Restless legs...

[penny25575]

I think I may have restless legs syndrome..I am just dropping off to sleep when I experience an urge to either stretch or move my legs, it's beginning to drive me nuts (it can carry on for an hour or so and by then I'm fully awake). Any advice from anyone??

[Hgrove]

It can be a symptom of internal parasites; yes really;  I once knew someone, a highly respectable lady, who told my mum that this was happening to her and it was driving her nuts;  her GP thought of this highly unusual explanation; she had to have her faeces tested, with positive results, and she then had to have antibiotics.  It cleared the problem although she had no idea how she could have got them.

[becks]

I get this a lot, i suddenly get the need to REALLY stretch my legs and even when i do it's like i can't stretch them enough. It doesn't tend to be when i'm about to fall asleep that would annoy me, i just put up with it, although i jiggle my legs at home which drives my mum crazy. I think there has been something about thes before and maybe someone will have a medical explanation but i just put up with it.

[jills]

my gran suffers terribly from this, and gets very little sleep some nights as a result. It gets so bad that she has to get up, otherwise her legs end up beign painful.  With her, it's due to bad circulation which she's always been bothered with and now she's 83, the problem is gettign worse.  She is on meds from the doc tho, which do help a little.

[Robinia]

It's often due to a circulation problem.  Do you have cold feet?  Apparently wearing warm, comfortable (but not tight), socks in bed can help a lot - & drink plenty of fluids during the day.

[Solarjunkie]

300 iu of vitamin E per day has been known to have very good results.

Good luck!

[buchanan]

I get restless legs at night when I am trying to give up smoking and found that Kalms (herbal chill tablets) helped.

[Kay]

 RLS or "Restless Leg Syndrome can also be caused by medication such as antidepressants,tranquillisers etc. The "SSRI anti depressants such as Seroxat,Efexor,Sertraline and Cipralex are well know for contributing to RLS. One thing thats advised is to make oneself as uncomfortable as possible in bed,not very nice but apperently it works.

[jock]

I have this... It drives my wife wild in bed! (and not in a good way!!) I've found showering my legs, below the knee, with cool water can help... Especially after a hot bath. Soaking my feet in cool water sometimes helps too. Also not excercising too close to bedtime. I have also heard it might be a Potassium shortage, either a multivitamin that has a good dose, or a banana before bed! Good luck, because I know how annoying it is!

[Farseer]

I also can suffer this, i dont have a problem falling asleep but when i get up in the morning. I also have problems using pedal bikes as my knees start aching really bad, so i have given up on them. Try and get some cod liver oil tablets from seven seas they might relieve it because of the essential oils in it.

Are you a vegetarian and/or do you eat little fish?

[AB Editor]

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