Hello everyone. I am new to the forum, and have some questions to ask, but also want to share my RLS story, as well as some things that I have found helpful in living with RLS.
I have had RLS for over 40 years. At first it was fairly easily controlled with a good run or long walk, and later with magnesium. Then I chanced on the strategy of running up and down the stairs a few times. Of course stairs are not for people who have a risk of falls. Our stairs are a sort of U-shape, and I would be very cautious if I had straight-up-and-down stairs that are very steep. But stairs have worked very well for me.
Another thing I found useful was a gel for ‘heavy legs’ made in France (RAP Phyto gel fraicheur Jambes legeres - available in some UK pharmacies or on Amazon, though hard to get in Australia). I still use it occasionally but like most RLS remedies it seems to work for a while but then it doesn’t.
In 2021 I was referred to a neurologist, who ruled out peripheral neuropathy and gave me prescriptions for Pregabalin, Gabapentin, and Levadopa (I know), suggesting I try them out to see which one worked the best (this was immediately after COVID lockdowns when there were long waiting lists). My expectations were very high, and I stopped taking Pregabalin because of the side effects (brain fog and constipation) and because, even at 75 mg I was still having one or two episodes a night. After reading Sue’s and Joolsg’s extensive advice, I now realise my expectations were too high. I should have increased the dose, and waited for the side effects to subside.
I then tried Gabapentin, but that made my symptoms considerably worse. I gave up after 2 weeks, and coming off it was difficult and scary.
As for the prescription for Levadopa, I threw it away, after considering what the neurologist said its side effects were.
Since then I have soldiered on with the magnesium, stairs, RAP Phyto, and massage, and added an hour of walking every day to my regime. I also found the Mayo Clinic’s advice to consume no carbs with the evening meal to be very helpful.
In the last six weeks the RLS episodes have become more frequent (now almost every hour) and more severe. I need to run up and down in sets of 11 or 15 now, and this can happen up to 8 times a night (so up to 96 trips up and down the stairs, bleary eyed, and keeping a firm grip on the banisters). The thing about the stairs is that they are over and done with in a few minutes and I sink exhausted and panting for breath into bed again and fall asleep, till the creeping feeling wakes me up again and hour or so later. But a couple of nights ago they started to lose their effectiveness, and I fear that the time for prescription medication is upon me.
Recently, after reading up on how to manage RLS on this forum, I had my iron tested. My ferretin was 89 and my transferrin saturation was 39. It is almost 4 weeks since I started taking one 28mg tablet of iron bisglycinate every two days (and following Sue’s advice on when to take it etc). I was expecting to feel better by this stage, but I don’t.
It is also hard to identify what the triggers are: there are just so many variables. For instance, as well as the iron, I also gave up chocolate, and actually felt worse for it. Three weeks after giving it up, I ate some, and the next day felt so much better! Was it due to the chocolate, the iron, or just the trajectory of the disease? Also, the worsening of my symptoms over the last 6 weeks. Why? Something I ate? The disease trajectory? Change in the weather?
Having said that, I notice that I feel worse during summer and early autumn with our hot, humid summers, and better when it is cooler. But the recent winter and spring have been the hottest on record, and my symptoms have been worse than they have ever been. But the temperature is still comparatively cool, compared to a normal summer. So is the weather a trigger for me?
I take no other medications, but do take magnesium, Gingko and Brahmi (for improved cognition), cod liver oil, Metamucil (Psyllium husk) and Vitamin C.
I am due to see a sleep specialist with an interest in RLS in about 3 weeks. I suspect he will steer me towards trying Pregabalin again.
My questions are
1. When should I start to feel better from taking more iron? Is 4 weeks too optimistic?
2. What should you do once your iron levels reach the required amount? Continue taking the product, but, say, every 3 or 4 days instead of every 2 days? Keep getting blood checks (I hate blood checks as I have very small, difficult veins).
3. Can Ginko and brahmi trigger RLS? Or interact with Pregabalin? I take one table per day.
4. Can cod liver oil trigger RLS? Or interact with Pregabalin? I take one teaspoon a day.
5. Can psyllium husk trigger RLS? Or interact with Pregabalin?
6. Can anyone recommend a good RLS specialist, either a neurologist or sleep specialist, in Sydney?
Sorry to be so long winded, and thanks in advance for your advice.