What helps Restless leg syndrome?

Question

besides meds.

I do walk daily, About 30 minutes each day. I am Italian and born there, so i might be low in magneisium and or iron. Blood work never showed that tho. thanks for your answers.

Brenda T, you seem very ill informed with your answer. This is a real problem and i am not at all a lazy person, in fact i am so active that i think this is the reason i have this problem. I have had this for many years and have asked my doctor about it wayyyyyy before the commercials you are referring to. Please do your research and get your facts straight before answering questions in the Health section that you know nothing about.

Answer 1

An annoying loss of full blood flow to your legs (like their going to sleep). also heard it had to do with the nerves in your legs. if you ask me, i think its a minor annoyance that the pharaseutical companies have exploited to make drug sales increase. walk around, flex leg muscles, stretch calves and feet ligs and tendons. maybe asprin (i use advil if it irritates me too much).
just me,
Greg

Answer 2

Getting therapy helps, because this disease is one that was made up by the pharmeceutical industry! You may be a hypochondriac.

Restless leg is something many fat-assed americans suffer from, but I like to call it not-moving-my-legs-enough-during-the daytime-due-to-my-sedentary-lifestyle syndrome..which leads to my legs feeling restless.

Have you ever seen a dog act restless after being cooped up in a house all day? You could even say he becomes restless. Well, I know it may seem like a crazy thought, but maybe your "restless legs" are begging you to go for a walk!

When legs have the urge to move....you're supposed to MOVE THEM!

Get a hobby, and find something else to hang your hat on, something other than what the media and pharm. industry feed you while your consuming endless hours of television.

By the way, did you always know you had "restless legs" or did you just discover this phenomenon coincedentally when the first commercial aired, and the illness was invented 2 years ago?

Answer 3

Hello, (ANS) YES! my 70 year old mum suffers from restless leg syndrome in her case its difficult because its also linked or appears to be a side effect of her treatment for epilepsy. NOTE: Restless leg syndrome is a well documented and known condition generally it tends to affect women more than men, and it tends to appear more often in older people. That is people over 50years old. **Restless leg syndrome is a neurological condition. In my mums case its pretty random and appears without any pattern or warning. It can be in the day time or late at night or in the small hours too. My mum finds walking around for about 5-10mins helps settle it down. **One of my close friends is a retired GP (family doctor) who told me that restless leg syndrome can often be treated successfully with drugs, so perhaps its worth going to see your family doctor to see if you could get any help with your symptoms. **YES! my mums sleep patterns are upset she suffers from chronic insomnia which is a side effect of Lamotragine which she takes to control her epilepsy but she often gets restless legs in the middle of the night as well so has to walk up and down before she can try to go back to bed again. Hope thats of some help? Kind Regards Ivan

Answer 4

Stop all stimulants, stp your intake of all caffine.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS, or Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome) is a poorly understood and often misdiagnosed neurological disorder. It is sometimes simply called "Ekbom's syndrome", but care should be used when using that term, because there is a distinct condition which shares that same eponym: delusional parasitosis.


TREATMENT
An algorithm for treating Primary RLS ( RLS without any secondary medical condition including Iron deficiency , varicose vein , thyroid, etc ) was created by leading RLS researchers at the Mayo Clinic and is endorsed by the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. This document provides guidance to both the treating physician and the patient, and includes both nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments.[8] . Treatment of primary RLS should not be considered unless all the secondary medical conditions are ruled out. Drug therapy in RLS is not curative and is known to have significant side effects and needs to be considered with caution. The secondary form of RLS has the potential for cure , if the precipitating medical conditions (Iron deficiency , varicose vein , thyroid, etc ) are managed effectively.


[edit] Iron supplements
All people with RLS should have their ferritin levels tested; ferritin levels should be at least 50 mcg for those with RLS. Oral iron supplements, taken under a doctor's care, can increase ferritin levels. For some people, increasing ferritin will eliminate or reduce RLS symptoms. However, at least 40% of people will not notice any improvement. IV iron is being tested at the US Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins Hospital as a method of treating RLS. It is dangerous to take iron supplements without first having ferritin levels tested, as many people with RLS do not have low ferritin and excess iron in the body can exacerbate hemochromatosis, a very dangerous condition.


[edit] Lifestyle changes and other non-medicinal approaches
Treatment for RLS is based on how disruptive the symptoms are. All people should review their lifestyle and see what changes could be made to reduce or eliminate their RLS symptoms. These include: finding the right level of exercise (too much worsens it, too little may trigger it); eliminating caffeine, smoking, and alcohol; changing the diet to eliminate foods that trigger RLS (different for each person, but may include eliminating sugar, triglycerides, gluten, sugar substitutes, following a low-fat diet, etc.); keeping good sleep hygiene; treating conditions that may cause secondary RLS; avoiding or stopping OTC or prescription drugs that trigger RLS; adding supplements such as magnesium, B-12, folate, vitamin E, and calcium. Some of these changes, such as diet and adding supplements are based on anecdotal evidence from RLS sufferers, as few studies have been done on these alternatives.

For those who experience RLS infrequently and do not need or want to try medication, in addition to lifestyle changes they can try:

some form of exercise for several minutes such as walking, stretching, yoga, etc. at bedtime
heat or cold, such as a hot or cold bath, a heating pad, or a fan
engrossing the mind into a game, the computer, or figuring something out
wearing compression stockings, tight pantyhose, or wrapping the legs in ace bandages
placing a pillow between the knees or upper-legs while laying in bed

Answer 5

Do some research on this issue. I also suffer from it as well and, I'm currently awaiting information from my doctor. I've heard things from less caffeine, less fat etc in the diet but, none of those have really helped me in the 5 years I've suffered from this.

I hate to do this but Brenda T, you really should use the preview function for what it's worth before answering questions. RLS is a real problem, not something that comes about because of peoples lack of excersize. there have been links to early signs of Parkinsons and other serious neurological disorders so please, mind your P's and Q's.

Answer 6

Walk 2 miles or more daily.

Remove all caffiene from diet.

Remove all refined sugar and all sugar substitutes from your diet.

Consider going on an elimination diet to determine if you have any food allergies.

Answer 7

sodium or otherwise known as salt