"Physicians also may suggest a variety of medications to treat RLS. Generally, physicians choose from dopaminergics,
benzodiazepines (
central nervous system depressants), opioids, and
anticonvulsants. Dopaminergic agents, largely used to treat Parkinson's disease, have been shown to reduce RLS symptoms and PLMD and are considered the initial treatment of choice. Good short-term results of treatment with
levodopa plus carbidopa have been reported, although most patients eventually will develop augmentation, meaning that symptoms are reduced at night but begin to develop earlier in the day than usual.
Dopamine agonists such as pergolide mesylate, pramipexole, and ropinirole hydrochloride may be effective in some patients and are less likely to cause augmentation."
- From NIH.gov
1) Have you tried Valerian? It seems to show similar actions to benzodiazepines. I use it every other night to help me sleep. It is an overall muscle relaxant. There are many essential oils available that have anti-convulsive effects. I believe Lemon Balm, Passionflower and Chamomile are anti-convulsion herbs.
Even if we do not know the cause of the RLS we can still use alternative remedies to relieve the symptoms better and cheaper than pharmaceuticals can.
As for these class of drugs: "For more severe symptoms, opioids such as codeine, propoxyphene, or oxycodone" -- NIH.gov ; There has to be a natural equivalent that operates on the same mechanism.
From your earlier response you indicated you were taking opiods. I am not familiar with the natural equivalent of this class of drug but will post later if i find that it exists.
The goal is to get yourself on the absolute minimum amount of pain-killers needed. The natural versions of the pharmaceuticals will be less likely in causing long-term damage to the liver.
2) Problems with Dopamine appear to be related to the condition. The following herbs/naturally occuring compounds act similarly on dopamine pathways/channels in comparison to pharmaceuticals: 5-HTP (from Griffona Seed)/L-Tyrosine(forgot what plant it is extracted from
).
3) Find out if you can get prescribed marijuana and move to a state that allows for marijuana prescriptions. Also see if you can find an edible/natural alternative to mary jane that is legal in the state in which you reside.
4) Try Tumeric root. Apparently the plant extract has a profound effect as a COX-2 inhibitor which functions tri-fold as:
a) an NSAID(Pain killer) as well as
b) a selective MAO-A inhibitor, along with
c) Anti-Anxiety/Depression effects featured in pharmaceuticals like Celebrex and Vioxx, except without the harsh effects of the synthesized artificial compounds.
I know that right now you can only focus on the pain and how to keep it away, but it is worth giving some of these natural compounds a try to see if it can treat your issue more safely than what you are taking now.
If you are unsure of how to start your search and are wary of scams you can private message me and i will try my best to point you in the right direction. I am very passionate about going natural because of my personal experience and success in leading a healthy life at 1/2 the cost (both monetary and physical costs related with side effects associated with using pharmaceuticals).
Off the top of my head since it's the winter time another two herbs would be worth a try since they are good for the season:
Cayenne Pepper - Mild NSAID effect, stimulates gastric juices and absorption of other drugs or herbs, has a warming effect if you are cold or have poor circulation.
Piperine - Great to combine with Tumeric for advanced effects. Increases mild warming effect on corporal temperature caused by Curcumin (Tumeric).
Definitely see what cayenne pepper does for you. I did a little research and it says rarely that RLS can be caused by
poor circulation. Cayenne definitely improves blood circulation and purifies the blood.
Also try herbs with a hypotensive effect (lowering blood pressure). High blood pressure (even minor HBP) can cause minor seizures which can manifest as RLS in those with the genes for it.
The guy who said reducing salt may be right. Salt increases blood pressure which would make one sensitive to seizures have symptoms that manifest as RLS.
Another issue you could be having is
low dopamine. Low dopamine can lead to muscle contractions and spasms as a result of nerves that are not being properly nourished by the chemical transmitter. These nerves will decay both in the brain and in your legs/arms which can cause involuntary convulsions.
- For the record...I am not a licensed medical doctor nor do I have any certifications in any medical specialty what so ever! However, a lot of this knowledge on these drugs/natural alternatives comes from researching natural treatments for depression.
Addition: This morning I was feeling like absolute shit. I had only gotten about 2 hours of sleep (by 100% fault of my own
lol). I was having some tremors and shakes as a result of the poor quality and duration of sleep that I did get. I took about 500mg of tumeric root (plant extract). I wasn't golden...but the tremors and fatigue went away and I was able to do more than just grunt and groan. I actually got an errand done today and was able to travel. I still am not 100% of course because nothing can substitute for a good night's rest. However, I am functional. Tumeric is very useful for hang-overs due to binge drinking for this same reason. It does something to soothe fatigued nerve cells.
Maybe I'm being overly-optimistic (which I rarely am!) but perhaps by this same mechanism it can help your RLS problem somewhat. Just make sure to do your research and don't take Tumeric with any pain killers or MAO-inhibitor anti-depressant/anti-convulsives. Make sure to try herbs only after about 2 weeks when you are clean off any pharmaceuticals to see how they work alone before trying combinations.
