DEAR DR. GOTT: I always enjoy reading your column. You seem to be well-grounded medically, yet open-minded enough to hear new things. I am writing to let you know my experience with restless-legs syndrome.
I am a 57-year-old female. My height and weight are proportionate, and I am healthy overall. When I get fatigued, or just very tired at the end of the day, I am often bothered by RLS. It is annoying to say the least. Generally, I take an aspirin or two, which helps calm things down, but I already have thin blood and don’t like to take more than is necessary.
One night, I had both a hacking cough and RLS symptoms. I got out of bed and took a spoonful of honey to coat my throat. Minutes after I went back to bed, the RLS symptoms settled down. Just a fluke, I thought. Well, I have learned over time that taking a spoonful of honey has indeed helped the situation. I don’t need it every night, but when I do, it is nice to know that there is something in the house apart from medicine to help me. Oh, and the honey helped to quell my cough, too.
DEAR READER: Restless-legs syndrome is an annoying but harmless condition that causes the sufferer to experience odd sensations in the legs such as tingling, aching, burning, crawling, itching, pain and much more when sitting or lying down. It typically causes an urge to get up and move. In severe cases, these abnormal sensations may be experienced in the upper extremities as well.
Symptoms generally begin during extended periods of inactivity. They may worsen in the evening and throughout the night, causing the legs to twitch — a condition known as periodic limb movements of sleep. These sensations often cause sufferers to have trouble falling or staying asleep. Relief is often found by getting out of bed and moving around.
There is no one cause of RLS, and in many instances, no cause can be found. The current thought is that it may be the result of an imbalance of dopamine, the brain chemical that helps control muscle movement. There is a known hereditary link in approximately 50 percent of all cases. Pregnancy can cause temporary RLS symptoms, but most women experience relief shortly after delivery. Peripheral neuropathy, kidney failure and iron deficiency may also cause or worsen symptoms.
Now, before I am berated by my readers, I will mention sleep apnea. However, the various related departments of the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Mayo Clinic do not list sleep apnea as a cause of RLS. In fact, I cannot find any scientific studies that show the two conditions are related. However, this does not mean they aren’t. Perhaps researchers need to study this possible connection.
Honey as a remedy to RLS is new to me. Hawthorn berries, magnesium and calcium, soap under the sheets, pickle juice, electrolyte sports drinks and other remedies have helped some of my readers who suffer from RLS. Unfortunately, RLS is often difficult to treat, with few prescription options being available and home remedies being extremely beneficial for one and not at all for another. On occasion, I get a letter from a sufferer who is helped intermittently by one or more home remedies.
So, readers, here is another one to try. This option is admittedly better tasting than pickle juice, but does it work? Try it, and let me know your results. I will print a follow-up article once I receive enough results.
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