Have many other people here tried a low-glutamate diet? I’ve been desperately researching possible helps for RLS. I came across information about this type of diet. I had already given up alcohol and most caffeine and artificial sweeteners.
Now, on this diet, I have given up all coffee, tea, chocolate, all caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy, gluten, all processed foods, white rice, and nightshades. Also, peas, corn, nuts, grapes, plums, and all dried fruit. I don’t eat much now and also don’t eat much meat. I’ve been on this for only about six and 1/3 days.
I’m still tapering down on the ropinerole (down to .25 mg now) and still on the 200 mg pregabalin and 3/8mg clonazepam.
Anyway, has anyone tried this diet for at least a few months?
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Abby2525
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I tried it for 3 months but the difference it made was negligible…if I just stay off the trigger foods that affect me & drink lots of water I am better off. What really helps me is slow running (chi) 3x a week in the early morning & a banana in the evening..
Annieapple, thank you for responding. What are your trigger foods? I ask in case they might be mine and then I can eat other things and not have such a restrictive diet.
I have one coffee after breakfast & then need to avoid caffeine like the plague. Red meat especially in the evening, so I only eat a very small portion twice a week at midday. Sugar seems to be the biggest trigger & so for me to be avoided completely. I succumb occasionally but only in the morning. Fruit teas are a big trigger so I stick to red bush peppermint or hot water with lemon. The more plain water I drink the better I am! I find a banana in the evening very helpful & eating midday wherever possible definitely a bonus. A low glutamate diet theoretically makes a lot of sense if you are on any of the dopamine medications & worth a trial. Sadly for me it didn’t help me at all. I am 70 & have been through all the meds. I use the Neupro patch & after a good few years started with augmentation.. however during lockdown for the first time in my life I started running using the Couch to 5K free app … it’s starts very gradually with mostly walking… when I hit the 30 min pure runs I noticed I was sleeping better & and the RLS not there! When I miss my runs due to minor injuries or life being too busy, weather etc… back comes the RLS with a vengeance….. The only thing that ever helps when I have a bad attack is a hot bath, two codeine and to crochet for an hour or so until the codeine kicks in.. I sometimes have to repeat this again later in the night!! So for me I need to keep running 3x a week on alternate days!
I’m so glad that running works for you! I wish I could run. I had both hips replaced eight years ago and I can’t run. But exercise definitely helps! I haven’t found the right exercise for me yet.
How about riding a bike? I've found this to be excellent low impact exercise. Running is way too hard on my joints. I find brisk walking/hiking is also effective.
I do love riding a bike but can’t do it a lot of the year. I could get an exercise bike and keep it indoors. We do have a treadmill and I use that when I can’t walk outdoors. I just wish I could really work up a sweat while exercising as you can when running.
I thought there was someone on here who followed a low glutamate diet but when I do a search I can't seem to find their post/ reply. I am mindful of glutamate and have reduced the amount of high glutamate food in my diet. I just looked at the foods that have the most glutamate eg parmesan cheese, spinach, mushrooms yeast etc and have where possible excluded them from my diet. Still struggling to give up Vegemite 😊
I tried various very restricted diets for long periods. Strict paleo for 12 months. No dairy, sugar, alcohol, tea, coffe and just grass fed meat, organic green leafy veg and the occasional sweet potato. Then Low fodmaps for 9 months and vegan for 6 months.For me, no difference at all. I have no food or drink triggers.
However, as you're going through Ropinirole withdrawal, you won't know if diet is helping you because your RLS will settle once off Ropinirole and you may think it's the diet.
I would wait until about 3 months after you stop Ropinirole and have found a suitable replacement med before you try elimination diets. Otherwise you may think the diet has helped when really it's stopping Ropinirole that has made the difference.
Joolsg, you’re correct that I don’t know what’s helping me as I’m coming down on the Ropinerole. I hope that things will get better after I have been off of it for a few weeks. I have a suspicion that it’s probably good for me to have eliminated some of the foods but I don’t know which ones yet. I mean, it’s probably good not to eat the sugar and some of the processed foods but I hope I can add a lot of what I’ve eliminated from my diet at some point.
I’m at my granddaughter’s birthday today and there is very little I can eat.
While glutamate is in almost all foods, I never eat the food especially high in glutamate (walnuts, aged cheeses, for example). I too can get away with things in the morning, even lunch, that I cannot do in the evening. Other triggers: food additives, refined sugar (thus all alcohol), natural flavors (often contain MSG but they don't tell you). Paying attention to high glutamate foods makes an immediate difference. I do not think the diets take time. If I have something for dinner that is a trigger than that is a trigger for that night. The diet is not all that restrictive, although I have to eliminate things I love. It is very hard to eat out and with family. Some cuisines (Mediterranean and Indian) have lower glutamate thank goodness and I can eat there. A low glutamate diet has a lot of overlap with a paleo diet although, in my case anyway, it is not nearly as difficult and restrictive. Some, but few, prepared foods are okay. It's worth it. Gabapentin or Lyrica won't do it alone.
I wouldn't eat high glutamate Foods For Breakfast But I Can Have Some Refined sugar, not A lot, for breakfast, for Instance . Give it A try, one thing At a time For Breakfast and see. I would Never knowingly eat MSG.
yes I have just begun ,i am frustrated by the discrepancies in food values of gaba and glutamate, i am enjoying peaceful legs also with taurine and Natures Own Complete sleep advanced which targets glutamate it is australian made
It is frustrating to try to find out how much glutamate foods have. I just looked up that supplement and on Amazon it says it’s currently unavailable. I will look for it elsewhere.
Among the foods you've given are many healthy ones. Perhaps you can reintroduce the very healthy like dried fruit and finish them 12 or more hours before sleep.
thank you for your reply! I gave up on that diet and pregabalin has been controlling it. I do have some increased agitation in the evening beginning around 5:00 or 6:00 and I have found that 1/2 to 1 tsp of hirsuta calms that right down.
I will try to pay more attention to high glutamate foods later in the day though my evening meal is basically, banana, soy milk and popcorn with organic peanut butter.
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Coincidence or not....?
Gabapentin 
Sucralose - now (fairly) sure it is causing RLS
