lazysmirk:

tenthstreet replied to your post: Do you know much about Restless Legs Syndrome? I’ve read that iron might help with it (I kind of constantly have an iron deficiency anyways), and I figured I’d ask you because you know Things. Many Things! Wonderful Things.

Iron does help! My mum had RLS.

There you go! Also, here is a thing:

Treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) may not be necessary for patients with mild or sporadic symptoms or for those without significant impairment. Treatment should be tailored to the patient’s specific symptoms.

Drug therapy for primary RLS is largely symptomatic, since cure is possible only in secondary disease. In some patients, RLS symptoms occur sporadically, with spontaneous remissions lasting weeks or months. The use of pharmacologic treatment on an irregular basis is warranted in such cases. Continuous pharmacologic treatment should be considered if patients complain of having RLS symptoms at least 3 nights each week.

Nonpharmacologic management

Sleep hygiene measures should be recommended to all patients. Moreover, patients with mild RLS who are sensitive to caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine should avoid these substances. Offending medications such as SSRIs, diphenhydramine, and dopamine antagonists also should be discontinued when possible.

Exercise may be helpful for some patients; however, this has not been systemically studied. In general, physical measures are only partially or temporarily helpful and should be avoided prior to bedtime.

Some patients benefit from different physical modalities before bedtime, such as a hot or cold bath, a whirlpool bath, limb massage, or vibratory or electrical stimulation of the feet and toes.

Nonpharmacological management and sleep hygiene measures are the treatments of choice in children. A regular sleep/wake schedule and the elimination of stimulating activity and caffeine prior to bedtime are important measures.

Medications used in the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) include the following:

• Dopaminergic agents
• Benzodiazepines
• Opioids
• Anticonvulsants
• Presynaptic alpha2-adrenergic agonists
• Iron salt

All patients with low iron levels (ferritin < 50 ng/mL) should receive supplemental iron therapy. In iron deficiency, ferrous sulfate 325 mg may be given with 250 mg of vitamin C. Absorption is increased by taking this on an empty stomach and waiting 60 minutes before eating.

Parenteral iron may also have a role in the treatment of RLS secondary to iron deficiency anemia.

Anecdotal evidence from Japan shows effectiveness of yokukansan (an herbal remedy) in the treatment of RLS. Oral corticosteroids have also been used for the treatment of RLS in exceptional circumstances. Steroids and yokukansan are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of RLS.

Copy/pasted from Medscape. Iron is probably the easiest (cheapest) route. I can’t find any clinically significant evidence on yokukansan.

Thank you! This is really helpful. I’ve had RLS since I was a teenager, though I didn’t actually know it was A Thing until recently. It was always just “wow my legs are really, really, REALLY uncomfortable can it please stop.“ IT IS ACTUALLY BOTHERING ME RIGHT NOW HA HA ha harjehjkw wonderful. 

I have vitamins & iron that I should just.. keep on my desk at all times so I actually remember to take them. :T And there is actually a TENS unit in my house that I could use to see if that helps, so yessss. Excellent.