Restless Legs

I know nothing about restless leg syndrome but I do spend a good bit of my time on the trains standing just help keep a little more loose. (Many of the Italian trains for example have a little space in between cars and some of the German trains have bikes spots where I stand) I would think your flight over will be a much larger issue than the trains.

My cousin has this problem and it is NOT a fun thing to suffer from at all (and yes he had to go to, the horror of it all, a Doctor as in M.D. If you don't have health insurance try a clinic. I'm thinking the flight is going to be more of a problem than the train.

You're both probably right, the plane will be a big problem too. Thanks for mentioning the doctor, but I have already been and the medicine is not compatible with another medicine I already take which is why I was looking for other solutions. Standing always helps, but there's only so long one can stand before you just want to cry you're so tired. Thanks for the input.

Can you tolerate quinine/tonic water? It helps some before bedtime. Same for warm (or cold) baths...that seems to help the most. Anxiety can trigger worse symptoms - have you noticed a correlation? I was going to strongly suggest getting it checked out - sounds like you have. I've known 2 people in the last couple of years who had 'restless leg syndrome', only it wasn't - they both needed leg arterial bypasses...And one of these people I traveled with in Europe...it was very difficult for all of us, because the whole 'traveling thing' greatly exacerbated his symptoms (of course, at the time he thought he just needed some potassium and a place to rest, stand, and/or walk every 5 minutes...). Seriously, I know many (and I've read about many more) who swear by the warm baths, esp. before bedtime. The 'ones who should know' can only guess at the reasons why it works for so many.

I know how miserable it is when you're stuck in a confined space when your legs are restless. Blah! The only thing that has ever helped me is meditation. I don't claim to be a master of meditation, but after reading "The Joy of Living" by a Tibetan Buddhist monk (Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche), I've been able to reduce the duration and intensity of my bouts with RLS. People usually talk about breathing techniques when discussing meditation, but I usually end up hyperventilating:) But this monk talks about all the varying approaches, saying that different approaches work better for different people and situations. With RLS, I focus on the sensation, not trying to force the feeling to stop, just focusing on the feeling itself; it's amazing when the sensation just disappears! It works for me about 75% of the time. Here's more info on the book if you're interested; it's excellent!
http://www.randomhouse.com/book/115218/the-joy-of-living-by-yongey-mingyur-rinpoche-and-eric-swanson

Wow. Thank you guys. Especially Penny. I will def check it out. I'll also try the warm baths (assuming the tub is clean enough!) I really appreciate it.

Are you allowed to have magnesium? I also suffer badly from restless leg syndrome and I find taking chelated magnesium at night is brilliant and have no problems any more. I also will be wearing flight / anti-DVT stockings on my flights in the future. The ones that come up to your knees, you will find these beneficial as well. talk to your Dr as well. Happy travels.

In addition to the other great suggestions, staying well-hydrated helps too.

Michelle, I've suffered froim RLS for 40 years. I've tried all of the suggestions you were given and none helped me. See a dr. now. You need an Rx. You still have enough time to learn if you will have any negative side effect before June. Happy Travels, Jean