Curious about Restless legs

[crr38095]

A post in another thread got me curious if there are any other restless leg sufferers out there? I have had them since I was about 10 or 11 and they are definately a ruling factor in my life.
I'm curious if anyone else has them, then what do you do to deal with them and the many various other ways they affect your life like from lack of sleep, and all the things associated with that i.e. moodiness, crankiness, irritability, lack of appetite? They really do have a domino affect it seems and cause ripple affects in so many other areas of life...at least they really do in my life.
I thought maybe if any one else has them we could share what we've tried, whats worked or not worked for us, and brainstorm different ways of dealing with them. I know for me I sometimes feel like people think its really no big deal and I should just suck it up and quit whining about it because its not a big deal. And its not really except that its very hard for me to function on 2 or 3 hours of sleep arrrrgh! And we could also just offer some support to each other.
So,...any other restless leg sufferers out there?

[Neeley]

I absolutely hate RLS. There is nothing any more annoying then being so sleepy, wanting to sleep so badly and not being able to because your legs have to be moving. I will lay in bed and just move my legs around, sometimes in the air like I am riding a bike and other times move them back and forth. I get up, walk around, sit at the computer, cook food, or get in the tub. I sometimes go sit in the recliner and cry because all I want to do is sleep. I rarely sleep in the bed with DH because I do not want to keep him awake with my shuffling around. I also have chronic kidney disease and peripheral neuropathy so sleep isn't something that comes easy to me. If my legs are having a good night, my feet and hands aren't and I am always up going to the bathroom.

I have not tried taking anything to help me sleep. Most things with a sedative in them knock me out for at least 18-24 hours - no kidding. The strongest thing I have taken is an Advil Liqui-gel. My doctor has offered to write me scripts to help, but so far I have declined. I am a little nervous about side effects and have had so many bad reactions to other meds, it takes a lot for me to start a new one. Plus, I already take so many meds and deep down I feel like all of these meds going in my body can't be all for the good.

I no longer work and never will again. I stopped working three years ago this week. I am very lucky that my DH is a total angel. He takes such good care of me. He and our kids take care of almost all of the housework and laundry. I was homeschooling them, but now they go to a homeschool co-op type facility. He takes them everyday on his way to work and picks them up everyday except Thursday (he has to stay until 5:00 that day) and Fridays because they get out at 12:00. They pretty much let me sleep, rarely disturbing me for anything. They make the meals when needed and do whatever they all can to help the household run smoothly. All of them know if I am having a bad day an am grumpy or hurting they should stay out of my way. Normally they will go out somewhere and leave me alone or stay in their rooms until I call for them.

I cannot tell you how many times I wish there was a magical cure. RLS is one thing I would not wish on my worst enemy.

[foxxyroxie]

It's funny as I was posting under the other category about RLS, I was thinking I should start one here too. Like minds, I guess.

I've been an RLS suffered for about 4 years now, maybe longer and I didn't recognize the symptoms. And then I have double whammy with sleep issues because I also have bipolar disorder. Even on a good RLS night, doesn't mean I'll be sleeping. I've tried everything to relieve the symptoms... leg rubs, sleeping in a reclining chair, eliminating caffeine, OTC motrin and acetaminophen (Tylenol), walking around, warm showers, housework, cooking, meditation... all with little relief. Usually I just give in, stay up and watch TV or get on the computer... and sometimes that even bothers.

I do think that stress plays a factor, because it's during stressful times when I have the most problems, or maybe it's when symptoms 'irritate' me the most.

I'm glad you have a supportive family Neely. At first, my BF thought I was 'faking it', couldn't understand why I tossed and turned so much and thrashed and kicked all night. He couldn't understand why I would lay in bed or sit on the edge of the bed and cry because of the RLS and the lack of sleep. I think public awareness with TV commercials for the medications has helped in awarness and he has a lot more understanding about it.

As far as the medications, I'm sure that they're not covered under my insurance... most newer drugs aren't. Plus I kinda feel like I really don't need any more drugs in my body that already go in it now with my diabetes and hypertension.

I'd be interested in the website/forum link. Maybe that will give me a few more tips for symptom relief that I haven't already tried.

[wildflowerpa]

My DH has RLS. Nothing had helped until he had to start taking 800mgs of motrin and ultram for arthrits in his foot. For some reason that stopped the RLS. Alot of people swear by the soap in the bed trick but he said it doesn't work.Course he kicked it out from under the sheet during the night but it did make the bed smell good though..

[nancycg56]

My DH has it really bad ~ he also has the twitching component which is worse than the kicking legs ~ at least on me.

He takes Requip which has been a godsend ~ he might have a bad night once every week and a half or two weeks or so. The twitching goes on every night with some worse than others but if I can get to sleep before he starts in, I'm usually OK. Sometimes he gets up until his body calms down but more often than not he sleeps fine.

[PrairieRose]

I have it and find that if I'll take a calcium tablet at bedtime with melatonin that it really helps me sleep unless I've overdone it physically during the day and ache from arthritis as well. Then I'll take a generic prilosec and 3 ibuprofin which helps with that. I too have been having trouble sleeping from RLS but this does help quite a bit. It's a very aggravating disorder.

[crr38095]

Neely- I understand what you mean about not wanting to take more meds. I have a bone disease (it sounds scarier than it is) on top of my RLS called multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE for short) that I've had surgery for over 22 times. I've taken a lot of pain meds and had alot of drugs and I will need more when I am older so I am leery of taking too many things now. I hate taking tylenol pm nightly but for me it's the only way I can get some sleep so I take it and pray for the best. Restless legs really do suck really bad for so many reasons and in so many ways. Your very lucky in your husband and family! I am too! I wouldn't wish RLS on my own worst enemy either, they are just that horrible.
Foxxy- I've gotten the I'm exaggerating or making a mountain out of a mole hill thing. Not from hubb thank God or I might have hurt him lol. But I do get the just lay down and ignore it, or its mind over matter thing. Like I ENJOY having my legs jump and twitch and surviving on 2 or 3 hrs of sleep at a time, because its just oh so much fun feeling like a zombie all day everyday. And don't you know how much I just love being woken out of a sound sleep when I do actually manage to get some to go take a bath at 4 am, sitting in the bathtub crying and wishing I could chop my own legs off. Its just ever so much fun. Mind over matter....ARGGH!
Wildflower- lol that cracked me up about the soap in bed trick. I tried that too, and it didnt work, but I swear my bedroom smelled like ivory for a good 2 weeks even once I took the soap out!
Nancy- My hubb is like you,...if he falls asleep 1st its usually ok and doesnt bother him. I do chase him to the couch sometimes because they twitch in my sleep alot and I don't even know it. Poor man has been kicked one too many times and I don't even know I do it.
PrairieRose- The prilosec works for arthritis? I thought that was a heartburn drug? I have arthritis in every joint in my body as a side effect of my MHE and I have held off on the RX drugs for that for yrs and I would be very interested if prilosec worked for arthritis too.

I'm not sure how to add a link to a message so I have to type out the RLS boards but here it is for anyone interested:
[ame="http://www.healthboards.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=109"]Restless Leg Syndrome - HealthBoards Message Boards[/ame]
hope it helps!

[always2busy]

My dh has RLS. He doesn't take anything specifically for that though. My ds (8) also has RLS. He describes it as his legs "tickle". We usually give him a childrens tylenol as a placebo. His dosage would be about 6 pills but we only give him one so we're not over-medicating him. He usually goes right to sleep after that.

That's probabally not helpful for adults but you may want to try it with kids.

[wildflowerpa]

I had to chuckle when I heard about the soap in the bed thing too. I have a friend that swears by it.Have any of you tried all the Vicks Vapor rub cures out there? Everything from curing earaches to putting it on your feet to calm a cough

[KittyKat]

I know of a Neurologist that prescribes Atenolol for RLS tremor symptoms.
I've heard good things about it if taken in small dosages.
It's a beta blocker so it does other things in your body to the nervous system and needs to be watched closely if you take heart medication.