Rls

theoldprof · Jan 26, 2009

This isn't strictly for women, but it could and you're most likely to dawg your menfolk. Went to the family doc recently for other stuff. My knees have ached all my life. Told doc I had to stretch my legs out, bend my legs, tighten my knees constantly to try to keep the pain down when I'm in bed. Have tried aspirin, bufferin, Ibuprofin, etc. No luck. Asked if this was RLS, Restless Leg Syndrone you hear about on TV. He said it sounded like it. Said he could give me a script for Requip (or something like that), or simply take magnesium. Have been taking one 250mg mag in eve and one at bedtime. Pain is GONE. I have one new knee replacement and the other is shot. No pain in either at bedtime. Thought I'd pass this along. Hope somebody finds this info useful.

inkasnana · Jan 27, 2009

I was plagued by almost constant calf and foot/toe cramps several days ago and a friend suggested that low potassium and/or magnesium may be the cause. I started eating a baked potato every day which is high in both minerals, and the cramps disappeared. Another good food for both potassium and magnesium is a banana, though a potato is much higher in potassium. I bought a bag of potato's as they are easy to pop in the microwave and "bake" in a few minutes. Just be careful how much of the "good stuff" you put on it before eating.. all that butter, salt and sour cream goes right to hips! hehe

cheri1122 · Jan 27, 2009

Ink's leg cramps are different from the RLS syndrome - hers are the kind we all have after abusing the calf & foot muscles with the truck pedals, the dreaded 'charley horse'

and a steady diet of potassium does help avoid them.
The Prof's RLS doesn't seem to be related to anything you do, though, and is very odd: not pain, but a need to move your legs constantly when lying down. (Not much appreciated by a partner trying to sleep, sigh.) It's probably the strangest sensation I've ever had, but not one that happens often enough to do anything about it. Beyond marching in place under the covers, I mean.

Bananas and potatoes are a very good idea.
PS my dog likes bananas, too - is that weird, or what?

theoldprof · Jan 28, 2009

cheri sez: "The Prof's RLS doesn't seem to be related to anything you do, though, and is very odd: not pain, but a need to move your legs constantly when lying down. "

Yes, there was pain. Lots of pain. That's why I am so happy with this simple solution

cheri1122 · Jan 28, 2009

I guess it's different for different folks - it didn't hurt any, when I had it (rarely). If it had, I'd have been looking for relief, posthaste! Glad you found it, though.

Fr8 Shaker · Jan 29, 2009

I thought RLS was an uncontrolled movement of the legs. More so then HAVING to move them. Glad to hear the mag. is working for you.

cheri1122 · Jan 30, 2009

Fr8 Shaker said:
I thought RLS was an uncontrolled movement of the legs.
Dude, I think that's called 'sleepwalking'.....
(Sorry, couldn't resist)

inkasnana · Jan 30, 2009

I've experienced that leg sensation you are talking about Cheri, where you just want to lay in bed and kick your legs till you fall asleep. When it happens to me I've thought it would be nice if I could just take my legs off and send them out for a run around the block a few times so I could get some sleep. lol It's a very annoying sensation to say the least!

MentalGiant · Feb 28, 2009

theoldprof said:
This isn't strictly for women, but it could and you're most likely to dawg your menfolk. Went to the family doc recently for other stuff. My knees have ached all my life. Told doc I had to stretch my legs out, bend my legs, tighten my knees constantly to try to keep the pain down when I'm in bed. Have tried aspirin, bufferin, Ibuprofin, etc. No luck. Asked if this was RLS, Restless Leg Syndrone you hear about on TV. He said it sounded like it. Said he could give me a script for Requip (or something like that), or simply take magnesium. Have been taking one 250mg mag in eve and one at bedtime. Pain is GONE. I have one new knee replacement and the other is shot. No pain in either at bedtime. Thought I'd pass this along. Hope somebody finds this info useful.

Requip may cause patients to fall asleep or feel very sleepy while doing normal activities such as driving; or to feel faint or dizzy, nauseated or sweaty, when they stand up from sitting or lying down. If patients experience these problems, they should talk to their doctor.

Becareful out there while driving when taking this.

mypie · Mar 29, 2009

On a Did Ya' Know . . . there was no such thing as RLS until Requipp invented a drug that didn't seem to have much effect on anything but the tingling sensations in your legs. So, they invented the name Restless Leg Syndrome through a marketing campaign and advertised it on TV so every hypocondriac would ask their doctor to prescribe the new "cure".

As a post note, I think my doctor gets kickbacks from the company because he prescribed Requipp and never mentioned taking magnesium. My doctor loves prescribing medicines. I hate taking too many medicines and making the drug companies rich.

I will be taking magnesium from here on out!

XTeam · Mar 29, 2009

Hi!
Dehydration is the cause of many problems. Too much caffeine, coffee etc, could also cause some of your symptoms. Caffeine robs the body of nutrients. When you urinate, you need to replace that much in fluids. Is the urine color medium to dark? You need more fluids, meaning water! As mentioned in another post, eating a banana helps potassium loss. Exercise will help your muscles get enough oxygen in the blood. Not enough oxygen in the blood will cause cramps. Even walking more may help. I'm glad that you are feeling better. Linda