restless legs

August 17, 2005 4:27 PM

Do you have Restless Legs Syndrome? What treatments have you used, and how effective have they been?

I'm posting for a friend. Already tried: eliminating caffeine, nicotine, etc., exercise, massage, baths, soap in the bedsheet, other non-medicinal options. I'm really looking for people's actual experiences with the drugs commonly used to treat RLS. Thanks in advance.

posted by peep to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

My father has both arthritis pain and RLS. His doctor prescribed Tramadol because it can be effective for both problems. It has worked very well for him--if he takes two scheduled doses in the evening, he generally has no symptoms when he tries to get to sleep.
posted by Galvatron at 6:00 PM on August 17, 2005

Number one for me is to avoid taking vitamins in the afternoon/evening and heavy red-meat consumption at dinner. I've found B-vitamins trigger it for me. The temperature of my legs under the covers should not be too cold or hot, either. OTC sleep medications for some reason exascerbates the problem to no end - I can't take them.
posted by prodevel at 6:51 PM on August 17, 2005

Magnesium supplements worked for my father and he had a pretty bad case.

My mother was very grateful.
posted by hifimofo at 8:13 PM on August 17, 2005

The only things that have ever worked for me are thc and alprazolam.
posted by Alylex at 8:46 PM on August 17, 2005

I also recomend taking a look at magnesium. It can do some pretty amazing things for some people.

Also, I came across this link on an email list; I haven't even read the article and have no opinion at all on hypothesis advanced by it, but it appears to pin the blame on an iron deficiency.
posted by Clay201 at 6:25 AM on August 18, 2005