Dietary triggers

[Busunsc713]

I’m writing from the US….. helping a friend. Can anyone comment on what artificial sweetener and creamer are safe to use in decaffeinated coffee? He presently uses Stevia. He hasn’t noticed a worsening of his RLS, but I’m attempting to help eliminate all dietary triggers. A better question would be …. Is there a particular sweetener and creamer he should avoid?

[ChrisColumbus]

Theres no universal rule saying that all RLS sufferers need to avoid all caffeine, sugar or anything else. Reducing may help RLS and/or health generally. Or it may not: for example, some find caffeine helps.

If one needs a replacement for sugar, to my mind Stevia is the 'safest' - but you have to test brands, as some have a bitter after taste. Some will recommend various honeys, syrups and nectar - but these are essentially sugar with a different taste which can take some getting used to.

My wife never uses 'creamers' but goes with lactose free cream. It depends whether you're trying to cut back on fat or - in her case - lactose.

[Joolsg]

Dietary triggers are different for everyone. For example, sugar, alcohol and caffeine are often mentioned as triggers.They don't affect my RLS at all. Last night I ate out with friends and had caffeinated coffee at 11pm, lots of alcohol and a sugary dessert. I slept well, no RLS.

If your friend finds their RLS is worse after certain foods or drinks, keeping a diary might help.

Is your friend on any medication? Have they had full iron panel blood tests?

[Purpleyam in reply to Joolsg]

Joolsg, it sounds like a dream to have a yummy dessert plus drinks then coffee late at night..and no RLS!! Good job!

[Joolsg in reply to Purpleyam]

I honestly think there are several distinctly different causes of RLS.

1. Iron deficiency in the brain is one, probably linked to disfunctional dopamine receptors, faulty from birth OR years on dopamine agonists ( which can damage dopamine receptors and then the brain cannot take up iron.)

2. Then there is a large cohort who need more oxygen in their body for the dopamine receptors in the brain to function properly. Sleep apnoea can be the culprit. CPAP machines can help.

3.Then the usual triggers of anti depressants and anti psychotics, sedating anti histamines, statins, beta blockers and PPIs.

4. Spinal damage caused by bone operations or diseases like arthritis, MS etc.

5. Inflammation caused by diet. This group can hopefully identify the food and drink triggers and settle their RLS by moderating diet or adding supplements. Or resolving gut bacteria that adds to the inflammation.

I think we all respond differently to food, drinks, meds and supplements because we all have a different cause for our RLS.

Funding and research would really help. I've read so many research papers and they study around 10 to 50 RLS patients. We need large scale studies involving thousands.

[Madlegs1]

Fully agree with the previous two answers.

It is such an individual response.

That is why it is so important to keep a intake diary, to try to determine any triggers.

Also to check all medications, as some will adversely affect RL.

However, the first thing to do is get a blood iron test including serum ferritin, and get the actual number from the clinic

Get back to us when your friend has that info.

Good luck.

[RLSLearner]

And most sweeteners labeled Stevia are 99.9% erythritol. You need to search and pay a lot more for 100% stevia.

[Hectorsmum2]

xylitol is a good natural sweetener and good for your teeth. I dont know how it affects restless legs. Downside is that it is very toxic to dogs.

[Eryl]

The purist answer is for him to wean himself off sweeteners altogether, find another food that gives a taste hit.

[Munroist in reply to Eryl]

As someone who gave up sugar in tea and coffee as a kid I’d agree . I’m trying to do the next step which is give up milk or oatmilk which is where I’m stuck.

[Eryl in reply to Munroist]

With the actual amount you use in tea and coffee I don't think you need worry unduly. I only have coffee about twice week. I drink Earl Grey tea in the afternoons which requires very lttle milk and has anti oxidant properties. In the evenings I drink Green tea which does not need milk or my last drink of each day is chamomile tea, both of which have anti oxidant properties and the chamomile tea aids sleep (as long as it's not too near bedtime to make you need to visit the toilet in the middle of the night. p.s. I use goats milk as I have an intolerance of the A1 casein in most cows milk.

[Purpleyam in reply to Munroist]

I've used coconut milk/cream in coffee for years it can be a nice substitute once you get used to the taste.

[Graham3196]

If he's going through a careful process of elimination of foods as triggers then I can recommend that he starts drinking warm water. You can be pretty sure that it will not be a trigger. After a couple of weeks he might even decide that he will continue drinking warm water. It is not as bad as you think and much better than RLS if it works. He might find that he can drink one coffee a day - but why bother? I cant remember the process I used but I found that I cut caffeinne back to zero and had few RLS. So I took a dose of milk of about 1 quarter of a cup for two nights with no RLS so then I increased to a half cup then a full cup then a cup and a quarter Then RLS came back with a vengance. So I could dring a cup a day if I wanted to. I asked myself why? and since then I have been drinking warm water. EXCEPT for social drinking when I order a flat white made with almond "milk" and decaf. Then I rarely have a problem.

This also found that I can have almond milk with gluten free, wheat free corn flakes. So there's a good breakfast