Remedies

Doctors should not belittle symptoms. A minority of patients find their lives ruined: the need to keep moving may lead them to avoid social engagements. Insomnia too, can be a great problem ....depression is a common complication.

(British Medical Journal Vol.294 31.1.87)

All new members are asked to discuss their condition with their doctor. They should check that there are no anaemic, circulatory or disc problems all of which can produce similar symptoms to RLS.

The simple steps which may help to alleviate symptoms include taking regular gentle exercise, swimming, taking cool showers and indulging in relaxation exercises or yoga.

Avoid: standing or sitting for long periods, cat naps during the day, heavy meals or coffee before bed, restrictive clothing or any made of synthetic materials.

Many RLS sufferers, faced with a lack of medical advice, attempt to help themselves with home treatment which can verge on the bizarre:

Lying on the floor with the feet up the wall

Swinging the legs over the edge of the bed

Dancing, walking on cold tiles, kneeling on the floor

"Earthing" themselves by standing on the lawn or by standing on a cold bathroom floor whilst holding the taps for a while

Plunging their legs into alternately hot and cold water

Cooling the feet with a picnic ice pack or lying with their feet in the fridge

Drugs

Control of RLS by the use of prescribed drugs is akin to throwing pebbles at a can in the hope of hitting it. The list of drugs used on RLS patients numbers more than thirty and can be obtained from the Support Group if required. Although some drugs suit some people medical opinion is divided on the subject. For instance an article in the British Medical Journal (Vol.294) recommends levodopa whereas an article in the Australian Family Physician (Vol.17 No.7) states flatly the levodopa is ineffective.

The group has received enquiries from medical centre in the UK and from sufferers as far afield as Hong Kong, Australia and Canada.

Two drugs are now approved for prescription in cases of restless legs (Adartrel and Mirapex)

Herbal

Not surprisingly many sufferers have headed straight from the surgery to the health food shop.

Again, details of the variously recommended herbal or dietary remedies can be obtained from the group. The newsletter regularly passes on tips and hints together with copies of reports made by interested physicians who have begun their own research into the condition.

All new members are encouraged to ensure their doctors know of the Support Group work and the increasingly large body of knowledge.

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