful. Best of luck to you.