Restless leg syndrome help

[kevincoop]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I just spoke with a patient who had a severe case of restless leg syndrome. He has been on CPAP for years and tried several medications. His doc told him to try the over the counter herb Hawthorn. He said that he has not had an issue with his restless legs for over 2 months since he started.

[Starlette]

Is it a tea? How is it taken? I'd be interested in finding out more about it. I come from a whole host of RLS folks on my Mom's side.
We all (including me, Mom and sis for starters) would be throwing huggs and kisses to whosoever could relieve us of this dilemma.
Mom and Sis are on a drug prescription for RLS, I'm not.

Starlette

[kevincoop]

He said he took a 100 mg tablet twice a day. I have been reading a little about it and I would definetely talk to my doctor before taking it because it looks like can affect your blood pressure. Good luck.

[harry33]

some CPAP experts say they can stop this with a careful pressure adjustment

[DannyPh]

I had RLS at the beginning of My Therapy and was prescribed Requip for the RLS. After several months of therapy I was able to stop taking the Requip for the RLS. On Rare occasions when I feel the RLS I just take some apple cider vinegar and water before Bed and i am Fine.

[Starlette]

I'd rather go natural if at all possible. Danny, you heat that up? Starlette

[dave21]

The best way I find (and it's not much fun) is to cut out chocolate, any kind of soda, salt and alcohol. If I take any of these or a mix of these in a single day my RLS starts raging in my legs. Thankfully I don't get it in my arms that much it's only on severe days that I get it in my left arm. I mostly get RLS in my left leg but also get it slightly less in my right leg.

Also another thing is to exhaust yourself by going out for a long walk. Likewise hours of sitting makes it worse for me.

[montana user]

some CPAP experts say they can stop this with a careful pressure adjustment

'

RLS is very hard to treat with CPAP. Now Period Limb Movement is the one we can treat with CPAP. Sometimes the two get confused or people think its the same thing.

[DannyPh]

Starlett, No I just mix a couple tea spoons and water and drink it coldBut you can heat it if you prefer?

[fiberfan]

RLS is very hard to treat with CPAP. Now Period Limb Movement is the one we can treat with CPAP. Sometimes the two get confused or people think its the same thing.

My doc didn't say anything about this and my PLMD was almost as bad during my titration as it was during my diagnostic sleep study. Is there a source for more information about treating PLMD with cpap? I would love to talk with my doc about it when I see him next month. In my diagnostic study some of my PLMD occurred at the end of RERAs but much of it wasn't related to respiratory events.

[dave21]

There are a lot of thoughts in the medical profession that RLS and PLMD might be caused by Sleep Apnea if left untreated but there is no concrete evidence still. The suggestion is that untreated Sleep Apnea does kill off some of the grey matter cells in the brain due to the lack of oxygen that is caused by Sleep Apnea. The suggestion from some researchers is that because RLS and PLMD is a neurological disorder and a moderately high percentage of OSA patients have some form of RLS or PLMD that the two might be linked. However they say that at this current time it's just thoughts with no concrete evidence.

I know for my I had been suffering from RLS for a good 10 years, I was diagnosed with OSA about 5 years ago, although I know going back to 10 years ago I was falling asleep easily in the chair at night and snoring loudly.

[free]

Apnea can appear after plms is treated. For me the plms was severe and kept me from showing any apneas. After permax (drug treatment, a dopamine reuptake inhibiter) the apnea were seen on the next sleep study. Rls are not the same as plms but can be in the same person. Hot baths work for me. am going to try leaving out the chocolate etcetra. great pity though

[lorri214]

I have had RLS for about 30 years. I have taken every medication known to man. I started on CPAP about 2 weeks ago. I still have RLS, but I am hoping in time the RLS will ease up. My dr. thinks that is possible. Right now I take requip and oxycodene. RLS is a horrible thing to live with. Anyone who does not have it really cannot comment on it. It affects every part of your life and NOT IN A GOOD WAY... I am going to look into that herb hawtorn. I am open to anything and I have tried it all including accupuncture. Thanks for the info.

[dave21]

I have had RLS for about 30 years. I have taken every medication known to man. I started on CPAP about 2 weeks ago. I still have RLS, but I am hoping in time the RLS will ease up. My dr. thinks that is possible. Right now I take requip and oxycodene. RLS is a horrible thing to live with. Anyone who does not have it really cannot comment on it. It affects every part of your life and NOT IN A GOOD WAY... I am going to look into that herb hawtorn. I am open to anything and I have tried it all including accupuncture. Thanks for the info.

I doubt it will ease up that much. I've been on CPAP for over 4 years now and although I do get less what I would call RAGING days of RLS I still get it pretty heavily. It's 1:29pm here as I write this in the UK and I'm sitting at my desk and both my legs are buzzing and feel like I've got worms crawling through them. Coming from my thighs and radiating down my calfs and into my feet and into the toes.

I hope CPAP does help reduce your RLS but in my case it really hasn't that much. For the past two years we've had less extremely hot summers and the extremely hot summers are what really bring it on more for me and make it more noticeable.

Best relief I've found which is what most RLS sufferers find is to shake your legs, like in a left to right to left motion having them meet together then push them out and do that very fast. That stops the sensation which is brilliant, until I stop shaking them and then it comes back immediately. Most people at the office although they don't always see my jiggling my legs wonder why my upper torso is moving when I'm sitting at my desk.

When they do realise that I'm shaking my legs and feel it through the desk/table they tell me to stop shaking. Little do they know that I'm not shaking for pleasure...