Hi there, I am glad to find this group...I'm not one to just take a prescription and then not try to understand the implications or alternatives.
I first had RLS symptoms in my teens. My mother has suffered all her life - as did her father. In my teens and twenties, my symptoms would arise from being confined to a small movie theatre seating space, passenger side of a small car, wherever I could not stretch my legs out. I recall pushing my feet through the floor as much as possible.
The symptoms went away again until my thirties. I would get them in the early evening - and I recall asking people to sit on my legs lol.
I don't remember any RLS in my 40s - but now in my late 50s, it's back - this time only in the middle of the night...I wake with them thrashing.
It's become very hard for me to predict when the symptoms will strikel
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Barefoot78
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When you see your doctor ask for a full iron panel. Stop taking any iron supplements 48 hours before the test and fast after midnight. Have your test in the morning as that is when your ferritin is lowest. When you get the results, ask for your ferritin and transferrin saturation numbers. You want your ferritin to be over 100. Improving it to that helps 60% of RLS patients. If your ferritin is less than 75 then take 325 mg of ferrous sulfate with 100 mg of vitamin C or some orange juice since that helps its absorption. Take it every other day at least 1 hour before a meal or coffee and at least 2 hours after a meal or coffee since iron is absorbed better on an empty stomach and preferably at night If you have problems with constipation switch to iron bisglycinate. If your ferritin is between 75 and 100 or if your transferrin saturation is below 20, you probably need an iron infusion since iron isn't absorbed as well above 75. If you take magnesium take it at least 2 hours apart since it interferes with the absorption of iron. Don't take tumeric as it interferes with the absorption of iron. It takes several months for the iron tablets or iron infusion to slowly raise your ferritin. Ask for a new blood test after 8 weeks if you have an iron infusion or after 3 months if you are taking iron tablets. Above all don't let your doctor prescribe a dopamine agonist like ropinirole (requip) or pramipexole (mirapex). They used to be the first line treatment for RLS, but no longer are because of the danger of augmentation. Instead have him prescribe gabapentin. Beginning dose is usually 300 mg gabapentin or 100 mg if you are over the age of 65. It will take 3 weeks to be fully effective. After that increase it by 100 mg every couple of days until you find the dose that works for you. Take it 1-2 hours before bedtime. If you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime. Most of the side effects of gabapentin will disappear after a few weeks and the few that don't will usually lessen. Those that remain are usually worth it for the elimination of the RLS symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS: "Most RLS patients require 1200 to 1800 mg of gabapentin daily." If you take magnesium don't take it within 3 hours of taking gabapentin as it will interfere with the absorption of the gabapentin. Check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know including about its treatment and refer your doctor to it if needed as many doctors do not know much about RLS or are not uptodate on it at
As Sue has indicated iron is a really good place to start, not least because it’s possible the RLS can be treated in some cases without resorting to drugs. It’s interesting that your RLS has been present or absent at different times in your life which makes me wonder whether there is an obvious trigger you could identify. If you read the forum for any length of time you will see that many people have triggers although they can be very different. Some of the simple ones are alcohol, coffee or very sugary foods and then there are other diet related ones which are more complex to work out such as glutamate, oxalate, carbs, and finally some drugs such as antihistamines or SSRI antidepressants also make things worse. On top of that exercise is often a factor with moderate exercise such as as walking a few miles a day being good, but either no exercise or very intense exercise often causing worse symptoms.
I disagree. the cause of deficiencies in most people and the cause of RLS in most people is their diet. The diet can cause inflammation in the body which causes hypersensitivity of the nerves and hence RLS. The inflammation is caused most often though high insulin levels from eating refined sugars and starches and also from refined seed oils. The nerves are covered in a myelin sheath which insulates the nerves and directs the signal where they should be going, high blood sugar damages this myelin so you need to support the rebuilding of myelin with some essential nutrition like iodine from a Japanese nori or sea kale supplement. Myelin is basically fat and good colesterol, so you need the right types of fat in your diet like omega3 from oily fish. There are others which you should find in an internet search for 'myelin support'.
I very much appreciate the responses to my post. My RLS has always seemed like a mystery - presenting at different times, in different ways, disappearing, coming back, etc....and I never understood any of it, but I am beginning to now. Thank you all again.
Welcome to the group. Use the "Topics" menu on the right sidebar to read older posts that might be of interest. I will add that stress can also trigger bouts of RLS.
As Munroist said, the triggers can be very different, and it's to tell what's working when the symptoms come and go. But there are things to try.
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