Other remedies for RLS besides magnesium

[PrincessMommy]

Help!!

 

My RLS has been out of control lately.  Most nights I get a few hours of sleep, am up for an hour or two, and then fall back to sleep until the alarm.  It's not my typical insomnia, it's definitely my legs.  I can't take any more magnesium or my gut is just too upset.   Warm showers or baths are not helping.  I've tried the magnesium oil spray...nope. 

 

Anyone have something else that might help along with the magnesium.

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

I'd be going for a Rx at that point.  Some people use Bengay or other muscle rubs to increase circulation; they say it helps.

[wapiti]

Other electrolytes (including potassium).  and iron.

Edited June 2, 2016 by wapiti

[PrincessMommy]

Other electrolytes (including potassium).  and iron.

 

interesting.  I just got blood work done and it came back that I was anemic. 

 

[Tita Gidge]

I have no solutions to offer you, only commiseration. I only get RLS (rather, "arm" syndrome) when I'm pregnant. I can't fathom having it on a chronic basis. It's such an awful feeling.

 

I load up on Natural Calm magnesium until I can't handle any more.  I use heating pads. I do best with my rice one because it adds a slight level of pressure that seems to help alongside the heat. I made two to size, the length of my arms. Other than that I stand in the middle of the room watching tv and doing weird tai chi and dance moves because as long as I'm moving the pain is tolerable.

 

:grouphug:  sorry you're dealing with this.

 

ETA: It's definitely a deficiency-related thing. For me it's anemia. But careful with the iron, it'll do a number on your gut also.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Tita Gidge

[PrincessMommy]

I have no solutions to offer you, only commiseration. I only get RLS (rather, "arm" syndrome) when I'm pregnant. I can't fathom having it on a chronic basis. It's such an awful feeling.

 

I load up on Natural Calm magnesium until I can't handle any more.  I use heating pads. I do best with my rice one because it adds a slight level of pressure that seems to help alongside the heat. I made two to size, the length of my arms. Other than that I stand in the middle of the room watching tv and doing weird tai chi and dance moves because as long as I'm moving the pain is tolerable.

 

:grouphug:  sorry you're dealing with this.

 

oh yes, I totally get it.  It affects my arms as well, although in the middle of the night it's just my legs.  I hate to tell you this, but I used to only get it when pregnant.  I hope it stays that way for you. 

[Katy]

With the idea that it's electrolytes and the fact that I've read in a couple of places that orgasms can greatly improve RLS, I'd try a couple quarts of gatorade and TEA.

[prairiewindmomma]

TeA would help with circulation in a way that would be a lot more fun than rubbing Bengay on yourself. I like Katy's idea.

[Tap]

Low iron can cause rls.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Tap

[Tita Gidge]

oh yes, I totally get it.  It affects my arms as well, although in the middle of the night it's just my legs.  I hate to tell you this, but I used to only get it when pregnant.  I hope it stays that way for you. 

 

Better I'm prepared than to be surprised later, so I'm glad to know it's a possibility.

 

But, ugh!! I tell you, this getting older stuff is for the birds! LOL

[Katy]

On a more serious note, if iron-deficiency anemia is the problem I have found that beef fajitas in mexican restaurants are frequently at least 1/3 beef liver (rather than steak).  The pepper sauce hides the flavor of all those healthy minerals, and the vitamin C in the peppers and onions makes those minerals much more absorbable.  One dinner can take my gums from unhealthily pale to pink, which is much faster than iron supplements, and without any unpleasant digestive side effects.  I've never done blood work to verify the change with lab work, but it makes a huge difference in how I feel. I've had frequent first-trimester miscarriages and subsequent heavy periods for the past several years and have struggled with anemia every few months as a result.

 

That said, I don't know your age, but if you're post menopausal you might want to head in for a checkup.  One reason for anemia in post menopausal women can be cancer.

[kiana]

For specifically magnesium, have you considered epsom salt baths? You said warm baths but I'm not sure what was in it.

 

For me, really paying attention to dietary potassium helped with the horrible leg cramps I used to get.

[Twigs]

Weighted blankets can help restless legs.

 

Hope you can get some relief soon.

[Pippen]

I had to totally be off caffeine for a month before mine started settling down. 

 

My chiropractor recommends the supplement Min-tran. I thought it helped some, but until I eliminated caffeine it didn't budge.

https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Process-Min-Tran-90T/dp/B003D0LZS0/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1464838419&sr=8-2&keywords=mintran

 

A weighted blanket helped me a lot. 

[muttmomma]

Get a script for ferrous glutamate. If I'd much gentler on tummies. Take it with vitamin c. My child was on it twice a day for two months before his improved.

Lie iron is the most common cause of rls.

 

Magneseum taurate can be taken in high doses with no ill effects.

 

Next line of defence is gabapentin.

[Peach]

I get bad RLS attacks and for me it's always an iron issue. I keep carbonyl iron on hand (much easier on the digestive system than ferrous sulfate) and when the RLS starts, I can take a dose of that and it will stop it. If your tests show anemia that could be the cause. 

[BlsdMama]

As a side note, calcium with iron lowers absorption while Vitamin C with iron increases absorption. I like Floradix iron and herbs, I can always feel a difference when I'm taking it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Prescription for gabapentin. 

[hornblower]

B12 deficiency can also trigger RLS so maybe consider supplementing that. 

 

[displace]

Multivitamins may help, along with iron supplements. Vit d def can cause it, and likely other nutritional deficiencies.

[trulycrabby]

It's the anemia. Floridex liquid iron saved my life in so many ways-I have very bad RLS, and a teaspoon at night plus two motrin are the only things that help. I don't do the iron every night any more since I am now menopausal, but the motrin makes a huge difference.

[PrincessMommy]

For specifically magnesium, have you considered epsom salt baths? You said warm baths but I'm not sure what was in it.

 

For me, really paying attention to dietary potassium helped with the horrible leg cramps I used to get.

 

yes, I do that too.  I don't think it's its enough since I have a long soaking tub and I don't want to put in a whole bag of epsom.

[PrincessMommy]

It's the anemia. Floridex liquid iron saved my life in so many ways-I have very bad RLS, and a teaspoon at night plus two motrin are the only things that help. I don't do the iron every night any more since I am now menopausal, but the motrin makes a huge difference.

 

why not do the iron when you're menopausal?   I'm also going through menopause. 

[Katy]

why not do the iron when you're menopausal?   I'm also going through menopause. 

 

Because you don't need extra iron when you're not bleeding regularly, and too much iron encourages cancer growth.

[MamaBearTeacher]

My son has restless leg, sometimes bad. he is 15. We already supplement high doses of magnesium. He is not testing anemic. He is always low in zinc. I'm wondering what the cause of the RLS could be in his case and what I should do about it.

[ktgrok]

interesting.  I just got blood work done and it came back that I was anemic. 

 

 

Restless legs is a classic symptom of anemia. I bet if you get your iron levels back up it goes away.

[PrincessMommy]

I wanted to update this thread.   I started using liquid iron supplements within a day or two of starting this thread.  I figured I start with that and move on if it didn't seem to help.   Thankfully, the easiest solution was the one that worked!   I have not had an issue with RLS since that first day of taking iron.  yay!

 

Thanks everyone for your imput. I'll definitely keep this thread in mind, esp. if I start to have issues again.

[Twigs]

Good news! Thanks for updating.