Restless leg syndrome…
Question:
Mandy Berry asks: > Any advice would be welcome, either suggested cures, or where she can get > advice or support (UK based).
I can’t help you with UK-based support (I live in midwest USA), but I can tell you how my grandma gets rid of her restless legs. Her doctor told her that it was caused by low potassium. So, whenever she starts have ‘restless’ legs, she takes potassium pills. It helps her and, on the few occasions when I have restless legs and sometimes leg cramps, I take potassium, too. It seems to work. Another thing I have tried for immediate relief that seems to stop restless legs (obviously, it takes several hours for the potassium to get into your system) is to do a leg stretching exercise similar to the one used by runners. Lean your forehead against a wall, while your feet are maybe 2/3rds meter from the wall. Lean all your weight forward until you can feel the stretch in the back of your legs. Do this several times. I offer these suggestions because they have worked for me and for my grandma, but I must remind you that I do not suffer from restless leg syndrome very often …. maybe only once every 5 months…. and I’m not 56 years old. Restless legs may be like stomach aches… there may be many different causes. BJ
Response:
B J Kuehl wrote in message <6nbpes$1t…@uwm.edu>… >Mandy Berry asks: >> Any advice would be welcome, either suggested cures, or where she can get >> advice or support (UK based).
A couple of suggestions: 1. visit www.rls.org which is the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation website. There is some helpful information, links to other RLS-related sites and information on how to subscribe to a RLS mailing list. 2. go see a Neurologist that specializes in sleep disorders. He/she might suggest a sleep study and based on the outcome may prescribe some medication to help you. 3. Buy the book Sleep Thief, published by Galaxy Books. You can get it quick from www.amazon.com This is the so-called text book on RLS and has a lot of helpful information.
Response:
Don’t know if anyone can give me any advice…. My mother (56) has been suffering from insomnia for about 2-3 years now. Usually she will fall asleep okay, at 10.30pm ish, but be awake by 2, and then sleep an hour, wake an hour. This leaves her tired all day and is affecting her work. Most of the time, this all seems to be caused by a restless leg, which she can feel ‘niggling’ during the day sometimes as well. She has tried the doctor, who thinks anti-depressants are the answer (they don’t help), this moved on to sleeping tablets, which worked for a while and then she didn’t sleep again. Other attempts include acupuncture and now aromatherapy. She doesn’t really know which way to go next, and is at her wits end. British cures / advice seems few and far between, with doctors offering unhelpful conventional medicine, and little other alternative suggestions. Any advice would be welcome, either suggested cures, or where she can get advice or support (UK based). Thanks MB
