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RLS my living nightmare!
What else can I do? I’ve struggled with RLS since I was a kid. It’s got increasingly worse over the last 10 years. I’m 68 non drinker, non smoker, and no recreational drugs. I’m on gabapentin and Ropinirole at the present time. I also have a sleep apnea machine monitor by a Neurologist specialist. I cannot take iron because it causes a severe constipation in my body even if I take it along with magnesium. Magnesium worked in the beginning, but doesn’t work anymore. These last two months have been a living nightmare for me. I am literally up all night long. I have to stand to get relieve. I’m wearing down emotionally and mentally. I’m taking the max dose of Ropinirole now and the only thing that seems to give relief is taking more of it or more gabapentin which my doctor advised me not to do. I walk my neighborhood in the middle of the night so I don’t have to just stand. Deep massage rarely works. Sometimes deep heat will work, but only while I have the deep heat meaning if I stand in the shower, sit in a hot tub full of water I’m beginning to be super sensitive to air conditioning. I have lost 85 pounds this past year while taking Zepbound that was prescribed to help with the restless leg and even though I’ve lost that weight, the restless leg has not gone away. I’m curious if anyone has found a diet or any natural remedies that help? Hot tubs or sauna? Compression pants?
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I too have RLS and PILM but not as severe as some people. I started taking high doses of Vitamin D3 which worked great for the RLS and once I found that worked, I slowly reduced the dosage to 2000 MG at night.
The PILM is triggered by Benydryl, Ambien and like medications. For that I am prescribed 100 MGs Gabapentin but I try to avoid the triggers as I feel the Gabapentin makes me unsteady on my feet.
My mother had severe RLS and had to stand or walk around to get relief. I think maybe the Vitamin D3 is keeping the RLS under control. It's pretty benign so I hope you give it a try and see if it at least eases your symptoms. I started with 40,000 mgs and reduced to 20,000.
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1 Reaction@degarden_girl Actually, Vit.D-3 is not benign. Too much can actually cause problems. Vit D3 works with calcium throughout the body and too much calcium can cause major problems.
From Google:
Upper Limit: The tolerable upper limit for daily supplementation without medical supervision is typically 4,000 IU for most adults.Primary SourcesSunlight: The most natural way to get D3 is through safe, unprotected UVB exposure, though factors like geographic location, skin tone, and sunscreen use can limit production.Food: Naturally occurring sources are limited but include fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), fish liver oils, and egg yolks.Supplements: Because food and sunlight are often insufficient, D3 supplements (often derived from lanolin or lichen) are widely used.Health Benefits & RisksBone & Muscle Health: Prevents brittle bones and rickets/osteomalacia by promoting the gut's absorption of calcium and phosphorus.Immunity: Vitamin D receptors are found in virtually all tissues, and the vitamin plays a vital role in modulating immune function and reducing inflammation._Risk of too much: Taking excessively high doses (routinely >10,000 IU daily) can lead to vitamin D toxicity, causing a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which may lead to nausea, weakness, and kidney issues.
Your doctor may have OK’d your high doses of D-3, but I don’t want everyone to think it’s OK without a doctor’s knowledge and agreement