Restless Legs Syndrome

[Sarah]

I have just read a post from Jules on another thread, she said that putting epsom salts into a bath can help with RLS. I am a chronic sufferer. For 3 weeks of every monthly cycle I am up every night, 3 to 4 times a night, pacing around the house. How does epsom salts work? If anyone has any other remedies to try I would be most grateful. If I can get the RSL sorted I will only have to contend with hubbys snoring:( Oh for a good nights sleep :giggle:

[magical1]

Magnesium deficiency Ms Sarah... If I were you I'd take a supplement. Or you could take a supplement called ZMA which is Zinc Magnesium and B (not sure which). Body builders take it to get a deep recovery sleep. It really is fantastic...I bet it would be helpful to you too. google it though and make up your own mind.. can be a research project for you. We'll sort out those naughty legs!

[jules]

I do the epsom salt baths
magnesium supplement
b-complex vitamins

And I have to watch how much diary products I consume in a day because that can cause it to come on severely, no matter what I take.

Dh is really good about rubbing my legs if it gets bad and that helps too. Beats keeping him up all night and me having to get up and walk ;)

Guess what is in the drug they sell for RLS? Magnesium! But then there is the other chemicals which I wouldn't want in my system...

[Mr. Beyondtheory]

Zinc deficiency is really related to restless legs, I hear. But magnesium makes sense. Good for the bones!!

[Sarah]

Thanks all for advice. Had been taking magnesium, but I have now increased my dosage and it seems to be making a difference. I also read that is was not advised to take the magnesium supplement right before going to bed as it can disrupt your sleep. I now take a bio-magnesium in the morning and lunchtime. I will also look at increasing my folic acid and zinc intake. Do supplements work well or should I really increase my dietary intake?

[Mr. Beyondtheory]

Supplements are expensive, but worth it sometimes. Once you're better try a really good diet.

For magnesium eat tons of green leafy organic or homegrown vegetables. I hear watercress and landcress are very high in magnesium. Tahini is a good source too. Tahini is so delilcious, and it is high in calcium and other minerals we need too. No need to eat dairy if you eat a spoonful of tahini every day.

Zinc is complicated. Soaking your beans and grains overnight is a good idea as this eliminates phytates which can interfere with zinc absorption. Wholemeal unrefined bread can be a source, and things like oysters are high in it. But oysters are also high in mercury these days, so I don't recommend it. I'm a vegetarian too.

Zinc is one thing I think is a good idea to have a periodic top up with a supplement. It is such an essential mineral,so good for the skin. Clinicians make a cheap effective supplement.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Thanks all for advice. Had been taking magnesium, but I have now increased my dosage and it seems to be making a difference. I also read that is was not advised to take the magnesium supplement right before going to bed as it can disrupt your sleep. I now take a bio-magnesium in the morning and lunchtime. I will also look at increasing my folic acid and zinc intake. Do supplements work well or should I really increase my dietary intake?

Have you a link for that? Most parents find that magnesium, as a relaxant, is best given to children about two to three hours before sleep. Wired kids IME, sleep better when mag is at the highest concentration in their body, so this makes no sense to me.

[magical1]

Makes no sense to me either especially from my own experience... Take some before bed and see what you think. It always gives me really deep sleeps.

[Sarah]

Have you a link for that? Most parents find that magnesium, as a relaxant, is best given to children about two to three hours before sleep. Wired kids IME, sleep better when mag is at the highest concentration in their body, so this makes no sense to me.

I have not been able to find the website I read this on, have been to that many :). I can see why this would not make sense, everything I have read now looking for this has said the opposite. I think it was in an article to do with Mitral Valve Prolapse, which was what I was searching at the time, which I also suffer from. Another good reason to up my magnesium:alien:

[Mr. Beyondtheory]

Mitral valve prolapse? That sounds a bit serious. I've been doing an assignment on the heart and circulation, so I actually know what the mitral valve is. Does this mean during the systole blood is squirting back thru into the left atrium?

I don't suppose any supplements can help.

[Sarah]

MVP, is apparently one of the most common heart conditions, 1 in 400 or so from what I have been told. Not too serious (I hope :-)) It is when the valve flaps between the atrium and the ventricle becomes too floppy and can swing the wrong way, letting the blood back into the atrium. I have had the sypmtoms as far back as I can remember, but only recently had it diagnosed. The doctor did not seem to fussed. It feels like a "popping" sensation in the heart area. I usually feel it more when I am really tired and run down. I have read that often it can be associated with magnesium deficiency. And I do seem to be suffering from it less since I have been taking supplements.