Hallo, Ive googled this Q, but cannot find the answer.
I’ve been able to manage RL symptoms for many months now through diet - real foods, no processed carbs, sugar, wheat or grains. Occasionally I’ll have drink… some alcohol triggers RL, some doesn’t, I don’t understand why.
What I do know is that anything that is not natural to consume triggers RL - I handed back all the medications I was on, I’m drug free. This is a miracle for me, RL has blighted my whole life, I remember being as young as 6 or 7 having severe RL and being teased about it - it was just “growing pains”… I was eventually taken to see the G.P who prescribed “cough” medicine and indicated that It was all in my head.
Ultimately I’m curious to know more about what’s going on chemically in the body to trigger RL. This helps me to continue fine tuning my diet and lifestyle to manage this condition drug free, and I’ll do anything that helps to achieve this, if it means no alcohol ever again, so be it.
Written by
Lunatha
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
We are indeed the scientists on this disorder and thank goodness for us all being able to share our experiences and insights on here to help each other.
My diary is becoming very honed in, soy sauce is on the check list, I'm thinking fermentation, yeast, wheat/gluten.
It seems it is. I'm still in disbelief though, all my life suffering and its practically gone. I do get some discomfort in the evening when resting, I do a forward bend, it seems to help release the nervous system, I feel relief when I do this - so whatever it does it's working. There is an odd night here and there that its triggered, the triggers are much easier to identify now I've made so many changes to my diet and also what I ingest in terms of pills and potions.. I take nothing but vit D and magnesium (and levothyroxine.) How are you managing - or not managing RL Sue?
My thought is that alcohol messes with dopamine. I know the brain is flooded with dopamine when you are feeling the effects, but then I think when the effect wears off you have a lull in dopamine. That’s my take on it.
I think we are back to glutamate here. In addition to avoiding inflammatory foods it means no high glutamate foods such as slow cooked meats, soya sauce and sadly good red wine which is loaded with tannins.
Food for thought especially after 20+ years of benzodiazepines to manage RL (nearly one year free of this drug) Gaba and glutamate are still readjusting so will be noting this...
It's because alcohol causes inflammation. This inflammation is the cause of the classic beer belly but it also affects the whole body including the nerves. Inflamed nerves are hypersensitive and hence rls.
Yes, that makes sense.. I am noting that anything that's not supposed to be in the body is a trigger, even a vitamin C tablet which has sweeteners in them causes RL.
Its like a crazy puzzle isn't it... i'm ok with vodka, but not tequila. Either way I'm not bothered if I drink or not, its just good to know if I did want a drink that I can...
This is an interesting thread. Thanks for this question. I think I need to keep better notes on what happens when drinking certain types of alcohols. Some IPAs drive my legs crazy and definitely red wine (don’t drink white wine so can’t really speak on that). I don’t usually drink hard alcohol, but maybe I should switch from a beer or red wine to a vodka cocktail when out and see how it goes.
Thank you for your share! Your experience with dietary changes and not needing drugs is mine! Occasionally I get triggered and I get up and take Pramipexole. I’ll pay more attention to time of day, what and quantity of alcohol to see if or find the correlation between alcohol and RLS. Each of our bodies is so unique. We are in this together!
I agree with some comments here. If I have a couple of glasses of wine I’m fine. But in the later afternoon/evening it certainly triggers my RLS badly. Especially if I over do it at a celebration I find meds don’t work if I have a little too much later in day. 😖 so no longer a party girl.
Thank you for sharing about pramipexole!! I had no idea!!! Thank you! What is the safest prescription for an occasional flair of RLS? After eliminating sugar I prolly have a flair every 2 months or less.
Lunatha alcohol is an anti thiamine factor (others are in the stuttersence attachment below) meaning it depletes or destroys thiamine (vitamin B1) and also causes magnesium loss. Magnesium is needed to activate thiamine and vitamin D. Activated thiamine is needed to activate vitamin B6. In general the B vitamins work better together. Research thiamine, especially the fat soluble form benfotiamine, magnesium and vitamin D in addition to others found in the knowledge link below for not only RLS but other health issues you may have. The role thiamine plays in the brain, vagus nerve and gut are often overlooked. Sufferers of IBS may find relief with thiamine. In my wife's case of RLS, her cancer creates lactic acid which thiamine can clear from the muscles. I learned about benfotiamine's higher absorption levels in the blood and she used 300 mg twice a day with magnesium. The legs gradually calmed and I no longer get kicked. She only uses one benfotiamine a day now but uses a B complex with it. May not benefit everyone but glad it did for her. Always consult your health care professional before using any supplement.
Dopamine has something to do with it, which is why iron does, too (iron = needed for dopamine synthesis). But more recently there has been focus on glutamate. And then there are those who say RLS is caused by inflammation (which many researchers believe is also what’s behind depression.)So, a lot to choose from. I don’t know why alcohol causes RLS (I can’t drink or I pay for it in the night) - maybe it’s acute dopamine withdrawal, as alcohol does stimulate dopamine.
Interesting link to glutamate. One thing to add to this conversation which I’ve not mentioned. I’ve been doing an intermittent fast 2 or 3 times a week 16/8 window. I’ve been following Jason Fung “the obesity code” and the “diabetes code” not because of weight issues but for metabolic health reasons (although I did need to loose a few pounds of belly fat which disappeared very fast) the fasting method apparently has huge benefits for reducing inflammation. I’m def linking the pieces of the puzzle.
It seems like there are a lot of variations in our diet that can be a trigger for RL - its very interesting to be sharing this information and learning what helps. Shame that the professionals treating RL aren't recommending drug free options before dishing out all these neurotoxic, central nervous system suppressants.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
especially after 20+ years of benzodiazepines to manage RL (nearly one year free of this drug) Gaba and glutamate are still readjusting so will be noting this... 
Blood pressure meds and RL
RL sleeping pattern
RL Cure
A study on the treatment of RL! 
Does anybody else find some chairs/beds trigger RLS
