Boy, I hope so. I have it and it's awful.

I only remember my Mom telling me the bar of soap under the bottom sheet by your feet seemed to help as did tonic water with quinine in it. But I have no personal experience with it.

I always found that eating a banana helps, or anything else high in potassium and magnesium.

This was a supplement or some sort of pill. There is one other place I can ask. If I find out, I'll report back.

I prefer food to pills, I find it works better, but to each their own.

I'm not much of a believer in folk remedies. Depending on the issue, anecdotal recommendations of various kinds can only do so much if anything at all. And not necessarily be reliable.

I've been taking a medication for restless leg syndrome for 25 years. Same medication. If I have leg movements while sleeping, I wouldn't' know, I usually sleep through the night.

An OTC product, Hyland's Restful Legs, works for me. I take it when I feel the first 'twinges' of an episode coming on. and it takes effect fairly quickly. I've also found that doing leg lifts helps a lot. So maybe any doable leg exercise would work.

Rusty

I do not view food as a ”folk” remedy. I view pills as a crutch.

Elmer, well what's the medication???

I intentionally left it out because I've mentioned it before and it can cause a fire storm of comments. Most have heard of it for various uses and some have strong opinions. For me it works, full stop.

The background - I'm a patient of the Sleep Clinic at Stanford Medical School. They prescribed this to me ages ago, maybe before Y2K.

The generic name is gabapentin. Believe it or not, the generic doesn't work for me. I got it once from the pharmacy by mistake and had several bad nights before realizing what the bottle said. They (at Stanford) know the generic vs brand efficacy is a problem for some patients. My prescription specifies "brand only, do not substitute generic". The brand is called Neurontin.

I take the "daily dose" all at once, at bedtime. No side effects, no lingering anything. I also use a CPAP machine. I may occationally wake during the night for a bathroom visit but not otherwise. I get up in the mornings awake, alert, feeling good, and ready to go. I like coffee but can easily face the day without having any if the situation requires that.

Many have tried the gabapentin form and found it didn't work. All I have to say is, it didn't work for me either, and the docs had to write a "medical necessity" submission to my prescription administrator for them to agree to the brand version. Some plans even then may not cover it and it is expensive. Mine does cover it.

I have restless leg syndrome in my lungs. What I have is rare and somewhat recently discovered. What I've been told is that problem can be in other places in the body. I take medication to help and I get an injection every 4 weeks. I get a CT scan every 3 months. I realize your friend may not need the treatment I do. If I were in your shoes I would advise my friend to be tested at a very good sleep center. The quality of the testing center does matter for some cases. A medical doctor should prescribe the drug if a prescription drug is needed. I have cousins and aunts with this in their legs and they are fine. They don't take any prescription medications. This was discovered maybe in the last 15 years in the lungs so who knows what may change. All I really know is that I would see a doctor and I would not be afraid. I would see a good doctor who is familiar with the latest data. People like me can have problems all down their esophagus and can have cardiac related problems. I have been to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville several times. I say that not because your friend has something seriously wrong but because someone else who reads this may need the information. Doctors think it's more common than is diagnosed. If someone else reads this who needs it, this is or was rare and at the time of my diagnosis was rarely seen even by pulmonologists, so don't be deterred if your doctor has never heard of it. There is a definitive biopsy. Thanks.

I remembered today that it was a person IRL who told me about her solution. She gave me the information, if it's of any help to anyone else. The drug is called Requip, and apparently is also used in Parkinsons treatment.

DISCLAIMER: I have no firsthand knowledge of this condition, or this drug. It is anecdotal from a trusted source. I will pass the info to our friend, and he can do with it as he sees fit.

Thanks for the other suggestions.

I found this just now, aok, looking into your comment with personal interest. The drug cited, ropinirole, is the generic name for Requip.

Gabapentin is not a dopamine agonist; it is an alpha-2-delta ligand (anticonvulsant) that acts as a first-line alternative to dopamine agonists for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Unlike dopamine agonists (e.g., pramipexole, ropinirole) which can cause symptom worsening (augmentation), gabapentinoids improve RLS by quieting the central nervous system without this risk

It is interesting to see other people's experiences with this. I have had real trouble with this since I was fourteen. It was worse when I was over tired but also came and went over the years. It must be way more prevalent than statistics say when so many people here have it. I have occasionally had symptoms in my arms and chest. The worst. But thankfully rare. I have never had any doctor take it seriously enough to even interview me about it. The sleep clinic personal said I had a bad case but end of interest. Bipap is one of the things that supposedly helps. I cant say it does. I avoid meds on principle because I am prone to side effects so I guess I will just keep reading here and maybe someone will have a suggestion that I can use. But I do just take this in stride. It is something I live with.

Oh, I will try banana at bedtime.

" The sleep clinic personal said I had a bad case but end of interest. "

Was it "clinic personnel" or the sleep doctor? If the doctor didn't continue the conversation after disclosing the finding, s/he didn't provide you the medical care you should have expected.

I avoid medical problems on principle and welcome well-tested and safe medications that help resolve them. When discussing my test results in the appointment with the assigned Stanford sleep faculty member, when she brought up the topic of trying Neurontin for my RLS, I asked if there were any concerns or dangers. She responded impishly: "Yes. There's a danger of choking. The capsules are large. The dosage we'd start with is a small percentage of the maximum daily safe dosage. It's a safe amount and should be enough."

It was and has been enough now for approaching 3 decades. No side effects of any kind, not ever.

I understand everyone has different notions about accepting advice from medical experts, often when it includes medications. Never the twain shall meet, the differences will always exist.

Petalique, thank you for that description. I believe I have it! And have for most of my life. A few years back I realized that most people sit still in chirch or theater or meetings, while I am continually crossing my legs or shifting. Never bothered me, but maybe it bothers others? I try to be mindful, but…

I also suffer from leg cramps. Someone, I think here, suggested magnesium at bedtime. Studies show no effect, but I join those who have found nighttime relief. It has been only a month, but I will stick with it for the time being. I also fall asleep quickly now. I will pay attention as to whether it helps RLS.

Usually the diagnosis of leg twitches requires watchfulness on the part of one's bed partner, if you have one. If you're awoken from a leg twitch, it happened before you're arosed from sleep. It isn't someone the "patient" would necessarily be aware of.

In my case, RLS manifested throughout the night, not just the jolt people sometimes get when they're waiting to fall asleep. It caused me to have broken sleep and contributed to my getting less restful sleep than I needed. I'd apparently had it for some years but my wife never mentioned it until it came up as a sleep test result. . After I was alerted to it, my wife confirmed it.

I don't know if it matters but I've never had leg cramps. Leg cramps can be a sign of not drinking enough water during the day.

I used to get awful leg cramps at night, but the doctor recommended tonic water at bedtime and they stopped.

Like Elmer, I had a problem with a generic medication. I'm on Celebrex for arthritic knees and once the pharmacist dispensed the generic version, which they do unless you specify otherwise. I took them for a month and my knees were soooo painful. I went and had the prescription refilled with the name brand and after a couple of weeks my knees settled down to just annoyingly painful. So now I have to be careful to specify "no generics" when I get my prescriptions filled.

By contrast, generic painkillers such as Ibuprofen and paracetamol work just fine.

I said I would try banana and so far it seems to be helping...half a small banana. Could be a coincidence but so far so good.

For cramps, take magnesium, but be careful of which formula you take, because one causes diarrhea. I take magnesium glycinate in gummy form.

This 'old folk remedy', always without fail, worked for me: 2-3 teaspoons of pickle juice and within minutes legs were back to normal. I used this for perhaps 10+ years, but RLS no longer a problem for me. Could have been simply mind over matter, but it worked for me.

Bananas are exceptionally rich in potassium (about 422–450 mg per medium banana), essential for heart health, blood pressure regulation, and muscle function. They are also high in vitamin B6, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and magnesium. Additionally, bananas contain healthy carbohydrates, including resistant starch in green bananas, which provides energy and aids digestion. Healthline +5Key Nutrients in Bananas:

• Potassium: Helps maintain fluid balance, regulates blood pressure, and supports nervous system function.
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Important for metabolism, brain development during pregnancy, and immune system health.
• Dietary Fiber: Promotes digestive health, specifically soluble fiber, and provides a feeling of fullness.
• Vitamin C: Acts as an antioxidant, supports immune function, and aids in collagen production.
• Magnesium: Essential for healthy bones and muscle relaxation.
• Carbohydrates (Sugars/Resistant Starch): Provide quick energy for exercise and, especially in unripe, green bananas, function as prebiotics. Healthline +6

Bananas are low in sodium and fat, making them an excellent snack for overall cardiovascular health. Century Medical & Dental Center +1

I don't think many people eat green bananas unless they're aware of the difference and it's something that matters for them.

Not sure if it's coincidental but since I had to have PT for an injury both cramping and restless leg are practically non existant. I was talking to my friend who is undergoing similar PT exercises for a recent hip and knee replacement. He noticed the same thing. We've both complained of night leg cramps in the past. The daily exercises I do in the evening involve a lot of stretching and some resistance. I do my squats and other exercises during the day. Some are daily and others 3 times a week. Before my injury I was experiencing cramping almost nightly and restless leg syndrome several times a month. For me restless leg is not something that happens momentarily. For me it's been an actual inability to stop the almost constant semi-involuntary movement of legs while trying to get to sleep. Like someone above said, the constant urge to reposition.

This has helped for my husband that gets mild RLS when we are sitting and watching TV. He has that constant urge to tighten up his foot and calf muscle. So, one day a meme came across FB feed that said that for RLS tie something tight around your instep of your foot, like a sock or something. I thought, "that's weird" but I remember it and thought about a compression sock he had bought hoping to help his foot pain he had from Plantar Fasciitis which didn't help for that. BUT, I suggested that he try that compression sock for the RLS he has and it worked like a charm! The sock just fits the foot around the instep and up the heel with an opened toe.

Here is a link to a similar one to the one he is using:

compression sock

I cant try compression socks because I have Pressure Urticaria which causes pain and swelling and at times hives and itching.

I in fact prefer my bananas underripe. I use them in fruit salad and I like my fruit crunchy and sharp rather than sweet.

This has not been so far a perfect answer but it has so far helped immensely. I can have hours of movement. it is just something I deal with. As said before I have to be cautious about new meds. It is an inherited thing and my doctors normally take it seriously.

Some people tend to dismiss food as a solution, because it is not a drug. I give it more weight, because it is not a drug.

Natural chemicals in real food, are much superior to their fake counterparts, IMO.

Google extra food that are high in magnesium and phorphus

Most medical doctors are incredibly caring, conscientious and careful. They undergo years and years of extensive education, training, and hands-on experience to learn their profession and learn how to treat medical issues. Their expertise to diagnose and treat various conditions is grounded in their education, science and patient care experiences.

Ignoring that expertise or deciding it's unnecessary to consult with, and instead choosing to rely solely on pretending that oneself or friends, amateurs in the medical field, can bring to bear better and useful alternatives, is foolhardy. If after receiving advice one wants to further validate it, the answer is to get a second medical opinion from another person with appropriate credentials and qualifications. Not to do internet searches.

That's my opinion.

I get twinges now and then, especially if I sit too long. I’ve found that stretching each leg with toes up can be helpful. As I've written before, my mom had a severe case and had exhausted all meds, including all the various opioids, just to get some sleep. She died at 97.