Upset_Sleep_From_Restless_Legs?

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Jodi

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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