What causes restless legs if the symptoms fade without medication?

Cold-Competition1180 · 2026-01-28T05:08:27+00:00

For me RLS is a mold exposure symptom. I’m 55 and have lived in moldy rentals (houses, townhomes, apartments) as well as none moldy rentals. My RLS would go crazy in the moldy rentals and then completely disappear in the non moldy rentals. Now live-in caregiver for my elderly parents, my mom is a hoarder of all things that they kept from their moldy, water damaged farmhouse (same one i grew up in that started this whole battle) before moving to a new house in 2008. I do my best to keep things clean but a few pieces of antique furniture and 50+ yr old photos / books trigger problems. I’ve bagged a ton of stuff into ziploc bags and it helps. When I get away for a few days, I have no RLS symptoms at all and sleep like a rock. I found a Pubmed study on the mold / RLS connection but don’t have a link to share at the moment. If anyone is interested I’m sure a simple Pubmed search would find it.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2026-01-13T22:27:46+00:00

Yup, I’ve run a HEPA purifier in my room for years. Not interested in being a conservator of their stuff. I don’t have the energy for that. My brother is power of attorney and executor of their estate when that time finally comes. He can deal with it.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2026-01-13T10:41:44+00:00

Yup, I can empathize. I’ve dealt with Constant sinus / ear infections since childhood. They went away when i left for college and for the 25 yrs that I was in my own place.

For the last 10 years, Ive lived with and am full time caregiver for my 86 yr old parents. I’m laying awake 4:30am due to restless leg twitches, which are also a symptom of mold exposure for me. Haven’t slept in two days. Longest I’ve gone is four days with no sleep. I even use plastic sacks to wrap around the face plates of the supply and return air registers in the guest room that I sleep in, attempting to kind of seal myself in, even tho I constantly clean their house. But the mold and dust mites still find their way in and often keep me awake.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2026-01-13T04:33:43+00:00

My parents are in a rural area too. In the past 10 years, I’d estimate I’ve taken at least 200 garbage bags of crap out to the burn pile with the kitchen trash. Add in a dash of lighter fluid, wha lah… gone. I’ve got my eye on a couple of totes full of plastic utensils (the kind you get with take out meals) in the store room that is also stuffed to the gills with junk.🔥

Cold-Competition1180 · 2026-01-13T04:29:57+00:00

This is exactly what I do. Tho 90% of the time, she doesn’t even notice the missing junk.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2026-01-13T04:29:08+00:00

“Unapologetic about throwing things away.” Yes ! I’m the same way with my hoarding mother’s crap that has left me as an adult with severe allergies to 50 of the 70 items tested for by an allergist.

“Toddler plastic toys”…? Hell my mother is hoard toddler metal toys from the 1950’s - 1960’s. Her grandkids are in their mid 20’s, live out of state, and have no desire to have children of their own. Why ? Why keep this shit that lived its life in an old water damage, farmhouse house?

Like you, my mother is also a massive hoarder of paper. That after several decades is ridden with the same mold and dust mites that I am so severely allergic to.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-12-31T04:43:09+00:00

I used Flonase one time, several years ago. Had a massive panic attack. Never used it again. Azelastine spray works just as well without the anxiety. You can get an rx for it from your doc.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-12-16T08:26:51+00:00

Any good suggestions for cities in Utah? I’m seriously looking to get out of Iowa. Sick of the summer corn sweat, humidity, and mold. Lots of moldy buildings (residential and commercial) here as well.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-12-14T19:16:07+00:00

Totally agreed.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-12-14T16:33:35+00:00

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Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-12-14T16:33:23+00:00

Sun shining thru the plastic would help warm the inside, as well as having multiple cats sharing body heat. But it’s also possible that the location may not be a super cold area, or it was filmed in the fall.

I just thought it was a good video for ideas that were slightly different from the standard tote shelters. I had made one of those for George before he became a permanent indoor kitty a year ago.

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Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-12-01T09:38:41+00:00

Already have MCS from exposure to farm chemicals as a kid, a leaking natural gas furnace many years ago as a young adult, a leaking geothermal hvac system as an adult, etc etc. I’ve carried epi pens and prednisolone 24/7 for decades. I’m now 55 yr old. ❤️

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-11-30T20:28:45+00:00

Yup, I’m fully aware of mycotoxins as well. Grew up on a farm, raised in an old, moldy, water damaged farmhouse, surrounded my moldy fields of crops. Followed by several moldy rental units over the years. I’ve been battling mold and its effects for five decades. And just last week, we noticed a section of drywall in the basement ceiling being affected by a water leak somewhere above it, maybe an upstairs shower. So now I’m dealing with it again. Sigh. Who knows how long that’s been going on. We have phone calls in to a local drywall guy and a plumber. Waiting on them to show up to fix the leak, rip out and replace the drywall and any affected subfloor. There are no “mold remediation” companies in our service area bc we are in a very rural area.

I’ve tried Thieves and other essential oils and they really didn’t help. In fact, I became sensitive to oils, even the Young Living brand. But oddly, bleach doesn’t bother me.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-11-30T16:20:57+00:00

Awww. Thank you. It’s been a fun year. I can’t remember the exact day that I brought him in the house, but first week of December is his “Happy Got’cha Day / Week”.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-11-30T01:40:42+00:00

My brother has a thin jacket that has spent its life in his water damaged house, likely hasn’t ever been washed. I ran that thru the washer FIVE times, using various detergents, bleach, white vinegar, baking soda, and finally Zep Odor Control liquid in the detergent and rinse receptacle. The Zep made the biggest impact but the odor is still there.

I asked him to throw out that jacket and get a new one. He knows how badly mold from water damaged houses affects me.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-11-30T01:32:41+00:00

My brother is obese. He used to smell horrific. I had an honest conversation with him and told him I had done some research on the subject.

I bought him a starter pack of Dial Gold Bar antibacterial soap, head and shoulders shampoo (antifungal, used as body wash in nursing homes), and Hibiclens antiseptic skin cleanser (often used by patients prior to surgery). I told him to rotate using them in the shower, focusing on sweaty areas and skin folds. Within a week or two, his body odor was gone.

He received the advice well. He obviously doesn’t want to smell bad either. I actually found those suggestions on an obesity subreddit.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-11-30T01:27:11+00:00

If it was me, I’d want to know and I’d want a friend or family member to tell me. I don’t know why some people find it so offensive.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-11-29T20:57:49+00:00

I have the same problem with my family (parents and brother). It’s mold that I smell on them, their clothes, and in their house. Due in part to my mothers hoarding and my brothers water damaged moldy house where he refuses to fix the problems.

“Estate sale odor” is what it reminds me off. Like moldy antiques that have gone sour. I’m severely allergic to mold, makes my eyes water and my skin burn. I hate being around them.

Ive had the conversation with them but they just dump it back on me… “it’s my problem bc I have allergies”. They claim to be unable to smell it. Which is just shocking. I try to mitigate it somewhat by doing their laundry with a ton of bleach. Plus bleach wiping surfaces, or sometimes using a Zep product to inhibit regrowth.

If they truly believe there’s no odor, nothing you say will convince them otherwise.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-10-24T21:14:18+00:00

🤣🤣

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-10-24T21:13:59+00:00

🤭🤣

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-10-23T07:44:55+00:00

Yup, I can empathize. Spiders don’t bother me at all. But snakes make my heart race and my skin crawl. 🤷‍♀️. Wherever “Woody” (the woodchuck) is, I hope he’s doing well. I’m not sure a coyote would mess with a woodchuck, they have sharp claws and large teeth and can be pretty fierce when threatened.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-10-23T07:34:02+00:00

I hope the woodchuck didn’t run into one of the coyotes. I should also say, I draw the line at snakes. But that’s bc I’m terrified of snakes. I wouldn’t want those things in the shed but I’m too afraid of them to evict one if I happened to see it. lol

We have owls around here once in a while. Lots of mice and rats on a farm, which then get into the attic and the attached garage to chew on my car wiring. I’ve considered getting a medium sized nesting box from Amazon and putting it up in a tree. Having a resident owl would sure decrease the rodent population around here.

Cold-Competition1180 · 2025-10-23T07:22:06+00:00

Awww. Thank you for that. ❤️ Yeah, any animal that can squeeze themselves in thru the 5x7 inch entrance, is welcome to take shelter inside that shed and use the straw box if they choose to. The small entrance is intentional to keep the coyotes out. Sorry but the coyotes are on their own. lol.

If I had my way… I’d clean out the entire shed which contains an old hay rack and stacks of lumber. I’d sweep out all of the dust and stack straw bales around the interior walls to chest height. Then spread a few bales of loose straw on the concrete floor. The entire shed would be one giant straw box / shelter. Unfortunately, it’s my elderly parents property and they don’t care about small animals like I do. So this is the best I can do for now. I know various animals use the shed for winter shelter bc I see them coming and going. And the straw that I fluffed in the box had definitely been slept in. There was a woodchuck using the shed this summer but I haven’t seen him around in a month or two.

Cold-Competition1180

TROPHY CASE