Does anyone suffer from restless legs and what do ... - Page 2

silkyk · ‎03-03-2011

I had this problem and was looking on this board one day and someone (THANKS to the poster!) posted an old folk remedy for crampy/restless legs. It said to get a bar of Ivory SOAP (the old original stuff) unrap it and put it under the covers down by your feet/legs so that it touches them. I thought that was wacky BUT I am a big fan of folk remedys (and wackiness) so I got me a bar of Ivory soap,tucked that baby in right next to my tootsies and I have NOT had a leg cramp or restless leg feeling since. Amazing! DH laughed but said "whatever works" and it SURE did for me perhaps for you too. Don't know exactly why but you might want to try it out. Good luck and again thank you to the poster who first mentioned this "miracle cure" a few months ago. I get the BEST tips from this board!

Yardlie · ‎03-10-2010

@DowntonAbbey, I sure do suffer from restless legs...probably have since I was 10 years old. I've had doctors prescribe things, but I hate to add one more prescription drug to the mix.

I read that mentholatum (not vasoline) rubbed on the soles of the feet will stop coughing. I decided to try that for restless legs, and it works! Apparently it is the essential oils in there that does the trick. It is rather messy though, so you need to put on some footies after you use it.

Well, I got looking around and found a product at the Dollar Tree called "Menthol Relief Stick" by Assured Health. It is down in their pharmaceutical products area, and it is not always in stock...so I grab a few when I see them. It is in a container shaped like a stick of antiperspirant. I rub it all over the soles of my feet about 30 minutes before going to bed, and I still put some of those footies on as it is a little greasy. (It keeps your soles nice and soft, too.) Anyway, it works great for me...bye, bye restless legs! (You might need to give it a couple nights to start working for you.)

Good luck finding a solution that does the trick!

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ~~ Steve Maraboli

BLH · ‎03-10-2010

Restless legs can be caused by a low ferritin level in your blood. When I told my doctor about my restless legs, he checked my ferritin level and it was low. He told me to take an iron supplement with my Requip.

Miranda1550 · ‎01-20-2013

Sometimes it just goes away...........................but I would try the Magn. my Dr. rec. it.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

Ugh, what a horrible feeling! I was having problems with it especially at night. It would keep me up all night.

Anyway, for a while now, I've been taking 1000MG of Magnesium Citrate. I don't take it in the morning with those vitamins, but I take it in mid-evening, after I eat a little dinner. Along with that I take these little sublingual tabs from Trader Joe's that are Folic Acid, B6, and I think B12.

If nothing else, try the Magnesium. Mag Citrate is supposed to be the best absorbed, so that's why I went to that. I get mine at Amazon. It's not expensive at all.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

Silkyk - I tried the 'bar of soap' thing and it didn't do anything for me, but I'm glad it worked for you. I've heard it does help some folks.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

spent2much wrote:
I have both restless arms and restless legs. It only happens once every 2-3 months. I take one Xanax and I'm asleep in less than 10 min.

You're the first person I've heard with also a problem in the arms. My worst is with my right leg and my right arm. Sometimes the other arm will kick in, but mostly just the right one along with the right leg.

I'm glad taking something to sleep has helped you! I've tried everything including even taking TWO Ambien10 tablets and I would still be awake the entire night.

Somebody here once said that Benadryl helps. I say - DON'T DO IT. I tried that one night and it got even worse.

Yardlie · ‎03-10-2010

@chickenbutt wrote:
Silkyk - I tried the 'bar of soap' thing and it didn't do anything for me, but I'm glad it worked for you. I've heard it does help some folks.

@chickenbutt, my doctor told me that the bar of soap and magnesium supplements are supposed to be helpful for people with leg cramps, but not so much for restless legs. Who knows though...doctors don't have the solution.

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ~~ Steve Maraboli

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

Hi Brinklii! Yeah, I imagine there are as many opinions/answers as there are people, right?

Fortunately, I really haven't gotten leg cramps more than a handful of times in my life, but restless leg (or I call it restless limb, as I get it in my arm too) is pretty different.

While the bar of soap didn't work for me, I feel like the Magnesium Citrate IS working, so yay for that! It is the most frustrating feeling. It's like a physical version of extreme anxiety.

Since I have been taking the Mag Citrate I haven't had it happen (fingers crossed - hope I am not jinxing myself). I'd rather have my heart cut out with a dull knife than have another 8-10 hours of feeling this horrible physical anxiety. I can't even describe how awful it is when you have to spend the night in bed (can't disrupt the household by getting up) with hours of this and no sleep.