Effective Natural Remedies for Restless Legs Syndrome Relief

The earliest I can remember having Restless Leg Syndrome is at 20. I didn't know it than. I now 36 and have found that diet has helped control the RLS. For me, egg yolk and various dairy products spark my RLS symptoms. I also discovered that taking baths or showers with lots of soap prior to retiring to my bed helped reduce my RLS. I use my husbands soap Dove for men or Zest or Irish Spring. All work. When I place a bar in my bath water and let it dissolve and stay there for 20 minutes I get better results. I also found that deodorant Secret clinical strength works when I rub it on my leg. I am sharing this because I have researched many ways to overcome this excruciating discomfort. It is not a joke to me and I can only hope that my sharing can provide someone else with some relief. I too believe that no one persons body chemistry is the same but we have to stick together to find ways to live the best quality of life that we deserve.

Restless leg sufferer for 35 years. For the past five years I have had complete and total success with one or more of the following:

1. Bar of soap under the sheets in bed.

2. Rub the bar of soap on your legs, just gently stroke the bar on the legs a couple of times.

3. Aloe Vera on the legs. Sometimes this might take up to 3 applications.

It's important to realize that 1. the body does know how to heal itself, it's been doing it for millions of years as we allow it to do so. 2. Nutrients/vitamins play a huge role in nervous system health. 3. It's crucial to try natural and non-harmful remedies whenever possible.

Iron, Folic acid, Vitamin B, Magnesium…exercise daily; no smoking or caffeine; apple cidar vinegar and molasses mixed into a glass of water all have provided relief for people suffering from RLS.

And, of course the soap in the sheets, baking soda/water rubbed on the affected area and no sugar.

And, before we judge something as "placebo effect, " we should actually realize that the most powerful healing tool each of us has is our MIND…Our mind tells our bodies how to heal, what to let go of, etc.

That's not to say we don't need a bit of help from the body and a few outside sources here and there, but when we harness the mind, we harness the power of nature to heal ourselves!

Again, I think it is crucial to determine the underlying issue - is it a nutrient deficiency? A hormonal issue (some research says it is - for both men and women…men have hormones, too), stress? A combination?

Good luck - I've had success with vitamins and exercise and placing my legs against the wall/feet up at night for about 5-15 minutes while lying in bed. My mom has had success with Calm (a magnesium drink).

In my personal opinion, I think if people are desperate for a solution and they finally have one that works it should be left alone. If you are supposedly part of one of these "support groups" then, to me, you should be more attentive to the support mission of the website than the undermining of people who want to get back to nature and organics to help with their remedies. If you do not agree with what people are actually saying works for them, and yes, outside influences do play a part in RLS whether you know it or not, then the old saying should be applied "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." Especially if you feel you need to log into an ORGANIC supported site to preach about the overall effect of "modern medicine." What do we see nowadays? Every RX you take has added side effects, allergic reactions, etc. For millions upon thousands upon hundreds of years the human body has sustained itself through natural means. It is what our white blood cells and lymph nodes are hard at work doing. Natural remedies are easily absorbed by the body, compared to new medications that your body has to learn to adapt to, which does not always work. Each person is different as is their "genetic make-up." So, take the prescribed medication, then what? End up with a new side-effect if your body cannot process it correctly.Also, what is the long term medical evidence that attest to prolonged periods of these medications? I have had lymph node cancer in the past and I have found that switching to natural products, choosing a plant-based diet and taking care of myself have helped in the long run, compared to "quick fixes" have worked for me. I'm not saying that it will work for everyone but why not, at least, try it? Sugar and a lot of these "ingredients-in-food-that-we-can't-even-pronounce" have been a huge problem for all of the US. You see illnesses popping up everyday that we have not even heard of before. Think about this for a second. You're eating things that are not naturally broken down by the body, and you are surprised when you start contracting illnesses, diseases and ailments. I went to Texas A&M (Go Islanders!) to study anatomy, forensic science, entomology and microbiology and I am still surprised every day from my findings on how resilient the human body is. I know, as a person with some medical background (my mother also has a masters in Nursing and specializes in Oncology and works for Hospice), that I am the LAST person to give medical advice but what I just read in your comments warranted a rebuttal. You are getting second-hand information and, as you stated, your friend is a chemist, then he/she should have SOME idea that some of these Vitamins/Minerals (or lack thereof) do cause a problem and can actually make the illness worse. 'Iron, folate, and magnesium are thought to have the most direct impact on RLS symptoms. (Source: HealthLine, Can certain foods ease my RLS symptoms)'

I apologize for my abruptness in advance but I can't help but be a little unnerved by someone claiming to help people and they decide to take their frustration out on a community trying to work together for a common solution. No, it might not work for everyone but it's worth a shot. And I agree with Rick, maybe managing a support group(s) might not be for you.

ps. Sleep deprivation is an epidemic, but its what we put in our bodies for nourishment, hydration and ailments that cause the bigger problem. You'll find that research in those categories explain a lot. These are sources that are trusted and written by MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS that combat these problems on a day-to-day basis. Notice that SUGAR is listed in every one of these articles.

Which foods should I avoid if I have RLS?

1. Chocolate
2. Sugary sodas
3. Fried foods
5. Foods and beverages that contain caffeine may stimulate your nerves and aggravate RLS. This includes:
6. coffee
7. tea
8. energy drinks
9. chocolate

You should also limit or avoid fattening items, such as:

• soda
• fried foods
• processed foods
• foods high in sugar

A 2009 study showed people who are obese have an increased risk of RLS. This may be because obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lower dopamine receptors. All of these conditions have the potential to cause RLS.

Iron Supplementation

The significance of low iron in causing RLS is outlined in the segment on Causes of Restless Legs Syndrome.

Since the 1950s, it has been known that iron therapy, even without the presence of anemia has benefits for RLS symptoms. Studies have shown a strong relation between body iron stores as determined by serum ferritin and the severity of the RLS symptoms. A study has shown that in patients whose serum ferritin was < 75 µg/l, oral iron therapy (325 mg ferrous sulfate twice a day on an empty stomach) on average improved RLS symptom after 3 months.

A recent study has shown that giving oral iron more than once a day or at a dose greater than 85 mg per day does not necessary lead to a greater increase in absorbable iron. Oral iron equivalent to 65-85 mg of elemental iron will be best absorbed if given once a day. It should NOT be given with solid or liquid food/dietary supplements or with milk. It should be given on an empty stomach an hour before eating or two hours after eating along with 100-200 mg of vitamin C. An iron panel (early morning fasting blood to check iron, ferritin, TIBC, and percent iron saturation) should be done after three months to check on progress of the treatment. Oral iron should be stopped 2 days before the iron studies are done. The goal is to get the serum ferritin above 100 µg/l.

If the patient cannot tolerate the iron, or, if after three months there has been very little change in the iron stores, an iron infusion may be appropriate. Delivering iron directly into the blood by vein allows the iron to bypass the gastrointestinal tract, which can limit absorption of iron when iron is given orally. Several different formulations of iron are designed for intravenous treatment and are used for the treatment of anemia. Two formulations of iron dextran exist (Dexferrum and INFeD), with the low molecular weight (LMW) iron dextran (INFeD) demonstrating better safety profile than the older version of iron dextran, Dexferrum (Chertow et al. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2004:19, 1571). Other iron formulations currently available for intravenous use include: iron sucrose (Venofer®), iron gluconate (Ferrlicit®), ferumoxytol (Feraheme®) and ferric carboxymaltose (Ferinject®).

Two, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies using 1000 mg of ferric carboxymaltose versus placebo (subjects just received the solution with no iron in it), have shown that RLS patients who received the iron had significantly greater improvement in RLS symptoms (Allen et al. Sleep Medicine 2011: 12, 906; Cho et al. Sleep Medicine 2016:25,16). None of these patients had an anemia and some of the subjects has serum ferritin values of greater than 100 ug/l before the iron infusion. Approximately 35 percent of subjects who had received the iron treatment still remained off of all RLS medications even 6 months after the treatment. (Site Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org)

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health/restless-leg-syndrome-diet#foods-to-add2

http://www.healthline.com/health/restless-leg-syndrome-diet#overview1

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/common-health-problems/allergic-reactions-to-food/

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2016/07/5-questions-randall-stafford-advocates-a-plant-based-diet.html

https://nutritionfacts.org

aicr.org/about/advocacy/the-china-study.html

http://nutritionstudies.org/author/tcampbell/

http://www.plantbasedpharmacist.com/medical-conditions/neurological-conditions

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/common-health-problems/

Bar of soap for RLS

I was searching around 2 or 4 am for something to help me.. the sensations were in my legs and my hands. I realized it was intense probably because I ate a bunch of brown sugar syrup earlier [craving] So won't do that again. Grabbed a bit of cashew as I was hungry...and grabbed a bar of soap. Incredible that it worked!! I noticed some on the thread put this to "placebo" affect which I find ridiculous. My whole body was going nuts and this put an end to it immediately. Had no idea if this would work or not but pretty grateful I have a go to now. Thanks Bar Soap!! [ It was just some bulk bar I get from the bulk store..maybe primrose or something which probably makes no difference at all.]

I can't believe that this works, but it does. My husband often gets restless legs at night and after checking this site and seeing the soap suggestion, I figured "why not, " especially because we had two fresh unwrapped bars of Dove soap (it happens to be shea butter scented but I don't think it matters). My husband put one bar each in a pair of ski socks (ha, lots of room for a bar of soap) and put the socks on while he reclined on the couch. He said it worked within a couple of minutes. He's now used this remedy about 5 times since then and it works every time. He leaves the socks on for about 15 minutes and even after removing them, he has no problems for the rest of the night. Bizarre.

There's a few people who seem to think others aren't taking RLS seriously all because others are on this site sharing their positive results from what they've tried. Well for those of you who haven't noticed, most of us who are suffering with some ailment or another are pretty fed up with not being helped by the doctors they see or even medication that's more lethal than the ailment itself. We have chosen to become active in helping to heal our own bodies by making decisions based on what WE feel is right for OUR bodies and everyone has that same choice rather they use it or not.

When people who have had success with a certain protocol share their knowledge, that's such a wonderful blessing to others who have RLS or any other ailment and who DO have the hope of receiving help. Even if it only helps 10% of the majority, it worked for someone, they are thankful! :-) How selfish & heartless it is when people are criticized for sharing knowledge for relief with others, regardless of how ridiculous the method may sound to those criticizing all because the method didn't work for them. So that leaves me wondering why are they even here on this website? Earth clinic is a place where people come and share their knowledge based on what they've tried and what did and didn't help them. Most of the remedies listed on this site may seem strange, weird or unexplanatory as to how they scientifically work so that just makes me more curious as to why people who criticize would even bother reading on this website. If all these wonderful testimonies weren't to my liking, I would be reading elsewhere instead of trying to discourage people who are looking and hoping for some form of relief from their ailment.

As for my own personal experience with RLS, I have symptoms off and on and like a majority of others have stated symptoms are more aggressive when low magnesium and sugar are in the picture. These 2 are the prime triggers for MY symptoms. Once I raise my magnesium levels and cut out the sugar the symptoms usually resolve rather quickly. At times I can eat sugar and a few hours later I will have full blown symptoms mostly in my legs after I fall asleep. It would also be good for others to make sure they aren't dealing with some type of anxiety disorder as well because foods do cause certain chemical reactions within the body and these chemicals sometime cause anxiety to buildup in the muscles and a person can show signs resemble RLS especially if they aren't an active person, based on MY own experience. In my case, I've been diagnosed with both disorders.

I have also gotten relief a few times from doing exercises in which I tighten all my body muscles at once and hold them for about 15 seconds, then I release them. After doing these exercises for about 10 or 15 minutes I can usually fall back to sleep most nights. This may not work for everyone but it's a lot better than not trying anything. Be your OWN critic, try anything that's safe of course or don't! Just remember, you still have nothing to lose except the faith to believe your circumstances could change from YOU not trying.

Hello From Lenexa Kansas!! I have been having a terrible time with this restless leg thing. I was so uncomfortable and it was already 2:30 am and so tired from not sleeping the night before for this same reason. I was beside myself and then I remembered this web site. I got out of bed and turned on the PC to look for it. I was relieved just knowing I found the site! LOL

I had read somewhere that it was a magnesium deficiency that caused this problem and even though the magnesium tabs would stop it the other side effect of the magnesium is profuse diarrhea. It (diarrhea) stops in about 24 hours when you realize that it's you who is causing the dilemma.

Anyway....I drank that baking soda and water thing and added apple cider vinegar and that didn't seem to work for very long. So here it is 4:30 am and I am frustrated beyond words. I go back to the PC....and thought about the soap testimonies for a moment. I had read the wonderful "yea's" for the soap. I thought it sounded to good to be true....but what the heck....I had nothing to lose but sleep....right?

I got up laughingly from my chair. Grabbed a fragment of a gold colored bar of Dial soap. I broke off a couple small pieces. (I didn't like the idea of soap lying in my bed with me) I put those pieces under my toes and put a light weight sock on. Did this to both feet.

I was soooo shocked that with in minutes it was as if nothing had ever happened and that whole thing was just an absurd nightmare! Boy O Boy!

I was a happy happy girl (age 58 - tee hee hee) because I could relax and just fall right off to sleep. I woke later in the morning and had to look to make sure I actually did this. LOL What a silly but powerful remedy!

Thank you Thank you Thank you for all of the wonderful testimonies!

Plagued with severe Restless Leg Syndrome. Tried many things. Bar Irish spring soap. One between knees and some pieces in socks under toes. Haha was shocked and so excited when I got sleep and at how fast it went away! Thank you all for your input and sorry to all of those who haven't yet found something that works for you. Good luck to those of you. Everyone should at least try soap. Doesn't hurt and so glad now that I was desperate enough to try it. Had to be, when nothing else worked ya know. Who woulda thought Irish spring soap. I was happier than I had been in a long time. And so excited. Sleep deprivation from rls is no joke. And helps also knowing that people out there understand exactly what it feels like. Support leads to coping mechanisms, often sometimes solutions and often sometimes good friends who actually get it. Thanks guys! :)

To Night dancer and Citygirl,

First, Night dancer says there is no "cure" for RLS.

Well, there has been one for me. I had RLS for seven years; every night crawling irritation around knees especially. Just about drove me crazy and kept me from much sleep.

My short term cure... Take a third to a half teaspoon of baking soda mixed in purified water. Disolve and then apply a teaspoon topically to most affected area. With me it is right on my knee caps. Apply twice to three times within ten minutes. The irritation leaves almost immediately.

The long term problem for me and others I've discussed this with is harder... NO SUGAR. Sugar is the key to triggering RLS. I note Citygirl uses magnesium and there might be a relationship between magnesium neutralizing the effect of sugar.

But I have seen a DIRECT relationship between sugar consumption, especially after 3 pm, and RLS. I would guess it is a insulin issue that RLS suffers are seeing... perhaps a bit borline diabetic.

So the cure is: long term, eliminate sugar and if you can't do that then try the baking soda applied topically to get rid of the symptom of excess sugar.

Oh, and here's an interesting aside. Sometimes I will "feel" the RLS when I've had no sugar and will go back to what I ate for supper only to discover that... Sure enough... Sugar (like in pasta sauce) was a big part of the ingredients. So the RLS can actually inform me of hidden sugar intake.

Just remember: Sugar is the enemy.

Two years ago I had quadruple bypass heart surgery and a defibrillator implant. Well recovered but in last six months my body, especially left side, throbs as soon as I get into bed. Became sleep deprived and would fall asleep during day. Went to Earth Clinic and saw that possibly what I was feeling was a form of RLS although I had been blaming my defibrillator. This is crazy but a week ago I put six leftover pieces of soap in a sock and placed it between the sheets. For a week now I no longer dread going to bed. The throbbibg has stopped. Thank you Earth Clinic and all the wonderful people who contribute. I am a health nut, take no meds and am 92 years old.

I am a neuroscientist and I suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome. I've racked my brain trying to figure out why it works, but it does. About 6 months ago my wife started putting 3 bars of Irish Spring soap under the sheets next to my legs and my RLS has subsided about 90% (Ivory sop didn't work). I think the effect may be olfactory - the soap has to be strong smelling), but I haven't tested it (putting the soap next to my head instead of my legs). I am the world's biggest skeptic and I'm flabbergasted, but really, it works.

It's possible that there is some type of energy in the soap that transfers to the legs. Radiation was always present but it took Marie Curie to discover it. Bacteria were there before we had microscopes to see them. Just because we can't explain something, doesn't mean its effect isn't real.

You might preach to your victims that there is no cure, to keep up business at your "support" groups, but you are simply wrong. As mentioned above, magnesium deficiency is often the culprit, along with B12 and selenium. Anyone with an ounce of nutritional and/or physiology knowledge would know this. If you possess neither of those, you shouldn't be managing 'support' groups.

My husband had the worst restless leg. We came across video that recommended B-1. We bought dissolvable tablets of B-1 it's also known as Thiamin. He taking it twice a day in the morning and at night . One pill is 100mg he placed it under his tongue and waited for it to dissolve. He began to notice that his restlessness was less and less until it went away altogether. It worked! I hope this information helps someone.

My physical therapist talked to me about trying a weighted blanket which increases serotonin levels, calms the body and calms the nervous system and for many stops restless legs syndrome. I ordered a 20 lb weighted blanket ( the weight needed is based on a persons body weight) is basically a heavy blanket that goes over the bed. While we waited for our weighted blankets arrival. I added few more cotton blankets to the bed, and it worked. The restless leg disappeared and I began having much more deeper restful sleep. Once the weighted blanket arrived, it worked just as well. I hope this helps someone.

SOAP -

I had an incident last night ..my legs just wouldn't stop moving. I've had RLS in the past. So, last night while in bed trying to sleep I just could not get to sleep because of my legs ... how horrible this thing is. Well around 4:15 a.m. I got up and came to my computer,,,opened Earth Clinic, looked up RLS and saw how so many people were getting unbelievable results with SOAP ??? So, I opened a new bar of Dove,, put it under the sheets by my feet,,,and.....dozed off in no time. Just cannot believe what a miracle with such a simple, clean, solution - oh dear Mother Nature how we love you. Everyone has cancer in this country (including me) because they have destroyed and contaminated You all for money!!! God bless you all and sleep well.

Soap absolutely works, my husband has suffered with RLS for years, I read about soap and thought I'd give it a try without his knowledge to avoid the placebo effect. That was almost four weeks ago and he has not had an episode since. He filled his prescription for Requip on 7/8/16 and hasn't taken the first pill. He's NEVER gone this long, in fact he was taking a pill EVERY night. First I placed one bar of dial under the fitted sheet at the foot of the bed, the soap was YEARS old so after two days I added a fresh bar of Dove with it...they're both still there and working like magic. I was very skeptical and assumed it would NOT work but to my surprise it work even better than the Requip!!! So don't count this one out....it truly works and believe me I'm just as surprised as you are!!! I finally told him about it and he too was skeptical but it's still working so we're going with it!!!! There's a lot more to these old wives tales than we know or understand!!

Dear Ella,

Have you tried magnesium for your rls and restless arms?

Another great remedy for it is blackstrap molasses - 1 Tablespoon in the evening. I think it has the potential to help both of your issues.

~Mama to Many~

WARNING!

Be careful with poppy seed tea. It is as addictive as any of the more demonised opiates (diamorphine ["heroin"] for instance) but you are consuming a wide array of the opium poppy's dozens of alkaloids (morphine, codeine, thebaine, papaverine and many, many more). In certain individuals and dosages, poppy tea is a comforting, functional, relieving natural medicine - but it is as physically addictive as any other pharmaceutical or illicit opiate. Should you fall into habitual use of this "tea" (or wash, as I prefer to call it - the opiates are on the coating of the seed) you'll be addicted to that full spectrum of opiate alkaloids. The implications of the alkaloid profile are two-fold; the body metabolises broad-spectrum opiates much slower than purified morphine, codeine or opioid drugs that generally contain a single substance. This gives poppy tea a very long half-life in many people, meaning addicts (of which I am one, for the record) - can take it once a day, or even wait longer than a day for re-dosing before withdrawal symptoms become apparent. The downside of this is that upon ceasing the use of poppy tea, the withdrawal experience (which for most addicts includes intense Restless Leg syndrome; hence the slang term "kicking" a habit, which I believe to be a direct reference to this phenomenon) can also be extremely prolonged.... Leaving you back - or maybe worse off - than when you started.

While poppy seed tea can be a godsend for some people, it must be emphasised that there is a great potential for addiction, that it is nearly impossible to know how potent your seeds are, batch to batch from the same store. Because of this, quitting is complicated as taper need to be precise. I became addicted to these seeds for their narcotic properties almost 8 years ago. I am in the process of finding a way to shake my addiction with as little discomfort as possible. I am not saying "don't use poppy seeds", I am just urging caution. Mild as they may seem, they can lead to serious narcotic addictions. People may ridicule the idea of a poppy seed addiction, but for myself and plenty of other people, it is no laughing matter!

If you are going to use poppy seeds for RLS, please be aware that even taking some every 2-3 days can lead to physical dependence. It stays in your system for a very long time. You will then - if you miss that crucial daily dose or cease taking poppy tea - find your restless legs are dramatically worse, as the post-acute withdrawal symptoms from opium can drag on for months at a time. And opiate withdrawal RLS is not your average restless leg syndrome - it can be agonising. I would recommend using this remedy no more than once a week, if you choose to try it. Keep your doses as low as possible, as opium can be a very euphoric, misleading drug that can easily lull one into a false sense of security, and start dosing daily as I did.

I apologise for the negative post, but I really feel people need to know some of the consequences of this treatment, as it lead me from the spice isle through a wide range of "hard drugs", injecting street heroin and wasting a lot of time, money and effort in trying to stay "well", rather than sick from opium withdrawals. I am now seeking to turn my life around - I've always eaten well and lived a healthy lifestyle, but drug addiction does not discriminate! Please be careful with these seeds; I wasn't - even though I knew the risks - and now face a tough battle to rid myself of them.

Okay.... I have been suffering with Restless Leg Syndrome for about 8 years brought on by medication I am on, (at least that's when it started). I was actually looking for a natural treatment to help my husband with something and decided to look one last time for something to help me with my legs. (Haven't really slept much/well in 8 years because of it). I scrolled through the remedies (many of which I'd tried on my own), and saw this ridiculous soap thing... I thought what could it hurt? Oh my gosh!!! I placed a bar of Dove soap beneath the bottom fitted sheet located just below my feet. The first night I had just minor restlessness in only my foot! Fell asleep pretty fast. So the second night I used my feet to inch the soap up to between my feet, basically a bit higher between my ankles... it's been about two and a half weeks now, maybe three, with no restless leg syndrome! First time in 8 years!!! I am overjoyed!

I definitely recommend trying this. I mean, what do you have to lose? I still can't believe it myself but it actually worked for me. I don't know how and though I'm curious I really don't care. All I know is I am able to finally sleep and am so very grateful to this wonderful website and all of the gracious people who care enough to share their experiences.

Vitamin B-1 is the best. I am a 78-year-old male blessed with good health, but over the past fifteen years, I have had serious trouble with restless legs. I do use prescription medicine, but despite that, I often find that the troublesome problem still bothers me when I want to sleep. I have tried a few of the remedies on this website, but none of them brought relief worth mentioning—although I must add that bicarbonate of soda does help. Then I came upon Sophie's contribution regarding Vitamin B-1. What a blessing that was. I take 100mg twice a day. It is still early days for me, but I cannot believe the calmness Vitamin B-1 has brought to my legs; it is as if the RLS has completely disappeared. I will follow up on this post when I have been using the Vitamin B-1 for a longer period.

I must add that over the years, I have found a few triggers of restless legs which I try to avoid. The most important ones being: coffee late in the day, sugar in any form, and alcohol.