I take an iron tablet and it goes away.

I suffer from time to time, waking in the middle of the night because my legs are running a 100m race against Usain Bolt, it's very common with runners. I've tried stretching in bed until the pain in the muscle resides (in the hope the legs will stop the spasms that can arch my back off of the mattress - it rarely, if ever, works) .... The solution I stumbled across....


For me what ALWAYS cures the problem, get up drink one pint of water and go back to bed. Within a few minutes the legs have stopped flinching as have the involuntary spasms, no more sprint races in bed and I am back in the land of zzzz for the night (as is my wife !!!).


This works for me. I am not a doctor and therefore do not advocate anyone already prescribed medication by a doctor to stop. HOWEVER, anyone yet to commence medication could perhaps try this first. If it works happy days, if not then try something else, at least the solution will not have caused you (or your wallet) any harm.

WATER is an amazing drug in fact... Got a cold? Expensive medication? French research conducted over many years testing leading cold and flu remedies found inhaling good old fashioned steam produced better results than any of the leading over the counter cold and flu drugs, and in 2nd place.... Chicken soup....

Like Two Bills says - Doctors are paid to prescribe, as are drug companies - neither make money recomending water (although I could see a case for Dasani getting in on the act!!!).....

In the UK we now starting to see research from Doctors on diet, lifestyle changes and getting active as far better solutions than a concoction of drugs... A view of water is good, sun, and an active lifestyle.... will let you know in 20 years of living the lifestyle in the Villages with a view over a lake on a golf course if the research proves to be true....

RLS is a sign of magnesium (Mg) deficiency. The most easily absorbed Mg is Mg citrate, Mg malate, or Mg threonate. Start with around 400mg per day and get up to even 2500mg per day in smaller divided doses. If you get loose stools, back off and slowly increase again. Also start eating lots of dark greens and put a bit of cider or rice vinegar on them as it helps the absorption of both the calcium and magnesium from the greens. Magnesium is needed when the muscle cells relax and try to unratchet from contraction. If there is not enough Mg you get RLS or muscle spasms. One site that has great info is Mercola.com. Dr Joe Mercola is a doctor who now does not see patients, but advocates for us against pharmaceutical and chemical companies, toxic elements, and such. He has a great daily newsletter. He has now developed a company where he sells all kinds of stuff based on what he has learned thru his current interviews, etc., but his main direction is advocating and educating us. His newsletter is very educational and you can send questions to him. I think he now actually lives in FL somewhere.

I alternate between 3 different prescription medications. I use each one until it becomes ineffective and then switch to the next drug and so on until I’m back to number 1. I can not take Gabapentin, which is the number one choice of prescription medication for this disease, due to other medical issues. I see a Neurologist as required. Since there is no cure for RLS, I find that it is up to me to keep it under control as best I can by being as diligent as possible about the timing and dose of each prescription that I take. I’d be happy to discuss this further with you offline if you’d like.

Magnesium works for me.
 

Ive had RLS for years and years. Heard that potassium helps but that didn't work for me. Been taking various forms of magnesium over the years. On and off. When i stop taking them RLS is back. Just need to skip two days and bang. So magnesium is part of my daily meds. I use magnesium bisglycinate to avoid diarrhea. (Schwartz brand from amazon)

This is going to sound crazy but I swear it works, take a bar of soap, place it between bottom sheet and mattress and no more restless legs, I swear, it works.

My wife has RLS occasionally and never found a solution until our daughter put us onto a 100% naturally, liposome infused, CBD cream that is 100% free of THC. She swears by it and I used it for a calf injury last week and was astonished on how quickly it eliminated the pain. I see why people are so enthusiastic about these products.

................and your legs are lovely and clean in the morning!:icon_wink:

When RLS strikes me , usually when trying to fall asleep , I get up and walk through the house for about 15 mins. Back to bed and no RLS

When I first read about doing this...I had a good belly laugh.

After waking up in excruciating pain from leg cramps, even drinking mustard water while half asleep (another supposed cure for cramps), a couple of times a week for months on end, I decided in desperation...to try the bar of soap "voodoo fix."

Even drinking massive amounts of water didn't help, which just made me get up a couple of times per night (not in pain)...to stagger to the bathroom and tinkle.

For more than three years now after putting a bar of Irish Spring between the bottom sheet and mattress cover, not a single incident...of having cramps at night.


Go figure. :shrug:

A bar of soap is good for leg cramps, never heard of it being used for RLS. As for Mercola, I highly, seriously, profoundly recommend that people not even click on that website at all, ever, not even just for ****s and giggles. It is a quack site known for pushing medical conspiracies, and the "doctor" is known for selling his own brand of overpriced alt-meds and supplements that do nothing at all in some cases - and in others, can potentially cause harm.

To wit: restless leg syndrome has NO known cause at all. It has several potential triggers, but its actual cause is not known. Mercola claims it's caused by magnesium deficiency, which of course he can cure by selling you his magnesium supplement. Meanwhile, magnesium deficiency presents with a variety of symptoms, none of which are restless leg syndrome. However muscle cramps - and tremors - are among those symptoms. RLS is a neurological disorder, not a vitamin deficiency.

If you think you might have a magnesium deficiency, you can get a lab test to find out for sure. If your doctor agrees he will probably check your potassium levels and your current meds, and then he'll make recommendations based on the results.

Taking more magnesium than you need can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, muscle weakness and fatigue. Taking TOO much more can cause death.

Again - I urge everyone to NOT consider Mercola a valid medical resource. It is not, and it can be dangerous.

I take Mirapex also and it has helped tramendously!

I know this sounds crazy but there was a syndicated Doctor columnist named DR. Gott who advocated placing a bar of soap under you sheets by your feet. I'v done it and I think it works.

Here is a link to support my claim:

Ask Dr. Gott: Can”t sleep with restless leg syndrome – Monterey Herald