Restless legs support thread anyone?

[hippospot]

Including restless arms.

I've had this throughout my 30s, and now I'm early 40s and it's getting worse and worse. Was terrible during pregnancies. My mother really suffers badly so I assume it's genetic.

Please share your tips.

I am particularly tired at the moment and naturally it is worse (vicious cycle, eh?) It usually only starts in the evenings when I sit down for a rest after a day of rushing around

It feels like a punishment for daring to try and relax!

It used to only affect me in the evenings, but now it affects me in bed while trying to get to sleep. I imagine it will worsen with age (it wakes my mother in the night, contributing to her already severe insomnia).

[tormentil]

Are your iron levels OK? I had bad restless legs, then found I was anaemic. Took iron and the restless legs stopped.

You can try an epsom salts bath - a magnesium soak really helps.

[hippospot]

Thanks, I will try both.

A lot of the lifestyle advice I already follow: hardly any caffeine or alcohol, early nights, plenty of exercise, healthy diet...

[nonetcurtains]

My GP prescribed Quinine Sulphate tablets and they have helped me, I take one a day(evening). The restlessness starts again after about 22 hrs, so just suffer for the 2 hrs then take another tablet.

[Uphillanddowndale12]

I've had it for years! It drives me mad. I take magnesium supplements I don't see a pattern to it: Perhaps stress or tiredness. It keeps me awake and I get up and I do leg stretching exercises - I stand about 18 inches away from a wall and lean my upper body into the wall and stretch my calf and thigh muscles I do this about a dozen times, touching my toes helps. Picture it: Mad somnambulist doing gymnastics at 3 in the morning

[stareatthetvscreen]

what kind of works for me is

lay on back legs bent so feet flat on bed
(if my feet are touching ground - or think they are.. the reflex twitching stops)
i can't sleep like that though so just as i feel about to drop off to sleep i turn over to my side

sounds bonkers but its almost like i am tricking my brain :)

[Clarella]

Hi please check out the restless leg association - v good advice.

Ferritin levels need to be checked and try to get them quite high - over 100 is best (a U.S. Research place advocates this, I think it's something like the john Hopkins institute) and I find Epsom salts very good, as well as magnesium spray. I couldn't believe how well that worked.

In my case it was a side effect of low ferritin and possibly ssri (which can be another trigger). Almost gone now. But I had it all over.

[Clarella]

My symptoms were very much the itchy bones, not really the twitching.

[Clarella]

I think yoga is helping too, and exercise.

[hippospot]

Please can you tell me about the magnesium spray - I have never heard of this.

Thanks

[Uphillanddowndale12]

I got some from Holland and Barrett

[Clarella]

Yep h and b

I've recently heard of another one called ancient minerals, not sure if one is stronger than the other or not.

The rls association website is really good.