Posted: 6/21/2006 10:59:21 PM EDT
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Does anyone else here have it? It is driving me flipping crazy!!! My leg(s) will literally jump right off the bed. Sometimes it will start as soon as I go to bed, other times (like tonight) it will wake me up. When I am posting in the middle of the night like this, it is because I am waiting for meds to kick in. Usually I am hovering on the edge of anemia, and I know that when my iron is low, it gets worse. I take iron on a daily basis, with a double dose during times when my iron is more likely to drop. (Right now it shouldn't be low, but someone made an anemia reference in my bruise thread earlier today...) Right now I take Permax, which is used to control tremors in Parkinson's patients. I took it for almost 3 years with no problem, but back in January started having problems in the morning (being light-headed, feeling faint and/or nauseated,) especially if I didn't have at least 8 hrs to sleep. I have now cut back to 1/2 a pill, which makes it better in the morning, but takes longer to calm my legs. Right now I am on vacation, so I can take it in the middle of the night if the legs wake me up, as I can just sleep in. When I have to get up to go to work, I don't feel like I can take it after 10:30, which means that some nights I am pacing the house in tears because I just want to sleep so badly and I can't be still. I don't like taking meds every night before bed "just in case" it kicks in, but on a school night, I would have to go to bed by 2100 to make sure I had ample time to take meds if needed. Sorry for the long post, but I am going out of my mind with this!!!! Does anyone else here have it? How do you manage it? What meds are you on? Any diet suggestions? Arfcom docs, any words of wisdom? (I am starting with a new doctor here in Texas next month, so I don't have the benefit of a GP that has been seeing me for years...) |
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Although I have no experience dealing with RLS myself, my dad does have some experience. From what I know, his most recent treatment method involved quinine. How much this would help someone with what sounds like might be a more extreme case, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he experienced some success with this method. As far as getting some quinine, I don't know of any prescription/pill forms, but it is present in schweppes tonic water (http://www.schweppesus.com). Hope that helps a bit. |
That's exactly what I'm talking about!!!!! Aaarrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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For some reason, I'm compelled to ask -- are artificial sweeteners are in your life? I finally swore them off. A friend who has this owes me a call -- I'll ask. I know he was really frustrated by it, like you. If cardio stuff stimulates & you don't get anything from stretching, just maybe some resistance type exercise would help, or a long walk earlier in the evening. Hang in there! |
Some amount of that is normal. A lot of people suddenly jump just as they're about to fall asleep. You know, when you're in that twilight zone between consciousness and unconsciousness. They usually get one jump, and that is it. But with RLS, the jumps continue through the night. My dad is having a horrible time getting a full night's sleep, and I'm getting worried about him because when he's awake, he can't think straight. When he can't think straight, he might forget his medicine or he might stumble and break a hip. Last time he fell, he broke his back. That RLS is really weird. I didn't even know it existed until recently. |
Would one day make a difference? I don't know how much time it takes for the body to rid itself of the Nutra-sweet type stuff. Maybe 3 weeks without diet stuff, caffeine, and MSG. This seems to be a mysterious and maddening condition. I wish you the best.  ETA: Soothing music, perhaps massage? |
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my wife says i rub my feet together all night. i'll catch myself doing it as i drift off to sleep and i can make it stop. but after i do fall asleep i guess i'll rub my feet. i'm not sure if this would be the same type of thing? i hope it doesn't become a problem.  i tried to tell her that she should rub them all night for me, but that isn't happening. |
| I've got something similar but mine is caused by nerve damage from being diabetic for 25+ years. I take Lyrica and/or Neurontin for it, helps quite a bit. Sometimes I will take an over the counter med called LegatrinPM. Says it "Relieves lower body pain and helps you get a good night's sleep. Seems to work. |