By: Terry Graedon June 24, 2024 42 Comments
    Can Magnesium Help Your Restless Legs Syndrome?

    "Restless legs" hardly sounds like medical terminology, but it describes a neurological condition first described in the late 17th century. People with the condition describe sensations similar to som…

    By: Joe Graedon May 13, 2024 14 Comments
    Can Soap Chips in Your Socks Ease Leg Cramps?

    Leg cramps can be terribly painful. Athletes exercising in hot weather do all they can to avoid them, including sipping pickle juice. But ordinary mortals can get them, too, during daytime activities …

    By: Joe Graedon March 18, 2024 55 Comments
    Will Benadryl Trigger Restless Legs Syndrome?

    People who experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) will go to great lengths to avoid it if they can. They describe RLS as a creepy-crawly feeling that is relieved only by moving the legs. It can be qu…

    By: Joe Graedon February 25, 2024 71 Comments
    Best Home Remedies for Restless Legs Syndrome

    Restless legs syndrome (RLS) affects 5% to 15% of adults (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Dec. 15, 2016). That means as many as 30 million Americans suffer from RLS. Roughly 6 million people are s…

    By: Joe Graedon February 18, 2024 21 Comments
    Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Relieved With Soap!

    There are some medical conditions that are surprisingly common but quite mysterious. You have probably heard of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Doctors now call it myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). The …

    By: Joe Graedon February 27, 2023 35 Comments
    Did the Moderna Vaccine Relieve Restless Legs?

    People who suffer restless legs syndrome (RLS) are often at their wits end. That's because the condition has them pacing the floor and constantly moving their legs in bed. One reader was amazed to dis…

    By: Terry Graedon June 9, 2022 5 Comments
    Show 1304: Fixing Your Foot Problems

    In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we have a guest live in the studio. Podiatrist Jane Andersen will be ready to answer your questions about foot problems and what you can do about the…

    By: Joe Graedon May 30, 2022 101 Comments
    Unexpected Benefits and Risks of the Moderna Vac…

    When most people think of COVID vaccines, all they are interested in is how well they will protect them from being hospitalized with COVID-19. After all, that is why these shots were invented. We now …

    By: Terry Graedon March 21, 2022 30 Comments
    How to Ease Restless Legs Syndrome with Soap Und…

    Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition in which a person feels an irresistible urge to move the legs. The movement can temporarily ease restless legs syndrome. Moving relieves an unc…

    By: Joe Graedon December 13, 2021 23 Comments
    Do Heartburn Drugs or Antihistamines Trigger RLS…

    What causes Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)? Check with most medical authorities and you will learn that “there’s no known cause” (Mayo Clinic). Symptoms are often blamed on a chemical imbalance in…

    By: Terry Graedon October 18, 2021 3 Comments
    Will You Breathe Easier If You Take Less Iron?

    Many people need to take iron supplements because they don't get quite enough of the mineral from their diets. Doctors may recommend supplements for people with restless leg syndrome (RLS) or extreme …

    By: Terry Graedon March 1, 2021 15 Comments
    Can You Smear Liquid Soap on Your Legs to Get RL…

    Do you suffer from Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)? The medical term for this condition is Willis-Ekbom disease, named after the Swedish doctor who studied it. Dr. Ekbom didn't come up with a great cure …

    By: Terry Graedon May 4, 2020 6 Comments
    Will Soap Under the Bottom Sheet Ease Foot Pain?

    For many years now, readers have been telling us that putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed can help reduce leg cramps. Others report that soap between the fitted sheet and the mattr…

    By: Terry Graedon September 30, 2019 39 Comments
    Can Restless Leg Syndrome Drive People to Suicid…

    Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) may not sound like a serious problem unless you have experienced it. People who suffer with it, however, often find it very hard to live with. As soon as they try to relax,…

    By: Terry Graedon April 30, 2018 25 Comments
    Skeptic Discovers Benefit of Soap for Neuropathy

    Do you suffer from nerve pain? This type of pain can be quite difficult to treat. Medications such as gabapentin (Neurontin) or pregabalin (Lyrica) may ease the discomfort, especially at first. Howeve…

    By: Terry Graedon November 27, 2017 28 Comments
    Why Put Soap Under Your Bottom Sheet?

    Sometimes we come across a remedy or recommendation that, at first blush, doesn't seem to make any sense. That certainly was the response from many of our readers when we wrote about putting soap unde…

    By: Joe Graedon November 20, 2017 11 Comments
    Mirapex (Pramipexole) Side Effects: Gambling and…

    Americans believe passionately in free will. Dictionary.com offers this definition: "1. free and independent choice; voluntary decision: You took on the responsibility of your own free will. 2. Philos…

    By: Joe Graedon October 12, 2017 10 Comments
    Soap for RLS When Taking Long Flights

    Have you ever read a real soap story? No, we're not talking about soap operas. These were TV dramas frequently sponsored by soap manufacturers. The soap stories we're talking about have to do with usi…

    By: Terry Graedon October 9, 2017 31 Comments
    Are You Crazy to Keep Soap Under the Sheets?

    If you found a bar of soap under the sheets on your bed, you might be startled. Of course, if you've been reading The People's Pharmacy, you'll know immediately what that soap is doing there. Many peo…

    By: Terry Graedon May 22, 2017 14 Comments
    How to Use Lavender Oil to Calm Restless Legs

    Restless legs don't sound particularly serious, but the overwhelming urge to move the legs every few minutes or so can prevent a good night's sleep. The sensation can be extremely unpleasant. Usually,…

    By: Terry Graedon October 17, 2016 28 Comments
    What Should You Know About Gabapentin for Restle…

    "Restless legs syndrome" (RLS) almost doesn't sound like a medical condition. But if you ask someone who suffers from this condition, you'll learn that it can interfere with sleep and thus impair qu…

    By: Joe Graedon July 11, 2016 44 Comments
    Can A Drug for Restless Legs Turn You Into a Gam…

    Americans are firm believers in free will. Most reject the idea that someone could become a gambling addict or a compulsive shopper because of a prescribed medication. We cannot imagine that anyone wo…

    By: Joe Graedon December 1, 2014 5 Comments
    Butchers Broom Eased Restless Legs

    Q. I have had good results using butcher's broom for restless legs syndrome. It doesn't work immediately, but it's non-toxic, inexpensive and effective long-term. A. Butcher's broom, Ruscus aculeatus,…

    By: Terry Graedon February 17, 2014 15 Comments
    Does Green Tea Trigger Restless Legs Syndrome?

    Q. I try to drink hot green tea because of its touted health benefits. I have recently realized that if I drink more than one cup I get what I can only describe as an annoying restless leg syndrome wh…

    By: Terry Graedon December 9, 2013 22 Comments
    Skeptic Reconsiders the Value of Soap in Bed for…

    We appreciate a skeptical attitude. It doesn't make sense to believe everything you hear or read. That's why trying out a home remedy for yourself makes a lot of sense. That is what this reader did in…

    By: Terry Graedon June 27, 2011 25 Comments
    Ginger Eased Restless Legs

    Q. My 86-year-old mother began to suffer with restless leg syndrome in her 40s; the severity has increased through the years. Recently, she realized that the symptoms had decreased markedly. She tried…

    By: Terry Graedon December 29, 2010 42 Comments
    Tart Cherries for Restless Legs

    Q. I want to let you know about something that stunned me. I have suffered from restless leg syndrome (RLS) for nearly 35 years. A friend casually mentioned that pie cherries had helped her leg pain a…

    By: Terry Graedon February 3, 2010 43 Comments
    Suffering Side Effects from Mirapex for Restless…

    Q. I have been haunted with RLS (restless leg syndrome) for years. I took the drug Mirapex, only to get all the side effects: gambling, overeating and obsessing about sex. The drug totally ruined my l…

    By: Terry Graedon September 7, 2009 6 Comments
    Iron Supplements vs. Restless Legs

    Q. Would taking an iron supplement ease RLS (restless legs syndrome) symptoms? I was part of a blinded study at Johns-Hopkins where I either had an iron infusion or a placebo. I was "cured" for over a…

    By: Joe Graedon April 29, 2008 24 Comments
    Thyroid Treatment Made Restless Legs Worse

    Q. I have severe restless leg syndrome (RLS), but it has been controlled with diazepam. Recently the doctor diagnosed me with an underactive thyroid condition and prescribed levothyroxine. It really m…

    By: Joe Graedon June 8, 2007 6 Comments
    Restless Legs Respond to Soap in Bed

    Q. I have suffered from restless leg syndrome all of my life, and I am over 50! My mother always told me I had "growing pains" when I was a kid, but that was clearly ridiculous by the time I reached m…

    By: Joe Graedon June 20, 2005 0 Comments
    New Treatments For Restless Legs

    Sleeping is supposed to be relaxing. It's a time when the body rejuvenates itself. But for millions of people, getting to sleep is difficult because they suffer from restless leg syndrome (RLS). In th…

    By: Joe Graedon February 7, 2005 0 Comments
    Soap For Restless Legs

    Q. This is either an urban legend or a friend is playing a joke on me. She says that if you sleep with a bar of soap (not Dove or deodorant kind) the restless leg syndrome (RLS) will not occur. She sw…

    By: Joe Graedon May 13, 2002 1 Comments
    Restless Legs Keep Millions Awake

    Imagine it's the end of a long day, and you gratefully climb into bed, put your head down on the pillow, and relax. But just as you are drifting into dreamland, you're awakened by a sudden violent mot…