Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: cubagirl on January 12, 2017, 11:19:49 PM
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I know many of you suffer with this, as do I. So I googled help for restless legs.
Among many suggestions these two had me smiling.
Have sex
Sleep in a soapy bed
Now the first, I can understand, but how the heck do you sleep on a soapy bed? ;D ;D ;D
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;D
I have the habit of placing soaps on the wardrobe where I keep my sheets and towels... the smell has a relaxing effect on me ;)
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That makes sense, but how do you sleep in a soapy bed without slipping & sliding out of it? Of course maybe because you would be concentrating so hard on staying put, you'd forget about the restless legs. ;D ;D ;D
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Do you think it was a water bed, Cubagirl? ;D
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;D ;D ;D
Have you tried it, cubagirl?
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BANANAS! 4 me it's lack of potassium so 3/4 small bananas each day cured those sensations. Or Nurofen an hour B4 bedtime if I feel symptoms coming on. Why it happens at night I can't understand, I am aware of the pulling sensations all day but it begins as soon as I go to bed >:(.
For a few years I slept with 2 double blankets under my side of the mattress as I found that elevating the legs helped - of course I would roll over int he night and disturb Himself ::)
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Actually, ladies, I found this about putting a bar of soap underneath your fitted sheet, so who knows!!
http://rls-restlesslegssyndrome.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/is-soap-treatment-for-restless-legs.html
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Sorry CLKD, now I'm singing Bananas in Pyjamas. ;D ;D ;D I've upped my bananas, but not making a difference to me, glad it works for you though.
Well I never Jenna. ::) I've got a bar of posh soap in a drawer, might just take it out & give it a go.
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I began eating bananas to keep blood sugar levels even, as part of the advice from NAPS. After 5 nights I realised that the awful sensations had gone so I stuck with eating 3/4 small ones daily for 10 years - no problems but I got sick of bananas ;D
Nurofen an hour B4 bed helps too.
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They've got to be just right too, not black , but speckled. Hubby can't stand them like that, so when his get a bit too ripe I eat them. ;)
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a banana a day has helped mine too. I still get it occasionally but nothing like I used to. It must be low potassium that causes it.
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It doesn't matter for me what state the fruit is in, it's the potassium that is important, however, I HATE them black :-X
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Magnesium!!!! It's supposed to help immensely. Holland and Barrett do a good Magnesium spray as this absorbs better than oral methods. Magnesium is also excellent for anxiety. ;)
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I tried magnesium spray, the sting was worse than the restless legs. Going to go into town & see what H&B recommend next week.
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:-\. bananas :-\ ;D
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Epsom salt baths (20 minute soak) is great for magnesium too
And coconut water is much better than bananas (as in amount of potassium) for safely increasing potassium, they do a chocolate flavour coconut water, delish !
X
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:thankyou:
I LOVE coconut paste that we put into curries, usually we buy tins in bulk. I also love coconut 'milk' from the centre of the nut, however, not all nuts have it - it depends on the age. Anyone tried to win a coconut at the Fair ? Years ago they were stuck onto the stocks so however hard one hit them, they never fell >:(. Now they can be purchased from the Markets we often buy them.
Maybe a banana mashed in coconut milk .........
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It should be coconut 'water' not milk
X
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As I'm dairy free, my go to alternatives are all coconut based as I detest soya. I use fresh coconut milk for cooking or a nice hot chocolate, along with tinned for curries etc.
Might try the chocolate coconut water though. I've had coconut water in the Caribbean, without rum or pineapple & it tasted awful.
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Cubagirl I agree but the chocolate flavour is lush or mix coconut water with fresh orange, that tastes nice. Seriously you'll get plenty of potsssium with coconut water x
Think vita coco or something is the make. Pricey but good stuff x
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OOh like the sound of it with orange. Thanks Annie. :)
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We've always called it 'milk' ::)
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cubagirl have you ever tried Rice Dream?
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Yes I have bj, prefer KoKo though.
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Did anyone watch the programme on Channel 5 in the week, I can't get it on catch up ::)
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Yes, pretty extreme cases, especially one guy who had PLM, which I'd never heard of.
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Which stands for :-\ ...........
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Great reading all your remedies for Restless Legs. I too have tried the soap under the sheet but for cramps. Might give it another go as last night was not a good one what with getting up to pee far too often and then the legs moving about it was not a very peaceful night.
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Periodic limb movement CLKD. His night time experiences were pretty violent. He moved violently in bed, breaking toes etc.
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My dad had that as part of his restless leg syndrome. Used to drive my mum mad as she was frequently badly bruised on her legs as he kicked out really violently while asleep. Apparently 80% of RLS sufferers also have the periodic limb movements http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Restless-leg-syndrome/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
Taz x
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Never been officially diagnosed but my hubby has this. His kicking in the night is dramatic, thank goodness he's never kicked me but the duvet disappears to the end of the bed frequently. Solution for me? Separate beds!!
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My mum did suggest that but my dad looked at her as if she was asking for a divorce. ;D
He did improve once it was found that he was anaemic.
Taz x
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Single beds, same room? That's what my folks did.
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Nah, needs more than that cubagirl! Two kingsize beds, separate rooms. My snoring has to be considered as does his love of falling asleep listening to Radio 4 comedy programmes!!
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BANANAS!
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I totally agree, mine have been much better since bananas but if we run out of them the RL comes back. I think it is due to low potassium because nanas are high in P.
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That's what causes it for me, some have low magnesium. Will try to catch up with the programme on the computer.
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ER ;D ;D ;D
My hubby snores terribly, so I really can't be in same room as him. DIL used to hate sleeping over, before marrying. Nowadays, they'd rather drive home than stay over.
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Haha, he must be worse than me!! ;) x
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I tried recording him one night, but playback made him sound like a purring pussycat, not the roaring lion I was hearing! ;D
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:D
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Haha, so did he believe how bad he really is? I know how badly I snore but weirdly only when in migraine: it'll be interesting to see if it diminishes as the migs do. I never snored before peri. Blimey I hope it doesn't stop as I may have to sleep with my hubby again!! :o
Sleeping with my hubby is like sleeping with a dog. You know how dogs run in their sleep? That's what he does, almost constantly. That's before he starts kicking out. It seems the kicking relates to his dreams which appear to have violent story lines, dogs biting him, attackers grappling with him. Course he blames it all on me ::)
We have always had different sleeping habits: I'm a morning lark, he's a night owl. I'm a very light sleeper, he's like the living dead. I barely move in the night, he thrashes around all over the place. I sleep in total darkness and silence, he likes listening to the radio (on earphones) and laughs out loudly to comedy programmes just as I'm dozing. Our sleeping habits are totally incompatible.
Haha, I know we've had this conversation before. If you ladies ever discover the cure to this restless legs I'll certainly run it past him. He eats a banana everyday and a diet high in magnesium.
I have not slept as well since before I was married, it's total bliss now (aside of course from the flushes, adrenaline surges and loud snorts that wake me ;) )
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My DHs feet chase mine! It can hurt! Added to his snoring and frequent visits to the loo and my menopausal insomnia, he does not make a good sleeping companion! The magnesium spray does help his restless legs. I can be heard with the cry, " Have you sprayed?"! And once, having attacked my feet and replying "No" to my cry, he turned over and went straight back to sleep. I went to get the spray, shook him vigorously awake. He got the message!
We do start the night together, then sometime during the night after one of his toilet excursions, he migrates to the spare room. I get the chance of better sleep. This works well most of the time, until we have visitors or go away. Then I make sure I'm kitted up with story tapes DH with his magnesium spray.
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Ladies ;D ;D ;D So pleased reading this & knowing I'm not alone with alternative sleeping arrangements! Even with visitors I've been known to pitch up on the sofa, anything to get a few zzzzz's. ::)
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[quote author=Elizabethrose link=topic=34583.msg568089#msg568089 date=1492038185
Haha, I know we've had this conversation before. If you ladies ever discover the cure to this restless legs I'll certainly run it past him. He eats a banana everyday and a diet high in magnesium.
I have not slept as well since before I was married, it's total bliss now (aside of course from the flushes, adrenaline surges and loud snorts that wake me ;) )
[/quote]
Has he ever tried treatment ElizabethRose? There is information on the RLS site https://rls-uk.org/what-is-rls.
Taz x
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Thanks Taz but after reading that I don't think he's actually got it. His feet and legs twitch (running) almost constantly when he sleeps but the symptoms don't seem to fit, with no pain or discomfort etc. I think he's been reincarnated from a dog!! ;) Even when relaxing, watching TV etc his feet are constantly moving, rubbing them together, rustling them (so annoying - it's not just me, the kids go mad too!) No wonder he's so slim, he never stops for a second!
As far as treatment is concerned I might take a leaf out of Sparkle's book and try a frying pan! ;D
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My hubby should be svelte the rate his feet go at sometimes, awake & asleep. He must be reincarnated from a wee terrier. ;D
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:scottie:
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:rofl:
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My partner and I decided to sleep in d8fferent beds about 3 years ago due to my hot flushes and rls and not getting to sleep til 3 or 4 am it seemed stupid for us both to have disturbed sleep plus he snores off the scale so it was win win. We were worried it would affect our relationship but if anything it's the opposite as he's getting sleep and we cuddle up at night as we used to do the only difference is I get out of bed once he's asleep and when he wakes up I get back in with him. It's great and I don't feel guilty at soaking the bed and tossing and turning all night..result!!@
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Restless leg syndrome is totally different to 'running' - I have both. For comfort I have always moved my feet, day and night: I didn't know how much until we had kittens which would jump on my toes ;D. I move my feet/legs when I'm asleep.
Ask your husband to sleep with legs elevated up the wall ........ does he hang them over the edge of the bed which is 1 way I try to relieve the constant need to 'stretch' ........... I spent years 'up the wall' ;D or sleeping with legs on a pile of pillows. Bananas eased symptoms for me.
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CLKD, you have made me laugh. If I suggested he sleep with his legs up the wall, his response would be two words....guess what they'd be!👀
He is completely unbothered by this continual twitching, he sleeps like the dead, I kid you not! If there's a strange noise in the night, it's me that goes down. His twitching, kick boxing, comedy listening, loud laughing, deep breathing is no longer my problem: he can do what he likes in his own bed in his own room. Once the lights are out I don't give a flying fig what he gets up to!!
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:madeyes:
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Aren't we all ? ;D :spin:
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Yes, sparkle. He's driving me crazy 🙃
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The vet said he was probably 30 days old when I found him 15 days ago, so 45 days now.
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In front of my apartment building under a car :(
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Too old to start being a mum now ;D I'm trying to find him a new mum but it's quite difficult, there are many cats and dogs for adoption :'(
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(http://i.imgur.com/ZPOvsJ6.jpg?1)
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I think he has restless legs syndrome too! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Oh he's beautiful Menomale, what a sweet little face! I'm seriously allergic to cats but I can admire them from a distance. x
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Thank goodness I'm not! Really enjoying the fluffy creature :catscratch:
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He's lovely Menomale - so nice to see him. :-*
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He is, Jenna. I hope cubagirl doesn't mind he's hijacking her thread ;D
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Hijack away! ;D
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:cat88: appreciates your kindness, cubagirl :D
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How old is 45 days :-\ ?
Back to topic? ........... gibbons hang upside down eating fruit ;D
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Just over six weeks CLKD
Taz x
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:thankyou: looks older than that in his face ::)
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He does look older - lovely face though.
Taz x
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Well if you experts say so... I know nothing about cats, just trusted the vet ::)
How old do you think he is? How can I check?
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What are you having to feed him with Menomale? They are normally fully weaned by eight weeks old although some are weaned early.
Taz x
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I'm feeding him with lactose free yogurt and dry kitten food. He eats both but the yogurt is what he looks for after his naps, he starts purring and looking for his mother to milk him, poor creature ;D
He weighs 1 pound.
(http://i.imgur.com/MzADp2qm.jpg)
That's how he manages his restless legs ;D
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Yes, I can see he has his restless legs well under control! ;D
He is so cute, Menomale - I just want to stroke him!
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Aw cute! I'm not an animal person, but like seeing cute ones. My friend has a very cute dog, a Maltese - pure white fluff ball, but still wouldn't own one.
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poor little soul, he's had a bad start. thank you for taking him in and being his mother substitute. He needs to learn how to be a cat, his mother would have taught him that, he will be confused.
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Unfortunately, there are many poor souls around here, babyjane :'(
I'm trying to find someone to adopt him, he deserves a house with nature surroundings, not this tiny apartment where I live.
My father feeds 3 cats in his house and one is female, but she didn't take care of her own kittens before she was neutered. He wants me to take him there after the vaccine shots but my sister who also lives there hates the cats, so I'm afraid that won't be a good idea.
Cubagirl,
I had dogs all my life until my female yellow Lab died horribly and I had commited myself to never have another tail, but I just couldn't leave him in a busy street under a car and heavy rain :'(
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Maybe he came to you for a reason.
I've read some of your posts and know things can be hard for you. Maybe you both need each other.
I'm a great believer in things happening for a reason.
There is no need for him to be an outdoor cat. Most are perfectly happy inside with toys for stimulation.
Just a thought.
Maybe this has been mentioned before re restless legs. I haven't read the whole topic but I found magnesium spray helpful. Yes it does sting a bit but that soon passes. Also salts in the bath can help too.
Mrs Brown
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I have the same opinion Mrs Brown and sparkle, but now it's really a tough time to have a pet! I have no support here, no family, no friends, not even acquaintances. I take care of my 89 year old erratic father, have a schizophrenic sister who causes a lot of trouble, I live in a rented apartment and the owner is not keen on the idea of an animal living here >:(
I love animals and have taken care of 10 during my lifetime, but this meno hell has turned me into a very old woman :( I have no energy at all and the kitten needs attention, playing, vets (worst part ever), and money (which I don't have).
Anyway, if I can't find someone to adopt him (I am very selective) I have no other option than keep him! Que sera, sera... :yes:
Magnesium spray: I want to try it!
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He will need a mix of wet meat and if necessary dry food to keep any teeth healthy as well as continual access to water, not milk - many cats are allergic to milk; my little cat weight 6lb at 12 months and stayed more or less that weight for the next 18 years :-). Maybe weigh him/her weekly. Lots of toys to keep his mind occupied. As he ages he should be able to catch his own locally and will appreciate substitute from you, once a day is OK: our farm cats survived with a saucer of milk - I know ::) - straight from the cows ........ and occasionally table scraps. No tinned pet foods then. Lots of vermin in the stack yards though.
Keep him free of fleas and worms - they have a symbiotic relationship. That will encourage his immune system to keep him healthy. He certainly looks like he's got his restless legs calmed down ;D
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Thank you, CLKD, I'll have to print your post to remember everything ::) ;D
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a) flea and worming together every 8-12 months unless worms are seen
b) feed little and often - good quality wet meat and dry with water
c) lots of cuddles to keep those restless legs still ;D
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Just want to say that flea treatment is needed every month not every eight to twelve months.
Taz x
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Why cover an animal with chemicals when they are probably not required? Of course the Companies and Vets. will suggest more often because they are selling the products, call me cynical if you like ......... if there's a huge feral population locally it could be necessary but then Cats Protection should come out, collect and treat the feral community.
I would pick the fleas out of their coats ........ and a good wormer should be given at the same time as flea treatment because intestinal worms are part of the flea cycle [hope you aren't eating lunch ;D]. I used anti-tick spray when we took the dog to the Lakes as there were deer and sheep in long bracken, I got so that I recognised the arachnids racing through her coat and could pick them off B4 they began feeding, otherwise :-X
How's the rest less legs :D
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I'm itching!
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It was easy enough here.
One of the cats was white; easy-peesy. Dog had a pale coat; easy-peesy even after she had been after rabbits. Fleas might bite but will only live on the particular host they are able to thrive on, i.e. rabbit fleas on rabbits, cat fleas on cats ......
I put a few live ones down the sink, as soon as something warm went by they jumped up the plug hole onto the white porcelain :D. As fast as I washed them down they jumped back. If I put them into a glass of cold water, the surface tension meant that they could lay gently on the surface ::). I did have one bite me, it had probably been in the carpet for ages and got me on the back of the calf >:(. Garlic in the pets' food will help as the fleas don't like the taste/smell on the skin. Apparently ;D. There is a kind of satisfaction, getting them between the nails and giving them a hard squeeze.
I bought a special comb, it has a battery in which zaps the critters as the coat is combed. Job Done. >hands over back scratcher<
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Thanks ladies, your discussion is very helpful. He is doing well, but restless legs are getting worse ;D he's hunting everything that moves, including my hands and feet :o not pleasant as I bleed very easily.
When I rescued him he had some fleas. I was advised not to use any chemicals before 8 weeks, so I bathed him in very warm water and a neutral glycerine soap, washed and dried him thoroughly, brushed his coat gently with a comb over a white towel. That made it easier to catch the fleas and put them in alcohol. Then, I hoovered the apartment, his clothes, bed, everything I could really, and will do it every week to ensure that no flea eggs will remain to hatch. I washed and dried all clothes that were in contact with him (mine included) in high temperature. I'm keeping an eye on him to see if there are any fleas popping up, he's so tiny that this is an easy task, at least for now, he's growing fast, he was loving to hide under the furniture but now he's having a rough time to get in there ;D
I wish I could post a video, he's is so funny!
P.S. Tell me more about this comb, CLKD, that's interesting!
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It sounds as if you are doing well Menomale!
Although it is possible to pick off fleas one at a time by the time you actually see a flea on the cat hundreds of eggs will have rolled off and ended up in the carpet, sofa, between the skirting boards etc. The product is meant to last for one month. After that it is no longer effective enough to stop the fleas breeding and laying eggs. It's not some sort of ploy by the companies to sell more stuff it is a scientific fact. Frontline is no longer as effective as it was but Advocat is still working in most areas.
I have a Chinchilla Persian (not my choice but left behind by neighbours) and it is impossible to groom him. The flea stuff runs out on Wednesday if you go on the monthly date but I have today counted four fleas at the base of his tail. I've had loads of practice catching the fleas in my fingers but I defy anyone to get them out of a Chinchilla Persian coat ;D
One of my other cats has a severe flea allergy so just one bite and he is sent into itching hell. This then costs upwards of £200 in steroid injections etc. to get him back on track. If I'm a week out on his treatment he is plunged back into itching and fur loss.
There is information from icat care (previously FAB) here https://icatcare.org/advice/flea-control-cats
Taz x
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Sadly - how did we get onto fleas :madeyes: - we treated one of my cats for flea allergy for several years: and it wasn't. It was an allergy to the food which mimicked all the signs of flea saliva allergy. 5 weeks B4 she died we changed her food as a free offer popped through the door and she was the 1 to get the 'treat', within 24 hours she had stopped constantly cleaning her coat: I will NEVER get over the guilt :'(. She had years of discomfort due to my not thinking out of the box.
She was kept indoors all the while but because I had a dog which brought back rabbit fleas we thought, with her symptoms .......... :'(
Never had fleas in the skirting boards. I think because the animals were pale coated it was easier to see any runners ;-). How is a product guaranteed to work 'only' for 4 weeks :-\. It won't stop fleas laying eggs - products stop the next stage somehow. You may have seen lurchers with bandanas, they are soaked in garlic which supposedly stops fleas at the neck region.
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I'm itching!
So am I!! seriously allergic to cats and their fleas make a beeline for me like the pesky mosquitoes. Cat flea bites give me an asthma attack!
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I remember my Mum visiting a very posh couple who obviously used their 'parlour' on high days and holidays. They hadn't owned cats for several years but Mum's ankles were bitten almost as soon as she sat down :-X, now me being me, would have said something :whist:
When one of the flea-control products came onto the market in the 1990s we treated above noted cat, sadly she reacted badly. My Vet denied it was possible but it was certainly the product. It was a drop on behind the neck so that she couldn't groom but it seeped into the skin making her sleepy for 3 days; the 2nd treatment almost killed her, she went into a deep sleep at the back of the air-ing cupboard so I never used it again. Problem never arose.
If you do a 'search' for the flea comb .......
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I think the product works by stopping the fleas from laying fertile eggs? I also spray the house every six months to get rid of any that have slipped through the net. We do have problems from our "spare" cats who are not always treated.
So sorry about your cat CLKD. Ours has been tested for other allergies so we do know that it is flea allergy. He is also sensitive to milk and fish but these two often go together apparently.
You don't actually get fleas in the skirting boards - the eggs roll off the coat and often end up in the cracks between floorboards, skirting boards, between sofa cushions etc. I'm itching now!!
Taz x
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Flea Zapper Canada
nomorefleas.ca/
STV Zero In Flea Killer Comb (Online Only) : UK-based Pets at Home
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:thankyou:
I think he's going to be a very healthy cat, he's one of the survivors (and trust me, it's hard for everyone to survive here) and probably a very "mixed" breed which is a good guarantee regarding genetics.
Yesteday night I went to feed my father's cats and I saw his mother!! She's exactly like him (fur pattern and colour) and huge!! She lives in the streets :'( I wonder where are the other kittens :'(
For the ladies'sake, let's stop talking about fleas ;D but who actually need fleas and cats in order to start itching when oestrogen fluctuations does the trick quite efficiently? ;)
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I itch all over ;D. So far though my legs aren't stretching tonight. It's a sensation I am aware of in the day but fortunately it's not a problem then.