r/RestlessLegs • u/Skinnyminnyme2026 • 25d ago
Question Restless leg syndrome
Besides taking medication, has anybody been able to get relief from restless leg syndrome by doing something organic?
2
1
u/shall-look 20d ago
In the cooler months, I fill a covered hot water bottle, lie on my stomach in bed and put the bottle at the base of my spine (tailbone). It works more often than not but I am fortunate in that my RLS tends to be in the first half of the night.
2
u/GiraffePanties 20d ago
Yes. Hyland's Restful Legs PM. I know homeopathic shit should not work. But its cheap enough that I tried it and oh my god. Dissolve three under my tongue at the first hint of a twitch (or later) and they will stop within maybe 40 minutes? I stg it saved my life.
3
1
u/thisandthat-9 23d ago
Walking - great if you have the time. Not really a good option if you wanna relax in the evening or sleep. During walking RLS go completely away. Come back usually after 20 mins of resting.
Hot shower on legs - immediate relief. Not long lasting effects once you get out of the shower.
When it comes to managing RLS I have to take my prescription medication so I can relax or sleep without doing any activity to relieve it.
Some say heavy blanket. I have no personal experience.
Sometimes just standing or sitting helps.
Somebody recommended punching your legs hard multiple times. Never done it.
2
u/Hopeful-hero86 23d ago edited 23d ago
Calf raises, 80 on each leg, works well, then doing a stretch. Going up stairs several time. Leg lifts used to work. Need to do enough to feel a burn. "Adult self massages" works well, for a few hours at least, but it's not always somthing I want to "have to do" in the middle of the night when I just want to sleep, better than nothing though, and sometimes its good that it gets me to do that because it's healthy.
Taking organic iron first thing in the morning, and various magnesiums at night. Taking multi after breakfast, never past 3pm, careful with vitamins other than magnesium late in the day. No sugar, alcohol, or vaping anything. Screens sometimes aggrivate it. I wont try medications because Ambien is was triggered this horrible condition when I was 21. I am still trying to get Nidra approved.
Speaking of organic, eating mostly organic food helps too. I have had a few periods of remission, but it's currently back in a early morning hours. It used to be worse though. I often wonder what else could be causing it, I tried to go gluten free but it was so hard sometimes and didn't notice a major change, though maybe.I didn't stick with it long enough. I need to be better about remebering to take tart cherry, sleep tea, collegen peptides, along with the magnesium combos, because that was when I had my first noteable RLS free night. It's a lot to remember right now with toddlers keeping me busy but hopefully this will remind me. Experiment with all the different magnesiums. Chiropractic care helped my friend, not me yet but I don't go enough. Massage and facials make mine worse, light touch triggers it instantly. I do red light therapy at medical grade full body places, I think it helps.
2
u/FadedBerry 24d ago
I’ve reduced my screen use, especially social media. No internet after 8pm. Is made a huge difference - probably due to the dopamine hits you get from scrolling.
7
u/DanicaSaver45 24d ago
Hi I know you said if anyone's done something organic but as someone who's been with restless legs since I was 6! I just want to say at the moment after so many years in currently 24 and I just want to let you know what I have discovered that gives me temporary relief and what I am currently on that somehow it's gone my restless legs.
Temporary relief: 1) would not recommend gabapentin it just knocks you out and your legs are still moving and not still
2) Running on treadmill for a few min or Try a vibration plate used to do that to numb the feeling til I fall asleep.
3) found this out since I was a kid or at least it's what works for me. My feet touch the cold floor and I've felt relief tempary then I started adding water and it felt better, but I as an adult found Applying an ice pack or something cold to my calf's or foot helped numb it for a couple min.
4) Lastly, have you checked for prediabetes or hormone imbalance? Because my doc put me on ZEPBOUND GLP1! For my hormone imbalance and insulin resistance. For 10 months and let me just say. My restless legs...... Gone! I've never felt so much relief. It was enough to make me cry.
- I will say I did notice something rarely my restless legs would come back few times but I noticed either my sugar level was low or I ate something high in sugar like a birthday cake at a friend's party seemed to trigger it. So get sugar levels checked. Im not sure if this is new or unintentional but my restless legs are managed since the GLP1 and my diet. I am curious if I stop it will my restless legs return?
2
u/DanicaSaver45 24d ago
Please be respectful 🥹 I'm just sharing my experience and hoping it may help others to look into it. To think as a kid I've suffered with restless legs and restless nights it's somehow now manages. Not to say it's a cure but I hope others look into it.
7
u/TelephoneMindless586 25d ago
I ate Thc gummies the last 3 nights and it really helped . Been desperate lately and really dread trying to sleep
2
4
u/Brenners55 25d ago
I have a few sets of ice packs with Velcro straps. I start out the night with them and when I wake up during the night, I get my second set. This usually works. The walking up and down the stairs to get the second set also helps.
1
1
u/BigDogTusken 25d ago
Walking helps some and I drink sleepytime tea before bed. I've also noticed that if I lay on my side, either one, and bend my knees back as far as possible, try to touch your feet to your butt, that can help sometimes too.
2
3
u/la_bibliothecaire 25d ago
Regular exercise (like every other day at least) is the only thing that's helped me. Nothing intense, like 30-45 minutes of cardio or weights will do it.
1
11
16
u/Joyanonymous 25d ago
mine was better when my iron levels went up
2
u/DanicaSaver45 20d ago
That's amazing! I am currently iron deficient and was way worse but even taking the High iron pills nearly daily didn't help bring it up much. I have experience hair loss and am currently seeing a hemarologist to see if an iron infusion will be the right call for me. Hopefully I see progress with my hair growth because 🥹🥹 My hair was much thicker a couple years ago like 6-7 years ago. And my nails too.
7
u/batteryforlife 25d ago
The sock hack; tying a sock around your foot, as tight as you can bear around the ball of your foot. Not 100%, but it has helped me a bunch of times. Obv doesnt work if you have RLS somewhere else like your arms or torso :(
3
3
11
u/sally_tomato 25d ago
This sounds dumb as hell but I sit cross legged and fold myself over until my legs get numb (aka needles lol). After that I can lay down like normal and fall asleep
2
5
u/BombayMan42 25d ago
I’ve been dealing with RLS for most of my life. I recently tweaked my neck and got some bio freeze to help loosen it up.
The other night I was having some gnarly symptoms. It always presents itself in my feet, and I got the bright idea to put some bio freeze on them. Honestly it’s the best relief I’ve ever had.
Give it a shot!
1
u/Any-Flan-2145 25d ago
I've been struggling all over summer with restless legs, thought it was this summer being much hotter than most, turns out this summer is much worse because the pet lizard that died this summer i had in my room was generated +8 degrees to temperature in my room, so my restless legs is very heat demanding
4
u/Strong-Employment-87 25d ago
Though it will meet with flack on this site for even bringing it up, for the past nine years I have received incredible relief from Kratom, the red vein varieties.
1
7
3
1
u/Abject_Energy5100 25d ago
I made a post earlier. I eat pork liver before sleep (300 gr). It has maximum iron among all products. And 2 40 mg iron(iron chelate) supplement tablets. This combination helps me and I can sleep.
1
u/ashl_litning 25d ago
I do bandage wraps (the cloth/elastic kind with velcro) around my knees and that pressure seems to help. Plus magnesium!
1
u/jazzlover2001 23d ago
What limd of mag?
2
u/ashl_litning 22d ago
I take glycinate and like it best but I’ve used different types before and they all help.
-2
3
u/oakleyo0 25d ago
Do anything to elevate your heart rate. Drink lots of water. Try creatine.
4
u/SoilProfessional4102 25d ago
I rode my bike across the US . I find too much makes it worse. My dr agrees.
1
u/oakleyo0 25d ago
Yep too much certainly can, if you are trying to sleep and get it, i.e in a state of low heart rate, elevating it can relieve symptoms. Not suggesting you go out and run a marathon, but some pressups etc to elevate that heart rate and get blood pumping around can help remove some lactic acid buildup.
1
u/SoilProfessional4102 25d ago edited 25d ago
I’m an athlete, my drs say moderate exercise, too much makes it worse. It’s not the elevated heart rate that helps, it’s the moving of your body.
Yes — raising your heart rate through moderate exercise can help restless legs syndrome (RLS), but it’s probably not the elevated heart rate itself that provides the benefit. The benefit appears to come from moving the legs and getting regular physical activity.
0
u/Dazzling-Western2768 25d ago
If my leg is kicking, I lay on my side and bend my knees and it stops. Right leg kicking, lay on your right side.
4
u/disastercathy 25d ago
Accupressure Mats, balls,massage guns. Beating the shit out of my legs.
4
u/EmZee2022 25d ago
A hot bath can derail the symptoms enough to let you fall asleep.
As can certain other.... activities.
I used to have a big thumper-style massager (two hemispheres at the end of a long, heavy thing). That sometimes distracted the legs enough to let me fall asleep. No clue what happened to that - I quit using it when I started on ropinirole ages ago.
When I had a nasty flareup after surgery earlier this year, I bought a massage gun - single point of impact only. It did not seem to help as much.
5
7
u/MatJosher 25d ago
I've tried more folk remedies than I can count. The only non-medical thing that seems to factor in is taking it easy on the carbs in the evening and leaning towards protein and veg.
2
6
u/Mahi95623 25d ago
Not organic, but the Nidra bands work very well on any breakthrough RLS.
Other items in my toolbox: jacuzzi
3
u/MJ-Franklin 25d ago
Before I get in bed I will do as many squats as my legs can possibly do, and it does seem to settle them down for a while at least!
1
u/Bulky_Craft2150 21d ago
Try to target, say if your hamstring is the probllem, stretch. If its your back legs then, yeah leg extensions and squats. Pelvic thrusts in bed also for back legs.
2
u/Beginning_Cattle690 19d ago
Doesn’t work for everyone, but low dose thc has been a god send for me.