Restless leg syndrome

[Edit]

I have RLS from very long time. I got a medication recently the doses get higher by my GP (Lavadopa), but I still have the symptoms and it is very uncomfortable, sometimes I can not sleep at all .I take sleeping tablet (Endep) too but not always helps.
Is anybody has same problem and can give my some advice how can I manage the problem. My sleeping is so bad, most of the time I am sleep during daytime and not at night. I tried different technic was advice by my psychiatrist, but did not made any different. I am lucky because I am a pensioner don't have to go to work, but I don't think this is normal. My biggest problem the restless leg, I need some advice please!

 

[sunkacola]

@Edit If you have advice on how to manage any problem such as this, please always feel free to post it here. A big part of what we are here for is to share information and techniques for managing fibro and all of the attendant symptoms.

My only advice is what works for me when I get something like restless leg syndrome, although it doesn't only happen at night for me and it is not as common for me as it is for you. I hook up my legs to a TENS machine and it usually calms the legs down in about 15 to 20 minutes. I have never found any sort of drug that helps with this, and don't know if there is one because I always try to treat everything without drugs if possible.

 

[Edit]

@Edit If you have advice on how to manage any problem such as this, please always feel free to post it here. A big part of what we are here for is to share information and techniques for managing fibro and all of the attendant symptoms.

My only advice is what works for me when I get something like restless leg syndrome, although it doesn't only happen at night for me and it is not as common for me as it is for you. I hook up my legs to a TENS machine and it usually calms the legs down in about 15 to 20 minutes. I have never found any sort of drug that helps with this, and don't know if there is one because I always try to treat everything without drugs if possible.

Thank you for your respond. I tried so many things I think maybe this try is worth. I started to take magnesium from a couple months sometimes it made a different and sometimes not;-(

 

[JayCS]

My sleep lab psychiatrist also asked me to try levodopa, but my unrest got worse, and then I discovered that if I don't lie on my lower back too long (<4 minutes) then I don't get the "lower back unrest", so we're sure I don't have RLS. (The lab results didn't show it anyway, we just wanted to make sure.)
I think magnesium is a good idea to try, but I don't know how much it'll help. Which sort are you using? I usually recommend malate or glycinate, unless you'd prefer a laxative form. There isn't much evidence for topicals like Epsom salts, but it might be 'nice' all the same.
Looking around for ideas I've seen iron, B12 & folic acid to be tested and if necessary supplemented, and gabapentin or pregabalin to try as medication (but these have many side effects). Using dopamine agonists like levodopa seems to often cause long-term problems.
Also I've seen and I see a connection - once again - to my "pet" - GABA, which subtly relaxes my muscles, even involuntary ones like bladder.

 

[Edit]

I got B12 injection every 12 weeks because my system not capable to take the iron from the food and the iron supplement did not work . At the moment I bought a magnesium active from bioglan 1000 mg.

 

[JayCS]

I got B12 injection every 12 weeks

B12 injections are a good idea, I agree. I do that too, and the bloods rocket (which is OK). However there are good and bad types. Again the normal cheapest one, cyanocobalamin, is also the least helpful. The other 3 are all good.

magnesium active from bioglan 1000 mg

Unfortunately not too good value for money. Have a look why and decide yourself if you want to compare to a different product next time:

This contains "Magnesium (as Magnesium phosphate pentahydrate 242.02mg) 50mg, Magnesium (as Magnesium amino acid chelate 250mg) 50mg, Magnesium (as Magnesium citrate 161.3mg) 25mg, Magnesium (as heavy Magnesium oxide 346.69mg) 209.12mg, Total elemental Magnesium 334.12mg".
Whilst 334mg of elemental magnesium is a good amount in one capsule, and the idea of combining 4 types in one may be OK if they are good types, I'm surprised (not really) at the types used, because they are not particularly bioavailable, only 75mg of them:
- The most useful, citrate, is only 25mg,
- they don't say which amino acid chelate is contained, it might be glycinate, but which type it is makes quite a bit of difference (but why don't they just say it?),
- magnesium phosphate is seldom used for oral intake, it's not even on the long lists of types. It's more for things like bone cement, and doesn't have much evidence for it, it is anorganic, meaning less bioavailable, and cheap, and
- magnesium oxide is contained most of all, 209.12mg, but, I quote from a quite good source:
"This is the most common form of magnesium, found in the majority of pharmacies. But it’s non-chelated, which essentially means it’s not an “organic” form. Thus, your body has a hard time absorbing it compared to other forms. It’s actually like trying to get nutrients from eating rocks. Clinical research also shows it causes inflammation of the heart membrane." (This explanation of "non-chelated" is slightly wrong. It is simply an anorganic form, as oxygen is anorganic.) It is good for stomach hyperacidity (milk of magnesia) and is released slower, which makes for time-released absorption, but it means this biggest part is cheap and not very bioavailable.

My acupressurist was interested in a similarly compounded product and could follow my reasoning to use something else.

 

[Edit]

you think I need to change to another type of magnesium for my restless leg? I am not a professional not really know what kind of ingriedient have to look. this magnesium tablet is 1000 mg, I thought it is high, but maybe need to look anything else too.

 

[JayCS]

you think I need to change to another type of magnesium for my restless leg? I am not a professional not really know what kind of ingriedient have to look. this magnesium tablet is 1000 mg, I thought it is high, but maybe need to look anything else too.

It's a possibility: No knowing, without trying! A better type should help more. Bioglan probably isn't helping much above placebo.
Most normal doctors don't know much about supplement details. Those that do (e.g. functional docs) say the above.
The quote saying that magnesium oxide is like eating rocks is from a Dr. Marc Micozzi.
"1000mg" is the total amount of the magnesium compounds in one of your tablets, whilst 334.12mg is the "elemental magnesium" part itself.
That would be a good amount, one tablet per day would be enough - but only if it could work.
Since magnesium phosphate & oxide don't really work, they are actually tablet filling agents (similar to magnesium stearate or mg. carbonate).
Magnesium citrate & the chelate one will be working, but they are 410mg as a compound and only 75mg of elemental magnesium.
To reach the recommended dose 300mg of magnesium you'd have to take 4 tablets a day, making the product 4x as expensive.
And if you really want to influence something as tough as restless legs, you need all the help you can get.
Magnesium is a silvery metal. So it depends very much on what you combine it with for your body to take it up.
What you could do before buying a different type is carefully increase the dose a bit and see if your restless legs improve, say adding adding 1/2 to 1 tablet a day first. Side effects if they occur are laxative and antacid, so if that would increase problems there, take them with meals, watch your gut and stomach & stop if it's too much. (These side effects will not usually occur with magnesium malate or glycinate at the elemental magnesium dose of 300mg.)

 

[Edit]

thanks for your responding, it was very informative for me , because I did not know much about how many mg I need one day etc.

 

[Sabina]

Have you tried Magnesium lotion? It works like a charm for me! My favorite brand is Life-Flo. My 95 yr old aunt suffers from restless leg so I get it for her also & am so grateful that it helps her.
Also, are you getting enough water during the day? Dehydration can also cause restless leg.

Best of luck - keep us posted.

KB

 

[Edit]

thanks for the advice, I will try ASAP !

 

[Badger]

RLS is awful for keeping you awake, it's such a maddening distraction. At night I've been trying a sleep hypnosis track on top of Amitriptyline and herbal tea.

 

[Edit]

Sometimes my symptoms are not there, but some night make me totally mad, because I can not sleep more than half hour in row.

 

[kellywil2009]

Hi I’m Kelly I’m new here but I have had fibro for around eleven years x I’m really struggling with RLS at the moment any advice or things that you try would be great fully received x

 

[JayCS]

really struggling with RLS at the moment any advice or things that you try would be great fully received x

Hi Kelly, and welcome in!

It'd help advice if you could share if you've tried all of the above vs. what you've tried?
(levodopa, iron, folic acid, good B12, praps high dosed, good magnesiums, TENS... and various sleep methods)