The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
B12, Folic Acid, Niacin
Posted by Alan M. (Oahu) on 04/06/2019
★★★★★
I had been suffering from restless leg syndrome for several years; only in my right leg. The problem would hit me in the evening, and would keep me from being able to sleep at night. I found a product which is a combo of homeopathic preps and herbs, and this works, but only for a few hours, and I think it was giving me nosebleeds too. So I spent time online looking to discover another approach to the problem.
What I came up with is three B vitamins: Vitamin B12, folic acid, and niacin, all in megadoses. Within a matter of a few days on this protocol, my restless leg problem rapidly diminished down to nothing. I now take 300mcg of B12, 800mcg of folic acid, 1000mg of niacin.
I take these amounts with each meal, so that is a total of three times those dosages each day.
Niacin (with flush) (nicotinic acid) is apparently more effective for restless leg than no-flush niacin. I discovered my body quickly adapted to the flush, and barely registers it any more. But I started at a much lower dose so my body could have time to adjust to the niacin.
Cold Room, Potassium
Posted by Bogdan (Canada) on 03/06/2017
★★★★★
Hi, what's working for my RLS is a cold room. I've had RLS since I was a kid till now, 50+ years.
Found a/c need to cool room 20 deg and take two potassium pills. This is it. all the best.
Dietary Changes
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.
Butcher's Broom
Posted by Laurie (Seattle) on 07/16/2016
★★★★★
Butcher's Broom helps with restless leg syndrome. Used to work in a vitamin store and customers loved it. Take the tincture or capsules twice a day.
Methyl Folate
Posted by Sandra (Seattle, Washington) on 03/13/2015
★★★★★
I have suffered from restless legs for the past two years and it had gotten steadily worse. I tried everything I read about on this site and nothing worked for me. Then, I saw a posting on People's Pharmacy about Folic Acid, so I went to the supplement store to get some. The lady there suggested Methyl Folate, which she said is a more absorbable form of Folic Acid. I took one 400 mcg at dinner, and another 400 mcg at bedtime. It has done wonders for my restless legs. I still get them, but much less often and much less severely. I wanted to share this so that others can benefit from it. I love this site.
Dietary Changes, Magnesium
Posted by Michael (New Zealand) on 10/17/2016
Well Kim, I have consistently recommended Magnesium Chloride LIQUID for leg muscle issues on this Site and I hope this will help you. Follow the maker's directions. If it does indeed prove beneficial for you, it ought to show results VERY quickly indeed! That is the good news. Please let us know if it does help you.
Cheers, Michael
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Patricia (Indiana, US) on 08/08/2014
★★★★★
It seems restless leg syndrome may have more than one cause. For ex. the first time I got it, it was due to low iron. I almost never eat red meat but take iron supplements. When I ran out I forgot about it until I got the rls and saw on the net that it could be caused by low iron.
Let me say this about iron & all supplements. A doctor I used to have, now retired, said that what they call "normal" in blood testing just means average. He said that after decade of practice he saw "average", therefore "normal", go down quite a bit. So he said go by symptoms and not just blood tests.
The 2nd time I got rls, many months later, I knew it was not iron. The stinging and itchy feelings reminded me of when I had done a parasite cleanse and checking on the net sure enough I saw someone saying that after getting rid of the bugs the rls went away. (Maybe they operate best in low iron conditions??)
I began to take a heaping tsp of diatomaceous earth in water every morning on a mostly empty stomach. In one day the rls was down to very mild in in a week it was gone.
Hulda Clark, famous for her cleansing regimes, said every person she ever tested for parastes had them, and everyone had tapeworms. One way to see this for yourself: Take 2 cayenne capsules in water 3 X a day with 2 glasses of water to keep from a burning sensation in your stomach.
Don't eat any rice or things like seseme seeds or nuts. In a very few days you should see "white rice" or seseme seed looking things, or things that look like cut nuts. These are parts of tapeworms. The cayenne pepper does not kill the head, though, which is what reproduces.
Anyway, food grade diatomaceous earth is cheap and very safe and will make all those symptoms go away, rls and tapeworm parts.
A Bar of Soap
Posted by Pam E. (SouthWestern California) on 11/15/2023 148 posts
Removing the wrapper will likely allow the energies in the soap to be much more effective ...
Magnesium
Posted by Prioris (Fl) on 03/01/2014
I use magnesium to keep my restless leg under control. Works well. I use a cal-mag-D3 supplement with food and add a magnesium glycinate if I feel I need it before bed since it can be taken on empty stomach and not cause diarrhea. You may want to also look into getting something called Calm and testing that out also. I take a potassium tablet every 4 to 7 days.
Magnesium, Vitamin E, Quinine
Posted by Adolphina (Merchantville, NJ) on 09/17/2013
★★★★★
I've had restless legs off and on since I was a child. I would get up and run around the block a few times when I was a child to relieve it. Later on I discover a remedy called Q-Rev for restless legs. They discontinued it unfortunately. But I remembered the ingredients, Vit. E & Magnesium and quinine. I take Vit. E & Magnesium as needed so the missing ingredient was quinine. You can drink a glass of Tonic Water before bedtime and it relieves the symptoms since Tonic Water has a tiny bit of quinine in it. Hope this helps.
A Bar of Soap
Posted by Pam (Clinton, Nj) on 06/04/2013
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
I have been using a bar of soap successfully for RLS for some time now but recently, it seems to have lost its efficacy. At first, I thought it was because I was using a handmade bar of natural soap in place of the packaged soap from the market. But even going back to the Ivory didn't help. I will try the niacin and vitamin C.
Iron
Posted by Jon (Australia) on 11/03/2014
★★★★★
Yes, I agree with what you have said here.
Low iron is a common cause of restless leg(RLS), dizziness, headaches and even anxiety.
It's important to test that iron isn't too high (because that can cause issues too) but I agree that for iron levels test - even when in the low range of normal - it can still cause these symptoms. I have read that Ferritin levels under 40 can cause low iron symptoms.
There is a differnce between bio-available iron and bio-UNavailable iron (RUST! ) , Bio-unavailable iron (oxidised iron/rust) can get stored in the liver and organs and cause issues.
Bio-UNavailable iron may also block avialable Iron from being absorbed.
So it may be beneficial to excrete any bio-Unavailable iron from your body. IP6 (extract from brown rice) is the best supplement to detox oxidised harmful iron.
Organic Unsulfered Molasses is the best iron supplement. 1 Tb morning and night.
This is my opinion
A Bar of Soap
Posted by Nightdancer (Land Of, Oz) on 03/25/2013
★☆☆☆☆
I was looking at the comments under Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and using a bar of soap for a treatment. There is no cure for RLS, so I refuse to use that word. I manage many support groups for RLS and other neurological sleep disorders, and have done so for the last 15 years. The only way soap can "fix" a neurolgical condition would be the placebo effect. While there is nothing wrong with a placebo effect, I hate to see desperate people hanging their hopes on a bar of soap. The first kind back in the 90's was use Dial, then Irish Spring, then Caress, and now Ivory. As a chemist friend told me, who also has severe RLS, "there is no way the molecules from the soap is going to jump onto your legs and quiet down those restless limbs". We say "limbs" because it is not only legs, it can be your arms, hips, back, in between your shoulders, etc. Whatever kind of soap it is, it will make your sheets smell better, and it is cheap, so not much money lost on a bad idea. What works for one person does not work for the next one. That is the only rule of RLS. IT is all trial and error, and I see most of the comments are "anti" soap, or some people tried it, and it did nothing for them. Yes, I was desperate enough years ago to try it. 65% of all RLS is Primary or genetic, so it is a genetic neurolgical disease with no cure, and it needs to be taken much more seriously than a bar of soap. Sleep deprivation is an epidemic in this country, and the world, and a bar of soap is not going to "save us". Never mind all the ridiculous "cures" being sold on the internet. Keep your hands on your wallets.
Iron and Potassium
Posted by Debbie (Portland, Me) on 03/18/2013
★★★★★
Three weeks ago my naturopathic did a full blood work on me for vitamins and iron deficiencies. My ferritin count was a 2 which is extremely low she put me on 100 mg of iron a day (a combo of Floradix and Iron C) for 6 weeks and my rls has been gone since day one of the regiment. I have suffered with rls for years and this is the only thing I have done different. I give all the credit to the huge iron intake that my body so desperately needed. Ferritin count is so important and regular medical drs do not check it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Linda (Atlanta, Ga) on 01/04/2016
★★★★★
Last Night was HORRIBLE!! I read your post and applied unfiltered apple cider vinegar to my legs and in about 5 minutes, I went to sleep. Thank you so much for having the love to share.
Magnesium
Posted by Marie (Burbank, Ca) on 01/28/2013
★★★★★
RLS is because of a deficiency of magnesium... Start drinking [an ionic magnesium powder]... You can find it in Whole Foods and other natural remedy stores... Drink it everyday... Especially before bedtime... It's bitter so cut it with some sweet tea...
Bach Flower Remedies
Posted by Tweetylynn (Richardson, Tx, Usa) on 11/20/2012
★★★★★
Bach's Rescue Remedy works like a charm. Two sprays in the mouth at night and I'm asleep before my horrible restless legs start up. Five nights in a row so far and no RLS.
Cotton Sheets
Posted by Grace (Seattle) on 01/31/2017
★★★★★
Polyester clothes, creates a very strong electrostatic field which affects the body which makes the body react. Polyester is the worst fabric you can wear. We purchase all organic 100% cotton sheets, blankets. We began to replace all of our clothes to cotton, wearing cotton sock is very important I can tell big difference in how I feel if I wear a cotton clothing I feel clear, light, calm I feel so much better and healthy if I wear polyester or any synthetic I feel really off and my skin body feel uneasy, uncomfortable and my legs jumpy.
Polyester is made from synthetic polymers that are made from esters of dihydric alcohol and terpthalic acid. 2. Acrylic fabrics are polycrylonitriles and may cause cancer, according to the EPA.
Trigger Point Therapy
Posted by Trish (Tri Cities, Washington) on 05/06/2012
★★★★★
I've had RLS for quite awhile and have started using Trigger Point Therapy for the last couple of years. I sometimes have to work at it a little while, but I eventually find the trigger Point that is causing the symptoms in that particular leg. After I have massaged it the RLS symptoms slowly go away and my leg quits twitching. I know I have found the right spot because it will trigger the twitch in my leg untill it is massaged. I seem to mostly find the trigger points are in my hips and/or lower back. You can find the books and videos online that can show you how. Hope this helps it sure has me.
Iron
Posted by Kathi (Everett, Wa, United States) on 01/16/2012
★★★★★
I used to have RLS as well and it was caused by my severe anemia. Once I was no longer anemic, there was never an issue with RLS again! I used wheat grass powder daily to build up my blood again. Give it a try.
