[Fwd: Upset_Sleep_From_Restless_Legs?]

[Guest guest]

Has anybody checked zinc specifically? For rls I mean. COCO

--- Upset_Sleep_From_Restless_Legs?

Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 23:04:54 -0400 (EDT)

From: jmjudson@...

To: rlssupport (AT) onelist (DOT) com

From: jmjudson@...

A friend has sent you a Q&A from Ask Dr. Weil (http://www.drweil.com).

Reply to your friend at jmjudson@...

Hi Group:

Checked out that site that Jeanne sent in the URL for and found this Q &

A on RLS. Thought you might be interested in it, plus it gave me the

option to e-mail it to whomever I wanted. I hope it makes it to the

group. Guess I'll see in a minute or two.

Jodi

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

What do you recommend for Restless Leg Syndrome? I've experienced it

during the daytime for quite a long time, but lately it has been

disturbing my sleep. Suggestions so far include yoga, vitamin E, hot

baths, massage, exercise, aspirin and acetaminophen. I'm interested in

both allopathic and alternative suggestions. Thanks!

Okay, so you're the one person out of 20 who has

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), also known as Ekbom's syndrome. You have

one or more symptoms -- an antsy feeling in your legs, jumpiness and

leg-thrashing, painful pins and needles, numbness or the awful feeling

that something is crawling under your skin -- and all this becomes most

bothersome in the evening, at bedtime, interfering with a good night's

sleep, which compounds the problem.

If you're a pregnant woman, chances are, the condition will disappear

shortly after delivery. Until the baby is born, or if you're not

pregnant, or you're a man, here are some suggestions:

The cause may be linked to a deficiency of zinc or

[/drweil/qa/0,3189,164,00.]folate. Take a substantial

multivitamin/mineral supplement daily. It may make the difference. I

especially recommend taking a calcium/magnesium supplement at bedtime;

these minerals calm nerves and muscles. Try 1,000 milligrams of calcium

carbonate and 500 to 1,000 milligrams of magnesium (any form).

Eliminate all forms of

[http://www.fi.muni.cz/~toms/Psychedelia/caffeine.html.iso-8859-1]

caffeine from your eating and drinking regimen. It's a stimulant and may

overly excite the leg muscles' nerve signals.

Moderate physical activity is good during the day, but do not overdo it.

Strenuous workouts in the evening can actually increase the symptoms.

[http://www.quitnet.org/QuitTools/] Stop smoking! Canadian physician Dr.

Janet A. Mountifield had a patient with RLS who, after trying all kinds

of remedies unsuccessfully, stopped smoking, and her RLS completely

abated. The reason may be that smoking impairs blood flow to leg

muscles.

According to the

[http://www.rls.org/Rlsf.htm] Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation, there

is no drug that can cure the condition, but there are four categories of

drugs that can help relieve the symptoms. They are:

dopaminergic agents that work in the central nervous system to intensify

the body's levels of dopamine (e.g. levodopa-carbidopa, pergolide and

bromocriptine);

benzodiazepines that are muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs and sleep

inducers (e.g.

[http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/clonaz.htm#sect-Description]

clonazepam); opioids, which are pain relievers for the most severe RLS

sufferers (e.g. codeine, propoxyphene, oxycodone, petazocine,

methadone); and anticonvulsants used to quiet the involuntary twitching

and kicking (e.g.

gabapentin).

If the alternative suggestions do not help, check it out with a doctor.

It could be a sign of a more serious health problem -- diabetes, a

thyroid disorder, kidney problems or arthritis. Once you've been

properly diagnosed with RLS, your doctor should be able to determine

which, if any, is the most appropriate prescription medication for you.

Dr. Weil

http://www.drweil.com

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