My DD had 'growing pains' as a child. Magonate (liquid magnesium) worked wonders for her. If you are interested in home remedies, there are some ideas from people who have tried various things in the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Earth Clinic Restless Leg cures

DH has RLS. He hates taking medicine, so he was very skeptical when the doctor suggested Requip (prescription medication--generic is Ropinirole). But he tried it, and says it really helps. He's been taking it for almost 2 years, with no problems.

I have a friend who's had RLS for over 30 years and even with meds (Clonapin, Sinemet, Requip, etc.), vitamins, minerals and diet changes, he has problems at night and during the day. It even effects his arms sometimes. The thing that helps the most is deep knee bends and for some reason, wearing socks to bed.

His doctor just sent him to a sleep study for an unrelated issue and found he needs a C-PAP to deliver more oxygen to his brain while he sleeps. The doctor even suggested that the C-PAP would help with the RLS as well. He hasn't started using the C-PAP yet but when he gets one and he finds it helps, I'll let you know.

Jodi-

Harry has the same thing. I think that's why I only get about 4-5 hours of sleep at night. Someone here suggested putting a bar of Ivory soap at the end of the bed between the sheets. I did that without telling him and he just ended up kicking it off the bed. I blame some of his meds, but it's hard to tell which ones. We've talked to his doctor about it but didn't get any solid answers. That's why I think it's his meds.

He already uses a C-PAP--can't even take a nap without it.

Hope your DH finds something that works, Chisue. I know how tired you must be!

Said it before and will swear by it again..between 800 to 1000 mg vitamin E. I have had rls since grade school and suffered all my teenage years because I was told over and over it was "just growing pains". I read somewhere years ago to try vitamin E and have stuck with it. It is also good for your complexion and works like a natural laxative for those that have bowel problems.

you might take a look at the books on trigger points, some RLS can be halted by finding the trigger point relating to it.

I too have it and both of us had it bad last night, we both got up and ate bananas! I do keep a bottle of the Hyland's Leg Cramps pills beside my bed, these work at times for me, they also make a restless leg pill but it does not work as well as this one. And yes I know they are not the same I have RLS also. It does help mine at times.
I also have a tens machine which I use on my back, doc told me to use the tens machine on my legs prior to going to bed and that also helps. You can buy tens machines online for relatively cheap prices. I love my tens machine.

CVS has a very informative page on RLS
Restless Legs Syndrome

I do take liquid vitamin B12 daily and on occasion have the shots. I take Metformin which can deplete or lower the B12 levels. I do take magnesium supplements.

Stay hydrated!

I had a rare bout of it very early this morning and suddenly realized that I'd gone to bed without my usual glass of water. It's allergy season here and the only way I can exist is to take Benadryl. Between it and my usual bottomless coffee cup...I have a regular problem with dehydration. Taking a couple of baby aspirin/day and drinking as much water as I can pleasantly tolerate have reduced my RLS attacks to almost a nonexistent state...but it's imperative that I down about 6 oz. of water at bedtime. I take no other medications.

HTH

Anne

Another enthusiastic vote for magnesium.

I am also a sufferer. Have tried all the above, some have provided some relief. I also have neuropathy in feet and legs. Going to try the 'baking soda' routine next.

Check WebMD and the Mayo Clinic web site, and if your Dr. is not giving you a satisfactory answer, you might ask for a referral to a specialist, but not sure it it would be circular, or ??? If your hospital has a sleep center, you might talk to them.

I take 600 mg Gabapentin the evening for leg pain, helps me sleep so good!

Wow, I'm really surprised he wasn't put on Sinemet or Mirepex as those are the standard drugs for more severe rls. (They are Parkinson's drugs.) As I've stated before, my mom (91yo) has had this for decades and has run the gamut of the drugs suggested for this ailment. Even oxycone doesn't work very well and of course she has to take more as time goes on, to get any rest at all.

**Benadryl will interfere with the drugs' effectiveness and also makes rls worse on its own!!

Requip didn't help her, but you never know.

Jodi--I'll tell her about the deep knee bends and socks--thanks for mentioning it. I'd love to know whether the C-Pap machine helps!

Personally, I'd be careful about taking a lot of vit E as the last info is that there are some worries with taking it in large doses. They used to recommend it to prevent cancer or something....

Hydrating is doable if you're not up every hour to visit the WC. :)

I feel like I've done so much web research and so far the only consensus is that the brains of people suffering from rls do not take in enough iron, no matter the method of supplement. Mild or occasional rls is a very different matter than severe rls, believe me. I sometimes feel like the thing that will finally cause her death is fatigue from exhaustion, sad to say.

My sis had the sleep study a year ago and began using a CPAP. Her energy level much, much higher, she sleeps the night through (6-7 hours is her night) without even waking up to use the bathroom....and NO restless legs or NO leg cramps. They stopped, quit completely.

Would he try going gluten free for one month? It worked for my sister. I am also gluten free (and dairy and corn free) to keep my joint pain at bay. Worked better than any meds I had been prescribed in the past.

Cookie--did she have restless legs?

the CPAP has made a world of difference for my sister also, her color is back in her face so she looks normal again, she was always gasping for breath and red faced and so tired all the time. I have not talked to her about any of the leg issues but I will see her this weekend and try to remember to ask that question. I know she said she can actually sleep now and they were so freaked out during her sleep test that they stopped the test they thought sure she was going to die on them. She would stop breathing so often and for so long.
I know my husband has bad sleep apnea but will not go do the sleep study or use the CPAP and I can watch him as he "comes back" his legs jump and jerk constantly. So it would make sense if you are sleeping soundly and not doing the herkey jerk all night it would be helpful for that too.

Thank you all. The KT is so great for questions like these! I was hoping to find a 'natural' cause/cure for this. However... I slept 10 hours last night and so did my DH. Here's 'the rest of the story':

Two years ago in January DH suffered a panic attack. He recovered after about three months and has been on Cymbalta ever since. He's been good with 40 mg. Cymbalta when he also takes 1 mg. Abilify. (We have to cut 2 mg. pills in half because that is the lowest dose Abilify made.) His MD would like to try 30 mg. Cymbalta and to eliminate the Abilify.

This is the fourth time DH has stopped the Abilify. Each time, within a week of stopping it, the RLS begins. This time has been the most severe. He did not have RLS before the panic attack -- just neeeded to stretch his legs more than most people do during the day.

After yet another blood test came back normal for liver function, his MD gave up. DH started back on the 1 mg. Abilify last night before bed. Bingo. He had a tiny bit of leg movement when he first went to bed at ten. Peace and quiet all night.

I'd much rather there was an easy, *vitamin* cure. It seems possible to me that the Cymbalta is the RLS culprit, or maybe being over 70. Doesn't matter. It is what it is. We are where we are. At least we're able to sleep at night!

Maybe it's a form of withdrawal of the drug? Well, whatever the case, ain't good, uninterrupted sleep the best??? I'm glad you found what works for him.

sjerin -- Yes, it seems pretty clear that removing this tiny bit of Abilify from the equation results in RLS for my DH. I wish there was a non-drug solution, and I have to wonder if the Cymbalta hasn't had a part in activating the RLS.

I don't know of alternate uses for Abilify. I guess it would not be prescribed by itself for RLS. AFAIK Abilify is only used as an 'add-on' to an anti-depressant.

Nobody really knows exactly how any of these drugs work in the brain, and different people react differently. (It's a rather scary 'science project'.)

I'm left wondering what the connections are...and why Cymbalta (an antidepressant) is advertised for pain relief.

ChiSue said...

I'm left wondering what the connections are...and why Cymbalta (an antidepressant) is advertised for pain relief.

It probably isn't really a pain reliever but helps the person deal with the pain. My husband and I both take an antidepressant to help us just live with the pain.

Oooh, Ruthie, I'm so sorry for your pain! Does the Cymbalta help a lot? It helped my DH's mild depression andd mood *somewhat*, but the combination of 40 mg. Cymbalta plus this tiny 1 mg. of Abilify is perfect for him.

(More perfect would be if these were not both so expen$ive.)

Ruthie, some antidepressants are used for pain relief because of their ability to promote a deeper, healing sleep phase. I've been taking one for many years for Fibromyalgia (FMS). FMS sufferers often wake many times a night because of the pain, never reaching the deepest sleep phase which really allows the body to heal and deal with pain better. How it works I do not know, but it does work, at least for me.

Jodi-

less effective but back in the days before wonder drugs my parents went to twin beds, lol...mother had terrible time, and my dad having spent many years "on the road" almost hit her, when she caught him in a dead sleep...me? i wander from one bed to the sofa and do the laundry on bad nights...dh calls me vampira...oh i did try the bar of soap...can't do potassium (kidney problems)

Here is an update from my friend who has suffered from serious RLS for decades.

Well, I am now into day five of the CPAP experience and still no RLS symtoms. I have so much energy now I've been up cleaning the house since before sunrise. I sure hope this continues.

Jodi-

That's good to hear and I'll pass it on to my mom. Thanks, Jodi!

It's now been over a month and my friend using his new C-PAP is still RLS-free. Simply amazing when you consider how severe his RLS was the last 30+ years.

Jodi-

As I was a child, I was always told that I had "growing pains" in my legs, and other joints. It seemed to go away when I got older, but then, in my early 40's, the pains in my joints got worse.
Took years for a doctor to finally diagnose my Rheumatoid Arthritis.

my mom did, and they (she and my dad) finally did twin beds...but that was years ago before all the new drugs...

wow. I hope you all find relief. Interesting about the cpap machine. Sleep is a good thing!