What are some alternative remedies for RLS?

Question

Restless Leg Syndrome. My fiance has it bad to the point she is becoming sleep deprived.

She doesn't want to use prescription meds because of the side effects.

Answer 1

An Alternative Protocol for RLS:

Supplements:

Calcium       500 mg  4x daily, after meals and at bedtime.

Magnesium  1000 mg per day

Melatonin     Start with 1.5 mg daily, 2 hrs before bed.  Increase (up to 5 mg) until effective level is reached.

B Complex   as directed

Inositol         100 mg daily, at bedtime.

Herbs:

Catnip, chamomile, valerian, hops (as directed- capsules or tea.)

Recommendations:

Avoid alcohol, tobacco, caffeine.

Avoid bacon, sausage, ham, eggplant, potatoes, sauerkraut, tomatoes, spinach and wine in the evenings.

In the evening, eat bananas, figs, dates, yogurt, or grapefruit.

Best of luck to your fiance- the side effects from those Rxs are a nightmare.

Answer 2

RLS can be caused by dehydration, too much caffeine or too much booze as well as by a deficiency of potassium (bananas), calcium (dairy products), magnesium (nuts) or vitamin B6 (dairy products).

Answer 3

Life Extension Foundation Recommendations

Eating a well-balanced diet and getting adequate amounts of iron, folate, magnesium, and vitamin E may help avert or reduce symptoms of RLS. It is also recommended that patients not smoke (Mountifield JA 1985) and reduce their intake of (or avoid entirely) caffeine, sugar, and alcohol (Lutz EG 1978).

To help monitor healthy blood levels of nutrients, patients with RLS might consider having the following blood tests:

Complete blood cell (CBC) count and chemistry panel

Serum ferritin

Red blood cell (RBC) count

Magnesium

Vitamin B12

The Life Extension Foundation suggests the following nutrients may be helpful in managing RLS:

Folic acid—400 to 800 mcg daily. Take with 500 to 1000 mcg of vitamin B12 daily in the form of methylcobalamin.

Magnesium citrate—100 to 250 mg before bed, depending on the severity of the symptoms.

Iron—Dosing is based on individual needs. Better forms are iron protein succinylate or iron bis-glycinate. Take with 250 to 500 mg of vitamin C to help the body absorb the iron.

Link to full protocol below.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

Awww...well I hope she feels better. Here is a list of a few home remedies that might work for her. Hope this helps.

- Jumping on a trampoline for as little as 10 seconds. There are little 'jogger' trampolines (called 'mini-tramps') for only about $40. She can do this outdoors if weather permits..and since it's a mini, she can do it indoors as well.

- According to the Restless Leg Syndrome Association and the results from brain tissues at Johns Hopkins Medical... RLS is from not enough B6 and iron... Try taking some iron and B6 pills. Also, magnesium and potassium helps.

- As I mentioned above about the potassium, a glass of orange juice gets rid of RLS. There is a large amount of potassium in orange juice. Potassium assists in muscle contraction and in maintaining fluid (water) and electrolyte balance in body cells. Potassium is also important in sending nerve impulses as well as releasing energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates during metabolism.

Basically your body is starving for potassium so your muscles can work properly. When you run low on potassium you get restless legs.

- Drinking at least one 500ml bottle of TONIC WATER per day. The QUININE found in tonic water helps very much for RLS.

- Rubbing some apple cider vinegar on your legs.

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Neurofeedback cures RLS. Go to a provider that is associated with a research group (such as EEG Spectrum). She can do this once per week for 30 minutes for about 10 weeks.

Good luck!