accupuncture

[jebsat]

Hello everyone...just wanted to let you know that have found accupuncture to minimize my RLS. My lower legs ache at night...its painful..sometimes throbbing, sometimes my shin bone aches so badly. I decided to try accupuncture with a CTM focus and it was working. It didn't make the pain disappear but it definitely helped. I had to stop with this particular doctor because of my insurance but plan to find another accupuncturist and go weekly.

[Madlegs1]

Great to hear that.

Hope you get a new set up ok.👍

[SueJohnson]

Welcome to the forum. You will find lots of help, support and understanding here.

Have you had your ferritin checked? If so what was it? That is the first thing a doctor should have done.You want your ferritin to be over 100 as improving it to that helps 60% of people with RLS and in some cases completely eliminates their RLS and you want your transferrin saturation to be between 20 and 45.If not ask your doctor for a full iron panel. Stop taking any iron supplements including in a multivitamin 48 hours before the test, don't eat a heavy meat meal the night before and fast after midnight. Have your test in the morning before 9 am if possible. When you get the results, ask for your ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) numbers. If your ferritin is less than 100 or your transferrin saturation is less than 20 ask for an iron infusion to quickly bring it up as this will help your withdrawal. If you can't get an infusion, let us know and we can advise you further.

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 as yours obviously isn't or s/he would never have prescribed a dopamine agonist (ropinirole) at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a...

What was your experience with gabapentin and pregabalin? They don't make RLS worse. How much were you taking and what were your specific symptoms?

You may need a low dose opioid. I would recommend buprenorphine or methadone as they are long lasting. Most of the others last only 4 to 6 hours and need to be taken that often or you will have mini withdrawals.

Meanwhile some things that can make RLS symptoms worse for some people are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, carbs, foods high in sodium(salt), foods that cause inflammation, ice cream, eating late at night, oestrogen (estrogen) including HRT, dehydration, MSG, collagen supplements, electrolyte imbalance, melatonin, stress and vigorous exercise.

Some things that help some people include caffeine, moderate exercise, weighted blankets, compression socks, elastic bandages, masturbation, magnesium glycinate, fennel, low oxalate diet, selenium, 5 minute shower alternating 20 seconds cold water with 10 seconds hot water finishing with hot water for another couple of minutes, hot baths, distractions, CBD, applying a topical magnesium lotion or spray, doing a magnesium salts soak, vitamins B1, B3, B6, B12, D3, K2, if deficient, and potassium and copper if deficient, massage including using a massage gun, vibration devices like therapulse, using a standing desk, listening to music, meditation and yoga. Keep a food diary to see if any food make your RLS worse.

Many medicines and OTC supplements can make RLS worse. If you are taking any and you list them here, I can tell you if any make RLS symptoms worse and if so may be able to give you a safe substitute.

[jebsat in reply to SueJohnson]

Yes i've had iron and ferretin checked all numbers were good. I am tryng to avoid more medications as my family has a history of liver problems and I don't want to exacerbate that. So i'm going back to accupuncture. I also take Delta 9/THC gummies at night...they get me thru the night with minimal wakeups, although some nights are worse than others.

[SueJohnson in reply to jebsat]

Do you know what your ferritin is? Doctors will say your ferritin is fine when what is fine for others isn't fine for those of us with RLS.

[SueJohnson in reply to jebsat]

I would definitely avoid opioids because of your concern about liver problems but it is extremely rare to have liver problems with gabapentin which is now the first line treatment for RLS so you might want to ask your doctor about that.

[jebsat in reply to SueJohnson]

I was on gabapentin for about 5 months and while it worked at first, It made the pain worse over time. Then I tried ripinerol and it had no effect at all.

I will check my labwork...I can't remember the numbers but yes I trusted the doc to say it was finel. What should it be? thanks!

[jebsat in reply to SueJohnson]

iron bind,...272

UIBC 201

iron. 71

iron saturation 26

ferritin 132

[SueJohnson]

Your ferritin is fine. It needs to be over 100.

You might want to try pregabalin. Although it is basically the same drug except you don't need to divide the doses, and the side effects are basically the same, some people find that the side effects that bother them on one don't bother them on the other.

[Jumpey]

I'm delighted it helped.

[Cowbsky]

hi,

apologizing....great doubt downhere: your major problema os pain or RLS?

[jebsat in reply to Cowbsky]

well i've been diagnosed with RLS but I have pain in my shins/calves at night; as soon as I end the day and sit to relax in the evening, it starts; I am sleeping with the help of thc/delta 9 edibles;

[michaeledward]

I don’t have RLS, but I am currently undergoing acupuncture for a neck injury which a chiropractor was unable to improve and physical therapy helped a little (perhaps getting my neck to about 75% normal.) Up until a back injury about 6 weeks ago, acupuncture had gotten my neck back to about 98% normal. After the back injury, I was set back to about 90-95% normal. I still have a couple acupuncture sessions left and it is my hope that I can at least get my neck back to 98% normal.

I’m saying all this to raise the awareness of the effectiveness of acupuncture among those who may not be aware of the possibility of acupuncture resolving some physical impairments that physical therapy or other therapies may have fallen short of resolving satisfactorily. I do note that I have made significant improvements in my back issue after 3 weeks of physical therapy with about 4 more weeks of physical therapy left. It is my hope that physical therapy will satisfactorily resolve my back issues.

Unfortunately, Tricare does not cover acupuncture treatment for back injuries or acupuncture treatment for any other physical ailments, so if physical therapy doesn’t satisfactorily resolve my back issue I will be out of luck unless I can get the VA to give me a referral for acupuncture like they did for my neck injury. But given the progress I have made with physical therapy vis-a-vis my back issue, it is my hope I won’t need any further treatment upon completion of physical therapy for my back.