Does anyone suffer from Restless leg syndrome?

General
1

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/restless-legs-syndrome/basics/symptoms/con-20031101

Note that the Mayo clinic states that research seems to find it to be heredity in 50% of cases. I find that between good cal/mag/d3 and Lyrica, it has been overcome most of the time.

If you look at wikipedia's list of autoimmune diseases, it is 'suspected' to actually be autoimmune, and may occur in Sjogren's Syndrome, Celiac disease, RA and with derangements of iron.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_autoimmune_diseases

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Symptoms-of-anemia.aspx

If you have RLS, what works for you?

2

SK,
Do u know how they are even able to diagnose people with RLS? I have always wondered that?

3

Hi everyone ! Yes I have restless leg syndrome, why wouldn't I , I get everything ;0) Here's what I can tell you about it, at least with myself:

1. I have had this for well over 15 years or so but never connected it to anything. It makes your legs feel that if they don't move you will go nuts. When my sons were younger we had a mini-van, on long trips it was like we were playing musical chairs since I had to change seats with someone at least every hour. This was just so my legs got some kind of movement, they all thought I was nuts !

2.About 8 years ago I had a sleep study done for chronic insomnia and ended up with three diagnosis from that. The first was sleep interrupted insomnia. I had zero episodes of REM sleep and never got into a stage 2 sleep( a very light sleep) for more than 20 minutes before I woke up. I expected that b/c I knew I never slept ! The other two were Restless Legs Syndrome(RLS) and Periodic Limb Movement disorder( PLM). The sleep study is video taped and the movement disorders are noted at that time.

3. For treatment I see a sleep neurologist every 6 months. It was a trial and error as far as the treatments, but the study did show behavior therapy( turning off light emitting sources, cool room, standard sleep time, etc.) alone was not going to work. I was put on numerous meds to find the best mix for me. Currently I take Requip 0.5 mg in the afternoon, then 1.5 mg an hour before bed. Also clonazepam 2mg at bedtime. They give me 6-7 hours of heavenly sleep ! If I forget the afternoon Requip, by 7PM I literally can't sit since moving around helps the symptoms of RLS.

4. I get my iron levels checked ( iron and TIBC) every six months. If either is low I get iron injections monthly,the iron works amazingly well. Luckily in the past year my iron levels have been holding steady.

5. There are meds that can cause the RLS to be worse, anything that decreases dopamine levels. I learned that the hard way at the movies. I was ordered a med by my GI ( can't recall the name?!) to increase peristalsis in my intestines, turns out it's a dopamine antagonist, so it was knocking out the effects of the Requip. It the first and only time I took that med, as my neuro said it was like shooting myself in the foot and head at the same time :0(

6. Anything that involves sitting for a long time will cause the cramping, jumpy feeling to occur. I find that if my legs are cold it will increase the symptoms also. It's not fun but very treatable.

So that's my version of RLS. Some doctors will diagnose by symptoms alone, not all need a sleep study. The medication Requip has saved me from going nutty so many times. I am currently on 14 different meds(ugh), take away any of them and I can tolerate it, but NEVER mess with my Requip !!

Enjoy the beautiful day, I hope wherever you live it's warm and sunny!

4

I was diagnosed about 2 years ago when a sleep study was done. I take requip and it has helped. I have found since im not working that if i split my night meds up i sleep much better.

5

When I am completely exhausted I will feel it before I fall asleep.

6

Hi Niki,

My GP dxed me with when I told and showed him what I went through at night, but some insist on the sleep study to dx! Pain is one thing but RLS is something really unnerving! When I'm at my worst, I know I need magnesium, as the Lyrica only does so much!

7

Babs,

A lot of gals on the Fibro site have insisted Requip gives them horrendous nightmares, but obviously you don't have this problem? Glad you managed to miss that one! I know how you feel, I feel like a disease magnet!

Wishing you well,

SK

8

I have suffered from RLS for many years, but it's kind of sporadic for me. I'll go for ages without it and then go ages with it. (Right now I have it...ugh.) I read a while back that putting a bar of soap under the fitted sheet at the foot of the bed relieves RLS and leg cramps when their feet are close to or on the soap. Many people actually wear socks to bed so the soap is directly against their feet. Don't call me nuts just yet! This has been verified by physicians, neurologists, and many other professionals in the medical field. But not one of them knows why it works, it just does. With my skepticism at full bore I figured I had nothing to lose by trying it and tucked a bar at the foot of the bed. Honestly, it actually worked!!! We recently got a new mattress set and I forgot to put the soap back. I'm glad this subject came up because I getting up right now to grab some soap!!!

Anyway, please check it out online or just try it. It may take a couple of days to work but hang in there because I swear you'll get relief.

9

Hi Lovey,

You know, I've heard this, and it's certainly worth a shot! Any particular brand?

I'm trying some Dove, unscented, it will make less of a mess than the olive oil bar!

Thanks for the heads up, I'll let you know!

Wishing you well,

SK

10

I have had RSL or Ekbom Syndrome all my life. I am now 78.

It eased quite a lot when I was pregnant but soon returned.

My Husband suffered because during the night, while I was fast asleep, my legs jumped and would kick him. After he had a hernia operation I moved into the spare room so I wouldn't hurt him and we both slept better so I stayed there.

My son is slightly effected but my Daughter has it as badly as I do. We both take Requip. I used to take a 1mg tablet 5 times a day which worked very well most of the time. Recently my Doctor has changed my medication to ReQuip XL which is a slow release version and that also works well. I take a 4mg tablet at lunch time and a 2 mg tablet at bedtime. My Daughter has also changed over. She lives the other side of the world in Australia.

I have had Sjogren's Syndrome for over 25 years and it is slowly getting worse. Eyes, mouth, feet, arthritis etc. My ribs and other bones hurt to touch and I ache. When I sit down during the day I more often than not fall asleep but at night my brain won't shut down so it takes me a very long time to get to sleep. My lungs are now causing me a problem walking, stairs etc. and I am waiting for a CT scan to see if a problem is found. Nothing showed on an x-ray. I also have an appointment for a lung function test in August.

I am fed up, irritable and easily get upset which is the opposite to how I used to be.

My arms and hands hurt and I cannot hold a book so I prop it up to read. Other things such as writing, cleaning, sewing, gardening etc. are done in short spells otherwise I suffer too much afterwards, though not at the time I am actually working.

I think it may be possible that my Daughter may have the first symptom's of SS. I hope not.

I think I have said enough for now.

Sleep calls. I hope!!!

11

SK...SO glad to hear someone else has heard of this! :) I happen to use Irish Spring because I love the smell! I've heard several people say they used Dove as well as Ivory and any kind from the dollar store. Others say they've tried one that worked and another that didn't or to switch them out after a few months. I just threw one in and hoped for the best. I forgot to mention that the closer to your feet the better. Will be anxious to hear if it works and hope others are trying it too.

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I am going to try the soap off topic but when i was at the lung doctor with my son he told him to put vicks or anything like it on his feet and socks at bedtime and it would help with pain and cough with broncitis and plursiy he tried it and it worked

13

My mother and grandmother always swore by the Vick's salve! Supposed to apply it and cover your chest with red flannel. I never remember that when I go to the fabric store!

You are to always wash it off before going outside.