Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps!

[geckodani]

I've had RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) my whole life (used to kick in my crib, and the side of the bed as a toddler according to my mother). My mom and I both have RLS, to the point that relaxing at night was almost impossible, I'd wake up multiple times a night and walk, hula hoop, stretch, ANYTHING to try and make it go away. DH used to use a massager on my legs before bed to try and help me sleep. Well, I stumbled across something that helps A TON. I'm going to say 90% improvement.

Coconut water.

Seriously.

I picked a couple of bottles up at Whole Foods about a month ago just because I remember liking how it tasted on our honeymoon. Had one (11oz bottle) two days in a row. Woke up in the morning after drinking it for 2 days and realized that I hadn't been pacing at night for the past two nights. Thought I was imagining it. Bought a few more, kept drinking them, and in the month I've been doing it only ONCE have I felt the need to get up and stretch at night, and that was after a very active day. No more twitching while on the couch either. It's HEAVENLY. I told my mom to give it a try to see if I was going crazy, and she reported the same results. Something about the high potassium level + magnesium + who the heck cares makes RLS almost go away.

It's not exactly cheap, about $1.69 a bottle, but SO worth it, at least to me. Plus I think it's tasty. You can get it on Amazon.com, or at Whole Foods and health food stores. I just thought I'd post in case anyone else with RLS wanted to give it a try! Of the 4 brands they have around here (Zico, O.N.E, Pure Naked and Vita Coco) the only one I don't like is the Zico. It's also the only one that is from concentrate with added flavors - the other brands are 100% coconut water.

My mother is going to experiment with potassium and magnesium supplements to see if it has the same effect (she doesn't like the taste of the coconut water).

Amazon Links:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=naked+coconut+water

 

[soocool]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

It said that this is a good source of potassium. Maybe it is the potassium that is helping you.

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

It said that this is a good source of potassium. Maybe it is the potassium that is helping you.

Probably. I've tried supplements in the past though with no effect. Might try it again, but I'm scared to mess with what's working, LOL.

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Gecko - This makes a lot of sense, and I am going to try it. I have not been diagnosed, but I have had the worst problems recently and have been debating going in. I can't sleep b/c I toss and turn so much, get up to go to the bathroom just to move. At work I look like a little pretzel moving around all day b/c my knees ache SO BAD if I stay in the same position. I have debated a) being looked at for that and b) having bloodwork drawn. I don't eat many bananas or potassium rich foods so this might be my problem a bit! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you (waits for work to pass in discomfort so I can go to the store)

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

dragonnfly - let me know if it works for you! I'm not a doctor or anything, I just stumbled across something that works and thought I'd share. The funny thing is that I DO eat a lot of bananas, so potassium shouldn't be an issue. Whatever, I don't care why it works as long as it works! I found an article online that seemed to think it was the combination of potassium and magnesium + the natural delivery system. See me shrugging. But sitting still at the same time.

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Gecko - Potassium and Magnesium work together to help your muscles and tendons to function properly. Actually the main worker here is potassium, but magnesium aids your body in absorbing potassium. Potassium helps your muscles to contract and extend properly and reduces the toxin/acidy build up in muscles (when you feel muscle burn it is from your body developing a build up of lactic acid). Potassium aids in the release of the lactic acid, thus reducing burn, or in our case aching. Hopefully that explains it a bit. Of course this never occurred to me in relation to restless leg but it makes sense because if we aren't properly releasing the acid build up it would cause us to want to move more because our joints and muscles being to ache and or burn. Mine tends to be a dull ache constantly.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Maybe the potassium in coco milk is more digestible for your body than from other sources. Different people may get relief from different things -- as the condition might be due to different causes. The first time I was aware of it was on a business trip to Japan. Highways can get SO jammed there; we drove to see a customer & it took us 4 hrs to go 12 miles & 4 hrs to get back. I felt like I'd DIE, needed to move my legs so bad. Had it ever since.

Yoga does the trick for me -- leg stretching poses. If I do an hour of yoga at least every 2 days, I'm ok. Could be tension causing it in my case, don't know. But I'll give potassium a try too! Thanks.

--- Laurie

 

[Kismet]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

I'll have to give that a try. I don't generally have trouble sleeping but at times sitting on the couch (or in the car or on a plane) can be unbearable. Compression leggings really helped with the last long plane ride I took though.

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Jewel - what moves do you recommend for the yoga? I do yoga but most of my routines end up being hip stretching, core, and back bending.

 

[soocool]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

My dad would drink tonic water before bedtime. Tonic water has a small amount of quinine in it and I guess that always helped him. But if the coconut water helps you then stick with it!

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

dragonfly - very interesting about the potassium/magnesium. Makes a lot of sense.

Jewelfreak - I'll have to check out yoga too. I stretch every night, but it's not very structured. Maybe something a little more cohesive would work better.

Kismet - DH used to sit on a different couch when we would watch TV together because the twitching made the couch too unstable, LOL. So ucky.

 

[lulu]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

I take potassium and magnesium everyday and it really helps relieve the RLS. Ditto tonic with quinine. Taking the supplements has to be cheaper than the coconut water, but it sounds delicious.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

I am SO going to try this. I don't have it too bad, but if I have a really busy, active day it is the WORST. It's so uncomfortable.

I will tell you that after my c-section they put these things on my legs that would fill with air, hold for about 3 seconds, then release. It was so I wouldn't get blood clots I think. And it was the greatest thing ever invented! Omg, I loved that thing - I was really sad when they took it off because I was walking by then. I wish I could buy them.

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Oh that sounds fantastic monkeypie!

Lulu - So the supplements help? I may give it a go then. I really do like the way the coconut water tastes, and am happy that it's natural, but $50 a month or so is kinda steep.

SDL - I'll check those out too!

Edited to remove quote that didn't show up correctly. Meh.

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

I'm trying the coconut water today. Wish me luck.

Someone mentioned to me that coconut water might work as a laxative?? Has anyone heard this?

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Dragonfly - I haven't had ANY problems with it. From what I remember of the tour at the plantation in Maui, we were told that rancid/cloudy water can be a problem, and drinking large amounts (like 1/2 a gallon) can have a laxative effect. The 11oz little bottles shouldn't be a problem. My mother has had no issue either.

ETA: A quick internet search supports the "large amounts can have a laxative effect" theory.

 

[lulu]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

I do have to stop the magnesium during a crohn's flare because it does loosen up the system.

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

I'm trying the coconut water today. Wish me luck.

Someone mentioned to me that coconut water might work as a laxative?? Has anyone heard this?

Dragonfly - any luck?

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

The better half is always complaining of a sore neck and upper back so I went and bought 4 things of coconut water. It'll be a trial run for a week to see how it fairs. I'll report back

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Gecko - I think it helped.... but I hate the taste

 

[geckodani]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Gecko - I think it helped.... but I hate the taste

Aw. Sorry dragonfly! What brand did you try, out of curiosity? Supplements instead maybe?

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Restless Leg Sufferers - I've found something that helps

Jewel - what moves do you recommend for the yoga? I do yoga but most of my routines end up being hip stretching, core, and back bending.

There's a wonderful dvd by Karen Voight, called Pure & Simple Stretch; it's fairly old but still available. Karen uses some yoga poses & others of her own for slow stretches of every muscle in the body. I'm telling you, it helps me w/RLS and tension headaches like magic. I also have a screwed-up spinal disc & the back stretching in this alleviates nerve pinching. Don't know how I lived without it! Some of these are from there & others from yoga. For yoga dvd's, Rodney Yee is good -- he's put out several through Gaiam. I try to do 45 minutes most mornings.

Anything that stretches the calves especially helps me. I start in down dog & come up until my hands are flat on the floor right in front of my feet, legs still straight, & hold that position. Or Standing Forward Bend: move hands behind your legs & holding calves or ankles w/knees straight, bend forward as far as you can -- goal is for face to be touching knees. (My tummy gets in the way!!!! )

Sitting Forward Bend: sit w/legs straight out, feet flexed, lean forward till head touches knees; w/your hands you can pull toes back if you like. That's also good in a Wide Leg Sitting pose, holding feet flexed & leaning forehead to each knee in turn & holding.

One I LOVE is to lie on your back & put a rolled towel or yoga strap across the ball of the foot, then extend that leg straight up. As the muscles relax into the pose, pull the leg (still straight) toward your head in increments, pausing each time till it's comfortable. Move your hands up the strap as the muscles loosen to pull a little tighter; you can also pull the toes down more to increase the stretch. You can do the same w/out the strap for core muscles in addition -- lying on your back, grasp the toes of one foot & extend leg straight up as you raise your head toward the knee.

Another good one stretches the leg from groin to heel: kneel on one knee, the other leg bent in front of you w/ the knee directly above the ankle. Engage toes on the floor & extend the back leg until knee is straight. Extend heel back so the entire leg is stretched fully & hold.

To stretch the front of the thigh, lie on your side w/lower leg bent comfortably, lean on your elbow; with your hand around the foot of the top leg (knee on floor, not on top of lower leg) & pull the foot back till it touches your fanny, if you can. For more stretch, tilt the pelvis forward. You should feel it down the front of your thigh.

That's all i can think of offhand. Anything that stretches & relaxes helps if you do it at least 4 times/week. Additionally I walk 1 to 2 miles most days -- taking the biggest steps I can manage all the way, really stretching out my legs with each one. I probably look like a duck on speed, but who cares!

--- laurie