Soap Story Convinces Skeptic

My mother suffers from leg cramps and I suffer from restless leg syndrome. Figuring we had nothing to lose, a couple of months ago we each tried the bar of soap under the fitted sheet. It was a miracle, it worked for both of us, BUT, after a couple of months we both started getting "twitching" muscles in our legs. After removing the soap the twitching stopped. Now, however, my restless legs are bothering me again. Has anyone else had this problem, and is it possible it is related? Barbara

I've been using Mirapex for several years for RLS. Recently, I've been putting soap on my feet before bed. My legs are no longer jumping about. Can not imagine why it works, but it does. It's cheap and non-toxic so I figure it's worth a try.

Do you put the soap under your legs or under your feet? Does it matter?

RE: soap cure for leg cramps... I am a True Believer! I used to carry a heating pad/extension cord and leg-warmers on business trips because the cramps that came at night were EXCRUCIATING. It sounds ridiculous, but I have been leg-cramp free for almost a year after placing a bar of soap under the bottom sheet...sometimes it slips all the way down to where the sheet tucks in, but it doesn't seem to matter! Just as long as it's there, somewhere. Someday, I'll experiment and just have the bar of soap (unwrapped) on the night-table...or maybe across the room on the dresser. We have one friend who uses an Ace Bandage with a pocket that she sewed on to keep the bar of soap on her legs as she bikes!

crazy, but true.

Dr. Gott writes a health column for many newspapers, ours included, and he has received numerous letters from happy people who successfully use the soap solution for their restless legs. Recently I discovered another very effective
way to deal with this issue, and everything else imaginable! It is EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, founded by Gary Craig. There are many forms of it being used by therapists and lay-people now.

Recently I helped a woman to completely stop her restless leg syndrome using this easy tapping procedure, over the phone! She had been using a prescription medication for quite a long time, and was thrilled to be able to stop that entirely. This happened 6 months ago, and she reports that the restless leg problem has never returned. Please look into EFT for yourselves, and for your People's Pharmacy readers/listeners.....it has changed my life and the lives of those whom I have been happy to help.
Thank you!
Ruth R/Waukesha, WI

Laugh all you want. I've been sleeping with the soap under my sheet ever since I read it in the book from Peoples Pharmacy. I also drink tonic water every night. These "old wives tales" work. Try it.

Does the effect wear off? Does the soap need to be replaced? I have so much hotel soap that I tried 3 of them, and that seemed to help with cramps. Suddenly, the cramps are back, and I'm wondering whether whatever they give off has dissipated. I'll try replacements. I wonder whether the old ones are still usable as soap. Any recommendations of how much soap and how long it lasts?

I have been doing 'core back exercises' for six months. It's only helped my agility, the intended purpose, not the arthritis, scoliosis, or disc degeneration. However, I've not been troubled with RLS since I began exercising. The annoying restless leg problem has disappeared. Should it reappear, I'll certainly try the soap under the sheet.

Barbara, I've found that you need to change out to a new bar of soap about every 6 weeks or it stops working---at least for me and my husband anyway. I had terrible leg/foot cramps, some that would about take me to the floor, but I started using the Ivory soap method a couple of years ago and have been mostly cramp free!! (still get one occasionally) Also I read about eating plain yellow mustard and that works as well--especially if you're not in your bed with your soap. We carry fast food packets of mustard with us everywhere. Hope this helps---I feel SO much better now that I use the soap and mustard "cures".

The soap bars need to be replaced with fresh bars approximately every 3 months. At least this is true for Ivory. I use the old bars to put in my shoes after i take them off to combat odor.

I bought and downloaded Joe & Teri's online protocol for leg cramps after years of partial success with this & that approach from their web site, including four hand soap "sachets" in bed. I employed every suggestion in the protocol, and am finally free of the morning leg cramps which had usually been brought on by my spontaneous morning stretch upon awakening.

I'm now finally free of cramps for the first time in 15 yrs. I suspect that magnesium supplements and replacing 50% of my salt with salt-substitute (KCl, vice NaCl) finally did the trick. It took a couple months for the last occasional cramp to disappear.

I found that you need to replace the soap every couple of months.

I change the soap every month. If I don't feel it near my feet, I get out of bed and look for it. Sometimes it slips out.

In addition to Restless leg syndrome,I read in your columne that a patient suffering from hand shakes tried the soap and it helped. I also have head shakes. I started using the soap under my neck at night and it has really helped with controlling my head from shaking.

Keep up the good work - Terry and Joe.

I read that soap under the bed sheet would stop leg cramps and it was suggested that you not use Dial or Dove because of the make up of the two soaps. I was quick to try a bar of hotel soap for my leg cramps and it worked although I had trouble chasing the bar around under the sheet. Since my cramps were right on the calf of my leg, I put the soap bar inside my knee high sock & it remained stable the rest of the night.

Another problem I have had since breast surgery for cancer is aching in the area. This occurs about halfway through the night and I could not get relief except with serious medication. I bought a roll of elastic wrap tape, wrapped it around the breast area and inserted the soap under the tape. The discomfort stopped in a matter of minutes.

It is my feeling that I get relief quicker if I secure the soap close to the ache rather than chasing it around under the sheet.

Is Ivory soap much more effective if you take it out of its wrapper? I would think so (haven't tried it yet). Am hoping to hear from someone that has success leaving it in the wrapper because the soap I bought is rather crumbly.

Of course take the soap out of the wrapper. Its the soap that works, not the wrapper.

Try a plain soap, no perfumes, deodorants, lotions like in Dove or Dial. Something like
Ivory. Try putting it in bottom of socks and sleep with them on. Either soap slices or
the small soaps you get in Hotels.

I saw this soap for leg cramps on THE DOCTORS on TV. I have terrible leg cramps every night. I placed a bar of soap in my bed - do not even know the brand. I had mild twitches that night and the next, and then no more cramps. This has been at least 2 weeks now. The soap does not even touch me, and I forgot about it, but I have not had another cramp!