Posted by Linda (Eugene, Oregon) on 02/19/2018
★★★★★
I've had restless legs for years and I've tried all the remedies mentioned here in EC. Many of them worked for a while and then stopped so I'd switch to another only to experience the same disappointment. Quite by accident I learned that eliminating sugar from my diet completely eliminated those darned restless legs. And by sugar I mean “blatant” sugar! I'm talking about stuff like cake, pie, cookies, syrups, candy, and anything that is loaded with it. I don't obsess over it or scrutinize every label, but so far this approach is working like magic. I hope this helps someone.
Posted by Littlewing (Boston) on 05/16/2017
★★★★★
One other thing some people may want to avoid is milk, not sure if all dairy. I remember when I was 12 (I'm 51 now, have had restless legs since I was little) I was having headaches, and the doctor thought it may be an allergy and I remember he told my mom to take milk out of my diet for a month to see what happened. It didn't help my headaches but I remember clearly to this day that my restless legs went away. Came back of course when I started back on milk. The only thing that helps me now, food related, is to AVOID REFINED SUGAR completely. It takes a few weeks to kick in (no pun intended).
Posted by Karen (India) on 10/16/2016
★★★★★
I have had chronic RLS for 5 years. 5 years without sleep! I have tried everything, I thought, without success. Then, 3 weeks ago, I read a posting on a ME site, (I have ME as well) by someone that had been on a low oxalate diet for a year. He had not had RLS since starting the diet. I had just finished a whole 30 diet which made me feel terrible. I couldn't understand this as I was eating lots of spinach, carrots, nuts and beetroot.
I read the post about the Low oxalate diet, and he had listed the food that I had been eating, and ate a lot of before the diet. I straight away went to the low oxalate info page and read everything. Straight away stopped eating high oxalate food, but so not to start my body 'dumping', ate medium to low oxalate food. I have experienced only slight twitching, more annoying than anything, with three nights of just an awareness feeling in my legs. With pretty much three full nights of sleep. For me this is miraculous! I have by the side of my bed oils, magnesium, homeopathic remedies and creams. The only thing I have used since starting the diet is an essential oil for nerves, and I have only used it a few times.
I highly recommend this diet. Read all that you can, start slowly and persevere! There are many conditions that a low oxalate diet helps.
Posted by Sageinreno (Reno, Nv) on 04/01/2015
★★★★★
I had RLS, only it was all over my body, it started mainly in my legs and then eventually got really bad everywhere. I had never heard of the soap trick until now. However, I went on a no carb diet for a few weeks to lose a few pounds and the Body RLS completely stopped. I tested it further by introducing wheat back into my diet, it came back. Now, I eat a totally wheat free diet as much as possible, sometimes when I'm out with friends I can't follow it well, but I mostly eat at home. Within about 3 hours of me consuming bread, pasta or crackers, or pizza, cake etc...anything with wheat, it starts up again. I don't have celiac, and no one else in my family has any history of wheat sensitivity. My joints also swell up, I feel very arthritic and my energy level goes way down, that's just after ONE serving! So, just wanted to let you all know that there may be a root cause that you don't know about. It might be the modern wheat, it might be the roundup they use to dry today's wheat crops to get them to market faster, I don't know. I just know. I don't use wheat anymore and don't have the problems.
Posted by Lucio (Lages, Santa Catarina / Brazil) on 01/13/2013
★★★★★
If you suffer with RLS [restless leg syndrome] don't drink any kind of liquid at least 4 hours before bed nor eat any food with sodium.
I use to put frozen pulp fruits and honey in a blender and eat or drink 5 hours before bed. It works for me.
Liquid reflux and sodium are like poison for RLS suffers.
