Dairy-Free for Restless Leg Syndrome

Oh wow! I’ve known for years that dairy gives me RLS but I’ve never come across anyone else finding the same. Even the allergy specialist treated me with disdain when I explained the effects dairy has on me, saying he’d never come across that before…

There used to be a product called lactaid that you would consume before taking dairy product for those who were lactose intolerant. i wonder is this or a similar product might do the same for casein.

I can drink milk for breakfast but if I drink it in late afternoon or before bed RLS kicks in big time.. after a few months I try to eat cereal for dinner and it triggers RLS IMMEDIATELY…I don’t have to lay down for it to begin

I just wanted to add my own life-long – and all too real and painful – experience with casein and citric acid.

I was medically diagnosed with “milk allergy” as a child. I could not tolerate cow’s milk, not even be breast-fed without developing colic, explosive diarrhea, red blotches on my skin, constant crying, etc. (according to my parents). An apparently wise doctor (a “cutting-edge” expert, I now believe) prescribed a synthetic nutritional formula for me until I was a toddler, and my excruciating symptoms disappeared. The formulation (which I still have on record) had minimal casein and no soy protein – but additional lactose! But throughout my childhood and teenage, every time I drank cow’s milk (even goat’s milk) or especially if I ate cheese from any source, I would develop fierce hayfever-like symptoms (profusely watering, burning eyes, long chain-sneezing spells, sore throats) and worst of all, overall body aches, particularly great pain in my lower legs.

Later in life I was diagnosed with chronic fibromyalgia, but a specific cause was never determined. I just learned through repeated experience that every time I consumed a significant amount of any dairy, particularly whole milk or strong cheeses (cheddar the worst, mozzarella less so), or citrus fruit, I hurt like HELL, and I could not sleep from the great pain – and any mild seasonal allergies suddenly became severe.

At my local health food store, I recently discovered a “milk/lactose free” cheese! It is made from almonds and various other ingredients. As I LOVE cheese (don’t we always love the foods we’re most sensitive to?), I started using it on all my food – wraps, burritos, stews, etc. But a few days later, I started to develop restless legs at night (which I had not had since I was a child), and then it turned into whole body aching that made sleep totally impossible. I got out of bed every morning aching and totally exhausted. Inspecting the list of ingredients on the “milk-free” cheese label, I finally noticed “casein” as one of the main ingredients. It was asterisked below as “a milk protein”! I was simultaneously using a “milk-free” coffee creamer instead of my usualy coconut or rice-based creamers…but this tastier “milk-free” creamer ALSO contains CASEIN!!

All I could conclude was that casein was apparently causing severe inflammation all over my body, most painfully in my legs, for as soon as I stopped consuming this so-called “milk-free” almond cheese, my body aches soon ceased (with the help of meloxicam, a powerful anti-inflammatory with troubling risky side-effects, but which gave me my first night of deep, restful sleep in ages). There is another brand without casein, but it contains citric acid, which also causes painful reactions (I cannot eat ANY citrus fruit without strong histamine reactions and fibromyalgia). So there’s still no cheese “alternative” out there for me.

One final note, soy, particularly soy milk, causes me to have total insomnia without the pain associated with the casein and citric acid! After couple of glasses of soy milk, I am guaranteed to stay awake all night, regardless of how tired I am. I have no idea why this insomnia occurs – it must be yet another protein that my body cannot metabolize correctly. NB: I have no problem with soy OIL, just something in soy proteins.

This information changed my life! As long as I avoid dairy, artificial sweetners and some allergy meds, my RLS is so much better! Thank you so much!

Thank u for this reassuring information. I’ve been dairy free for 5 years and rls only sneaks up on me when I mistakenly ingest milk products. I read labels carefully and have charted my episodes for over a year. Also tomatoe and beef will bring on rls for me. Staying clear of these foods has eliminated rls and a lot of inflammation. Its the 1st of the year 2015 and I finally found information backing up my claim! I’m looking forward to showing my family! Happy New Year!

Well, Alisa, it’s official. I’m convinced cheese is the culprit. I said I’d get back to you in two weeks, but just at that mark I had a mild restless-leg night, and I was bracing to be disappointed again. But that was it! One uncomfortable night in 6 weeks. (Maybe I had dairy in some disguised form, or it was residual toxins.) I have spent so many years trying to figure this out. I’ve taken Requip, quit caffeine and sugar, taken magnesium (even rubbing it on my legs), gone to a chiropractor who was sure he could help me, and slept with a bar of soap at my feet. Thank you so much for this blog. I hope many other people will find you like I did, and finally get some relief. This is life-changing, and I will always be grateful to you for going before me, and validating my suspicions.

Hi Alisa

In regard to Joan’s comments, I have a website that has a lot of information about Restless Legs Syndrome and how it is caused by inflammation. http://www.rlcure.com

Dairy is considered one of the main “triggers” of RLS.

It is also proven to be inflammatory.

Here are excerpts from scientific studies that have shown that dairy is inflammatory.

“Milk products also cause inflammation. Modern dairy cows eat grain-containing diets producing excessive omega-6 fats, creating a pro-inflammatory imbalance. In addition, a substantial percentage of our population (some estimate 50%) is allergic to dairy, often unknowingly. Frequent consumption of dairy causes chronic allergic reactions, creating chronic inflammation.”

“Inflammation: A Common Denominator of Disease” Raymond Francis, Well Being Journal, November/December 2008

“Studies indicate that cow’s milk increases both intestinal permeability and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Some evidence suggests that a milk-borne infection may play a role in the development of Crohn’s disease. Bacteria called Mycobacteriaum avium, which are commonly found in milk products, are known to survive pasteurization and cause a Crohn’s disease-like illness (Johne’s disease) in dairy cows. Interestingly, these bacteria have been found with far greater frequency in patients with Crohn’s disease than in those with ulcerative colitis or healthy people.”

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Nutritional Considerations, NutritionMD http://www.nutritionmd.org/consumers/gastrointestinal/ibd_nutrition.html

“The reasons dairy products are inflammatory are too lengthy to list here (yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, butter, cheese etc.). Today’s dairy products are packed with hormones, antibiotics and other harmful ingredients so avoid them as much as possible.”

“Top 12 Foods that Cause Inflammation” from ” Arthritis-Proof: The Drug-Free Way to Beat Pain and Inflammation.” by Michelle Schoffro Cook

David