by Anonymous

As many as 10% of people may be suffering from a mild form of Restless Legs Syndrome, and 2 to 5% may be experiencing a moderate to severe form of it (NIH). Unfortunately, the phenomenal character of this affliction is usually hard to describe, and for that reason sufferers of the condition are frequently dismissed. Whereas prescription medications can be effective at treating the acute effects of this problem (specifically opioidergics, dopaminergics, and anticonvulsants), a life-long solution has yet to be found. What is less well-known is the fact that there are many over-the-counter supplements that can help with this condition in a real and substantial way. For those who do not want to go the prescription route, here is a list of OTC supplements that can be helpful.

The list is organized into three buckets, from most effective to least effective. I also include two “negative buckets” which are compounds that worsen the symptoms, which you may not be aware of. For the most part, the drawback of chemicals in bucket 3 is that they are addictive and work “too well” (if taken regularly and later discontinued, the RLS symptoms may come back in a worse form). Bucket 2 chemicals are effective at reducing the core symptoms of the syndrome but usually do not make the feeling of restlessness go away entirely. Drugs in bucket 1 can help mask the symptoms, but do not address them directly (so they are only helpful to people who have rather mild versions of the syndrome). Bucket -1 includes things that worsen the overall restlessness but do not seem to interact with the specific feeling of restlessness characteristic of RLS. And finally, bucket -2 literally amplifies the exact feeling that characterizes RLS. Note that if you take such compounds (from bucket -1 and -2) in the morning, by the evening you may experience a sort of relief from the come-down of these drugs.

In practice, I would suggest using bucket 3 compounds as little as possible, but have them around in case of a very bad night. Instead, cycle through several bucket 2 and 1 drugs and experiment with combining them. Your aim is to develop a treatment that works for you that minimizes receptor down-regulation and that does not stop working over time.

Bucket 3:

Tianeptine Sulfate (10-30 mg; addictive)

Kratom (1 to 3 grams; addictive)

Ethylphenidate (.5 to 3mg; addictive)

Bucket 2:

DXM (10 to 30mg)

Niacinamide (300mg to 1 gram)

L-Tyrosine (100 to 600mg)

Agmatine (20mg to 1 gram, depending on personal response curve)

Indica Marijuana (specially edibles of high-CBD strains; even pure CBD can work, though tiny amounts of THC seem to amplify the RLS-killing effect of CBD)

Rhodiola Rosea (about half a tablet from this brand)

Bucket 1:

Magnesium supplements (depends on the delivery, but, e.g. for Citrate 500mg)

Iron (only if iron deficient)

Melatonin (.05 to 3mg, depending on personal dose response curve)

L-Theanine (200mg to 1 gram)

Aspirin (100-300 mg), Ibuprofen (100-500mg), Paracetamol (100-500mg)

Adrafinil (20-50mg; paradoxical sleep-inducing effect at this dose range)

Valerian root (varies by extract)

Ashwagandha (300mg to 1gram; withanolides in the 5-20mg range)

Phenibut (100-500mg; addictive)

Bucket -1:

Cholinergic nootropics (e.g. piracetam, aniracetam, coluracetam)

Alcohol

Caffeine

Pure THC marijuana strains

Psychedelics (in the form of unscheduled Research Chemicals)

Bromantane

5HTP

Bucket -2: