To ask if anyone has a magic cure

[ChilliChaos]

For restless legs?

I’ve been suffering for almost a year. Been advised by the GP it’s due to either (heart) medications I’m on, stress or hormonal.

I can’t take it anymore.

I’m exhausted. I’ve been surviving on 3 hours of light sleep per night (according to my Fitbit) for weeks. When I eventually fall asleep it wakes me up.

I have 2 small children (4 and 2) and am single. I’m barely functional.

Anyone know anything that can help?
I’ll try any old wives tales you can throw at me.

Might not work but look so pretty.

Have you spoken to your GP or the person who prescribed the medication that's causing it?

I was once on meds that caused RLS, it was hell, you have my sympathy OP. But I spoke to the Dr and said, I can't do this, I'm exhausted. They swapped me onto a new, equivalent medicine and the RLS symptoms went away.

A weighted blanket may help, though, if the above is not an option.

Failing what I said above, there are actual medications that treat RLS. Ropinirole (sp incorrect I think) is one of them. It can cause other issues like increased impulsivity (spending money in silly ways on a whim for example) but not everyone gets those symptoms and to be honest, I'd have done anything for a night of sleep. A friend is on Ropinirole for RLS and has no problems and says it saved her life. She used to get it REALLY badly.

Weighted blanket? They are expensive though, so borrow or hire one to see if it helps.

The soap didn’t work 😭😭😭

Compression socks! Absolute lifesaver.

I take a combination of magnesium supplements and vitamin D. It's been really effective, if I somehow forget to take then it's back within 2 days.
Please try, it's been a huge relief.

I have restless legs in my pregnancy. Currently I try using an ice water bottle in my calfs and the magnesium cream with lavender in it. It really is horrible thing to have.

I have found that a heated blanket helps, especially if you can wrap it pretty tightly around your legs.

Have a look at acupuncture OP.

Go back to your GP as others have said - check your iron levels. Moderate exercise earlier in the day can be helpful (I think not close to bedtime though). Baths before bed are recommended though.

There are a few different drugs that can be tried too, and if they don't work then a referral to a neurologist if your symptoms are dreadful (yours sound like they are with 3 hrs sleep per night ).

Oh, and do you take any anti-histamines? The sedating kind can cause restless leg syndrome.

patient.info/bones-joints-muscles/restless-legs-syndrome-leaflet

Make sure whatever you take is compatible with your heart meds.

You might find something here
www.fedup.com.au/index.php?searchword=Restless%20legs&searchphrase=all&Itemid=771&option=com_search

www.fedup.com.au/index.php?searchword=Psoriasis&searchphrase=all&Itemid=771&option=com_search

Seconding compression socks or elastic bandages. My partner has RLS so bad that I have my own bedroom but he's recently found that elastic bandages help.

I empathise so much with you @ChilliChaos, and all the others on this thread who are suffering with RLS - it's truly one of the most torturous sensations I have ever experienced.

I have issues maintaining my potassium and bicarbonate, my blood is quite acidic. Each of these issues can contribute to RLS, but all 3 together and my legs are river-dancing all night long and I'm getting precisely zero sleep.

The only things I have found which help me (nothing completely gets rid of it) are alternating hot and really cold (hot water bottle and a bottle of refrigerated water, ingesting lots of potassium and if all else fails (or after I've had a couple of nights in a row of being wide awake) I'll knock myself out with prescribed sleeping tablets.

I don't think there is an easy answer, but I'll be watching this thread in desperate hope!

Mine are hormonal so trying different contraception every pills helped, didn’t solve it but now it’s a few days a month not every day

HRT.

Restless legs was one of my perimenopausal symptoms.
Some of the suggestions eg bananas are linked to the issue being potassium deficiencies.

It sounds clear that your issue is not a deficiency & if it's disturbing your sleep so much, solutions like these are unlikely to work.

I get it intermittently, it was terrible when I was pregnant. I touch my toes, keeping my legs straight for as long as I can. Then I do as many squats as I can and go to bed. I never want to do the squats and always see if I can go to sleep without them but then I end up giving in and it works. Good luck.

My partner batters hell out of my calves. Big old massage with lavender oil always does the trick when I get jumpy leg now and again. Settles them down and gets them to behave.

Magnesium oil spray works for me.

I knew it would be about RLS before I opened the thread!
I too am a sufferer and no the bar of soap doesn’t work but I have found that magnesium sprays do!
They have a few on Amazon.
I spray my legs before I go to bed and rub in and it definitely lessens the discomfort.
I’ve tried everything but this is the only thing that works for me.

I’m sorry so many of you have this too.

I made my own weighted blankets with damp towels and slept for 6 hours! Will definitely be investing in a real one.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Vitamin D3!
Good luck OP

I take magnesium and high dose vitamin B6 and I no longer have any problems with restless legs.