Restless legs syndrome

nightshift

nightshift

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I posted a while back about my wife getting back into working out after some serious health issues. She is exercising regularly now and is starting to feel much better. One thing has popped up that has me scratching my head a bit though. She is experiencing really bad restless legs at bedtime. The weird thing is that she describes the feeling as moving beyond her legs up into her torso and arms. Light massage seems to help some. Anybody know of any supps or nutritional items that might help with this. Thanks
 
yeahright

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Another sleep disorder gaining new attention is restless-legs syndrome, which afflicts more women than men. Patients feel an unpleasant creepy or crawly sensation in their legs, accompanied by an irresistible urge to keep the legs moving or walk around. Restless legs are associated with low levels of serum ferritin, the storage form of iron. Those low iron levels-which may be caused by heavy menstruation or pregnancy-could explain why restless-legs syndrome is more prevalent in women. Excessive blood donation or a vegetarian diet can also sometimes lead to iron deficiency, Kryger says. Restoring iron usually resolves the problem, but that can take many months, depending on the severity of the iron loss. Requip, a new drug for restless legs, works by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain, an effect also used to treat Parkinson's disease.

The Quest for Rest - Newsweek: International Editions - MSNBC.com
 
nightshift

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Thanks for the info links. I have been to some of them already. I guess more research needs to be done on my part to understand this issue more completely. If anyone has had similar problems and resolved them, please let me know.
 
yeahright

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Thanks for the info links. I have been to some of them already. I guess more research needs to be done on my part to understand this issue more completely. If anyone has had similar problems and resolved them, please let me know.
Best of luck to you. Make sure to check out the Mayo Clinic links becuase they mention various treatment options.....and if you need to convince her doctor, quoting the highly respected Mayo Clinic should do it.
 

rocketscientist

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cabergoline - don't have any reference handy, but do a search on pubmed and you'll find them.
 
glg

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Have had RLS for 20+ years. Tried many meds, muscle relaxers, anti-deppresants, anti-anxiety yada yada yada. A couple of years ago my sleep doc put me on Requip (before it was marketed for RLS). I think he was part of the study group. It has been like night and day. I take it about 1 hr before bed or when I'm on a long trip where I have to sit a lot (planes, pasenger in the car etc). If it persisit have her make an appointment with a sleep disorder clinic/Dr.
 

Scottyo

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also might want to consider another cause (though usually more apparent in intense-training bbuilders): overtraining. How recent is her working out kick been going on? how intense does she train and how much is she eating? a lot of people who overtrain/severely undereat screw with the CNS and cause restless leg-like symptoms. Just a thought.
 
CRUNCH

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RLS is freaking insanity!!! I've had it on and off for as long as I can remember. It will only hit me about once per month, but lately when it does it seems to be much worse. I don't have it enough to warrant any kind of long term meds for it though.

Some things I have found to work: a hot shower, just get the heck out of bed and hop in for 15 minutes, if it's not a bad night of it, that seems to help. Some times four advil will work also. Worst case nights when nothing else works...painkillers, works like a dream. I have a script for tramadol, a non-narcotic pain killer. Usually 1/2 10 1 tab will work wonders and you can get the stuff on the internet fairly cheap to as it is a non-narcotic. That stuff has been a life saver on bad nights!!

Good luck to your wife!!
 
glg

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New thought.

One of the triggers for RLS is low Iron. Women can run low due to their menstrual cycles.

Something else to check on
 

Regilow

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I posted a while back about my wife getting back into working out after some serious health issues. She is exercising regularly now and is starting to feel much better. One thing has popped up that has me scratching my head a bit though. She is experiencing really bad restless legs at bedtime. The weird thing is that she describes the feeling as moving beyond her legs up into her torso and arms. Light massage seems to help some. Anybody know of any supps or nutritional items that might help with this. Thanks

Hello nightshift,

I know of a faiirly recent nutritional product which people have said helps with this condition. Check out this site Goji Health Stories
and you can contact me at [email protected] for further information if necessary.
 
AnonyMoose

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try not to eat too soon before bedtime or have too full of a stomach or system filled with gas prior to this time she is having them.
 
Pfunk47

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I get RLS in my legs every so often - as odd and simple as it sounds Either just walk up and down the stairs, pushups (I know, not legs) - flexing and stretching help - I've found that anything that raises your heart rate just a little seems to help it go away - I know it's bed time and who wants to raise their heart rate - but it's better than the constant agony of that weird sensation.
 
CRUNCH

CRUNCH

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I get RLS in my legs every so often - as odd and simple as it sounds Either just walk up and down the stairs, pushups (I know, not legs) - flexing and stretching help - I've found that anything that raises your heart rate just a little seems to help it go away - I know it's bed time and who wants to raise their heart rate - but it's better than the constant agony of that weird sensation.

I used to that when I first started experiencing it. I'd run up and down the stairs, do a bunch of bodyweight squats, some lunges. As it's gotten worse, that quit working. Their used to be some long nights watching TV when I couldn't stand to lay down.
 
Pfunk47

Pfunk47

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Ice packs is another trick I have tried before as well - the cold took my mind off of it. The stairs and moving didn't always work either - I guess just like the hot shower thing - anything to "distract" or "calm" your nerves.
 

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