RLS and alcohol abstinence?

[chatabox]

I've been a habitual alcohol drinker for years - relatively heavy, certainly more than the recommended amount. I may typically have 2-3 days alcohol-free per week. However, I have in the last couple of years, twice tried longer spells of abstinence (about a month). In both cases, I experienced distressing levels of RLS starting a few days from stopping alcohol. Has anyone else had this experience?

[Madlegs1]

It's usually the opposite effect that is experienced.However, in your particular case it might be withdrawal symptoms. RLS is a part of the withdrawal process.

It will eventually subside if you stay off the gargle.

But if you jump on and off the wagon, then this experience will continue.

You could try 200 mg of magnesium for the abstinence periods, but I wouldn't be holding my breath!

Long life to you!

[chatabox in reply to Madlegs1]

Thanks for this. It's true, I can't see any other examples of where stopping alcohol causes worse RLS. Are there any studies you can point me to that show RLS to be part of the withdrawal process?

[Madlegs1 in reply to chatabox]

I can't think of studies offhand, but it is a well known factor in withdrawal from any substance.The Shakes, the Horrors and so on.

[Eryl]

The question is, what have you been replacing with to have caused the increasd severity?

[chatabox in reply to Eryl]

No other changes to diet or lifestyle - all very strange.

[GoingMadRLS]

I have just had amazing results with giving up alcohol, my RLS has gone from 10/10 to 1/10! I have suffered with RLS for decades, been on sifrol .25mg for 15 years it helped in the beginning but then not so much I still got awful breakthroughs, I have been a big drinker all my life, now 67 , started having a few nights alcohol free and 6 weeks ago stopped completely...can't believe I'm saying this 😀 now my RLS is so minimal it's a whole new world when I lie down of an evening. I still take Sifrol but going to reduce it soon.

I also take a mega magnesium tablet.

Another thing that I've observed is when my RLS is present it's urine still in my bladder, even though I don't feel it, I get up and jiggle around and eventually I can express more out, this might go on for a few more times, after going back to bed and it kicking in again, sometimes getting down to expressing a mere tablespoon! And then I can settle. This is happening very little now with no alcohol.

Another trigger for me was chillie, I've learnt not to eat this of an evening or or I pay for it!

Plus anything with sugar in it after midday even fruit. These all seem to have a dramatic affect for me with RLS.

I do hope you find relief from your RSL it almost drove me insane, my ex partner said when he meets another woman he's first question will be do you have RLS! 😅😳 drove him insane too!

[chatabox in reply to GoingMadRLS]

It's great that you've discovered relief from RLS. I think giving up alcohol can only be a good thing. I will persevere with it and hope that the increased RLS is temporary.

[Hidden]

In my experience rls and alcohol don,t mix. You may be having a withdrawal effect. l had the same choice and rarely drink alcohol.

[Guitarpickin]

First of all, congratulations on trying to minimize or stop the alcohol consumption! I’m sorry it isn’t seeming to help the RLS (at least not yet). I understand the suggestions others are making about RLS potentially being triggered by alcohol withdrawal, but am genuinely confused by the delayed onset of the worsening RLS. It seems the withdrawal symptoms would be worst the first day or two after and slowly diminish with time, not develop with time. Unless the alcohol is a stress reliever for you and your stress is worse the further removed from alcohol you get? Many people, myself included, have noticed stress aggravates RLS. You sound confident that alcohol is the only change to your routine so it is quite a mystery! During both times where you managed to abstain for about a month, did the RLS, once it flared, continue at a heightened level until you started drinking again? Or was it just temporarily aggravated?

[chatabox in reply to Guitarpickin]

Yes, the RLS continued until I started to drink alcohol again and then it slowly cleared up. I realise this is the opposite from most people's experience of alcohol and RLS. I haven't sought professional advice yet so I think that's the next step for me.

[Guitarpickin in reply to chatabox]

I tried to respond a couple days ago but can see the message didn’t post. It’s admirable you’re trying to quit drinking despite the worsening RLS. I’m so sorry that’s happening because it puts you in an unfortunate predicament. It’s good you aren’t giving up and plan to see a specialist for help. There must be a solution out there that will allow you to control your RLS without alcohol. In the meantime we’ll be rooting for you and wishing you luck! Please let us know it goes.

[chatabox in reply to Guitarpickin]

Thanks! I will let you know how I get on.

[EmilyB87]

I used to be a very heavy drinker, at least 140 units a week. I'm a 37 year old male and I'm a quite small build and 5"10. Out of nowhere about 2 and half years ago, I somehow managed to stop drinking, completely out of the blue. My cravings just completely disappeared. In the 2 years since, my RLS has gone off the charts. I now suffer from it every single night and I get it ,I'd say very severe. All since I stopped drinking. I always had RLS, but I would only suffer 1 or 2 times a week. I've been through all the rls meds, and the only thing that helps is dihydracodine, but at a very large dose to have any effect whatsoever. My partner was taking oramorph for something else, and I tried it. That worked almost instantly. Doctor refused point blank to give me that, even though it works.It keeps going through my head to start drinking myself to sleep again. As it stands, I am feeling mentally battered. I can't have 1 good nights sleep it seems ever again

[chatabox]

That's really interesting. Did the RLS get worse immediately? For me it was a few days after I stopped drinking. It's a really tough call to know what to do if you believe returning to drinking would stop your RLS. I wonder if there's some sort of happy medium.