This Friday/Saturday, the EURLSSG (European Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group) will be holding its annual meeting. I took a quick look at their agenda, which you can view here:
I had never heard of Sativex so I looked it up. "Sativex is a mouth (oromucosal) spray containing two chemical extracts derived from the cannabis plant: delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). "
Neither THC nor CBD have ever helped my RLS. It's like they want to do anything but prescribe the one medication that works, opioids. That's understandable, but Methadone is impossible to abuse and doesn't build a tolerance.
I have to say cannabis was my goto treatment for about 3 years with great success. One joint just before bedtime . Then Ireland brought in roadside swabbing with a straight yes/no criteria , no sobriety test and capable of detecting for 72 hours+. That was when I moved onto DAs for 7 years Off them now . Sativex was licenced as an anti nausea drug for chemo patients .
My caffeine/ l theanine tx is working for me 100% , cheap as chips and has me sleeping like the proverbial baby .
Caffeine, for some , in large enough doses helps restless legs by causing a release in dopamine , but comes with the undesirable side effects of caffeine. L theanine is an amino acid which counteracts the undesirable side effects . There is anecdotal evidence of benefits for ADHD as a replacement for ritalin also . I was using DAs for 7 years which resulted in life changing impulse control events including addiction. I ceased pramipexole 3 months ago with a vengeful return of symptoms. I started taking L theanine and 2 cans of red bull before bedtime and found a significant reduction in symptoms . I then sourced a combination 50mg caffeine/100mg l theanine pill , better for the bladder 😉 and an absence of other stimulants in red bull, inc sugar .
I've been taking 100mg Caffeine, 200mg L Theanine at bedtime for and find between a 90 to 100 percent reduction in symptoms . Going to the cinema , flights ,etc , I pop one and am comfy throughout.
L-Theanine is a nootropic and antioxidant- an amino acid found in green and black tea as well as in some mushroom species that can increase feelings of calmness and may be linked to increased creativity. Its effectiveness is even greater when combined with caffeine - can also be taken as a supplement - improves sleep; helps some with RLS.
As long as something works for each person that's all that matters. After years on DAs and severe augmentation, I was put on Methadone and is was like a miracle cure. Now I live in a country where it's not available. After months of suffering, the carnivore diet did the trick.
I undersant that but there's been so much intrest in the effects and impacts of inflammation over the past few years that it's surprising that it's relevance to RLS isn't getting much attention.
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Annoying RLS !!
Reference to the updated "Algorithm" for RLS treatment
RLS
RA and RLS Connection?
Daily Mail on RLS today
