| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| hapyhrt |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 03:35:16 AM
Anyone suffer with this wretched condition where you legs ache horrible and the urge to move them is impossible to avoid? I think it's called "Restless Leg Syndrome". Seems to mostly happen at night while trying to sleep, though lately I've had the restlessness and aching at times during the day too.
I read in Dr Gott, (Peter Gott, MD. who writes a nationally syndicated medical column) that others have great relief from placing a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed somewhere near the legs. I've used this remedy for awhile now and haven't seen as good results as hoped. 
Anyone have any tips or ideas to help with restless legs, aside from using medication? If so, your sharing is appreciated! Thanks! 
"Think HAPPY Thoughts...any others aren't worth your time!" Ü |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| maserz |
Posted - Jun 30 2007 : 2:11:51 PM
Well...my husband is in Chiropractic School, and when we visited the school clinic the other day, the doctor asked me if I had this. I told him I don't but my dad does. He then told me that it is usually from your posture...your shoulders being hunched forward, resulting in some of your muscles to get less work while others are overworked. Anyway, the ones that are underworked then still have energy at night, so they are trying to release that energy. So, maybe visiting a chiropractor might help...it could improve your RLS and your posture if nothing else! Hope this helps!
Teaching is 1/4 planning and 3/4 theater! |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 6:41:31 PM
OOOhhh have fun with the Pilates!! I hear that can hurt! LOL |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 2:42:19 PM
I probably could stand to do more exercise! LOL I am working up to putting in one of my pilates DVDs today... wish me luck!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 2:33:30 PM
That could be very uncomfortable! I do exercise three to 5 days a week and drinking more water and taking vitamins has helped me a great deal. I am sure with Nora around you must get the exercise though! Those were fun days in my life and were gone too quickly... |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 11:17:40 AM
Sheryl-Lyn- It could be just a general diagonosis. It is what my doctor seemed to think I had, even though it is in my joints too. I have been tested for arthritis and I don't have it and all my joints are properly formed. Who know? Maybe it is something else, but in my legs I do have the creepy crawlie, sudden need to move, and a clausterphobic feeling if I don't move. That is what my toes and wrists feel like too- but if I don't move the ache settles into the joints and the next couple of days are pretty miserable.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Jun 29 2007 : 06:03:27 AM
Alee: are you sure you are talking about RLS? My doctor said it is a leg thing, not wrists and joints, etc. There are side effects to the meds, but I am not sure what they are. My Dr. said to wait to take meds and try other things like the tea first. That works for me. |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 28 2007 : 4:52:53 PM
I get it in almost all my joints, not just my legs. I get it in my toes, my legs and my wrists. Anyone know if there are any side effects to the medicine the doctors are prescribing for RLS?
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Jun 28 2007 : 4:06:54 PM
I have been told it could be a vitamin deficiency like Potassium or something else. The riobos tea is working like a charm for me! |
| mommatracy |
Posted - Jun 27 2007 : 7:07:49 PM
I have had this problem for several years. Ithought I was crazy until I saw a commercial on tv about it and called it RLS. Finally there was a name for it and I wasn;t the only one who had it. I have it all the time, day and night. It is maddening. Keeps me awake half the night. I need some relief. I just wish someone could tell me what causes it. |
| ArmyWifey |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 06:05:54 AM
I don't have this but have read that it may be linked to a pottasium deficency as well as what you all have mentioned.
Just a thought.
Holly
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
|
| sewgirlie |
Posted - May 06 2007 : 09:24:32 AM
I have been drinking more water and at night, I drink the tea (rooibis--can't remember how to spell it) and for the past few nights, I have not had the problem. Also, since I have had a back problem for about SIX!! weeks again, I tried sleeping with a pillow between my legs and that also seemed to help my shaky legs. Thanks for the advice!
Sheryl-lyn |
| lamarguerite farm |
Posted - Apr 26 2007 : 09:49:20 AM
I have RLS as well and have found that Valerian is very helpful. It really keeps it under control at night and it's hardly ever enough to keep me awake. Also try taking vitamins including a b-complex, fish oil and probiotics. It could be that your body is out of balance and deficient in some thins. I discovered over time that there were certain foods that I was sensitive to that were triggering it. It might be worth it to keep a food diary to see if it's worse after eating certain foods. wouldn't hurt.
Blessings,
Missy
If you have a dream, even if you don't feel qualified to accomplish it, just try your hardest.-Maggie Jensen
http://18happyhens.blogspot.com
www.LaMargueriteFarm.com |
| momtoeight |
Posted - Apr 26 2007 : 09:41:10 AM
I have this, but found a few things that help:
Apparently some food allergies aggravate this for me. If I eliminate those things (MSG and Sodium Nitrite specificially), then it is not as bad.
It was worse when I had apnea problems. I use CPAP at night now, and the RLS is rarely an issue at night.
Heat on my lower back sometimes helps during the daytime.
If I get overly tired during the day, then I get this when I'm relaxing in my recliner in the evening, and it makes me so uncomfortable and fidgety that I can't stand to be up any longer. Like my whole body just has some kind of deep nerve irritation - like a subliminal vibration! Starts in the legs, goes from there!
Laura
Firelight Web Studio - http://www.firelightwebstudio.com - Small Business Website Services with a Difference - Personal, Flexible, and Friendly |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Apr 25 2007 : 2:01:05 PM
I had a problem with this a couple of years ago and my chiropractor told me I needed to drink more water. So anytime my legs start acting up, I get a BIG glass of water and within a half hour or less it stops and I can rest/sleep. I don't know if this would work for everyone but it's a cheap and easy one to try.
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
| ponyexpress |
Posted - Apr 24 2007 : 7:24:22 PM
So glad this topic got "bumped." I've had this syndrome for as long as I can remember, but not always with the same severity! If I am overly tired, it also becomes a mental struggle. I know I'm tired, I know I want to sleep, and so I tell myself that it WILL NOT HAPPEN. And of course, it happens!
I thought it was getting better, but perhaps I'm just getting better at coping and sleeping through it. I pulled a set of sheets off the bed and the area where my legs would be was threadbare and just fell apart - likely from the friction of all that leg movement.
I'm planning to try the tea as well. Let's keep a good thought that it works!
I've learned that it takes as much time and energy to wish as it does to plan.
|
| Kim |
Posted - Apr 24 2007 : 5:15:19 PM
I too am cursed with this as well as my dad. I'm going to try the rooibos tea. It helps when I go to bed too. As well as throwing my leg over my honey, sleeping on one side with my leg hitched up and if I am on the couch, I throw one leg up higher than the other, lol!
Blessed Be!
farmgirl@heart
"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams; live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." - Henry David Thoreau
http://chevy49girl.livejournal.com/
http://midwestmusings-kim.blogspot.com/
http://chevy49girl.deviantart.com/ |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Apr 24 2007 : 4:35:39 PM
This has been a great find for me! My poor husband would complain that every night I was doing Kung-Fu while he was trying to sleep. He said I looked like that girl from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon while I sleeped. I would be up in the air spinning around in circles and then give him a good roundhouse kick while he laid there. Poor dear! I knew I had the wiggly legs while I was awake at night, but did not realize how harsh it is for a bedmate! LOL
I started eating bananas more (for the potassium?) and now I will take iron. It comes and goes, but it will drive you crazy when it comes on.
My DH will be able to sleep without the violence now! |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - May 13 2006 : 3:01:38 PM
Thanks for the tips, MaryJane! I think most of us who suffer from this would try just about anything to relieve it. Dietary iron is a simple solution. I'll review my daily supplement; sometimes different types of iron are less bioavailable than others.
Thanks again!  |
| MaryJane |
Posted - May 13 2006 : 06:27:03 AM
For me, RLS is an iron deficiency. It took me a few years to figure it out, but now there’s a wealth of information on the web. Google restless leg syndrome and iron and you’ll find lots to read. Here’s one I found this morning, http://www.helpguide.org/life/restless_leg_syndrome_rls.htm
I remember getting that creepy, crawly feeling in my legs when I was in my twenties and not eating meat. I was on a bus and like Horsey Rider said, about to get off and walk…from Minneapolis to Utah! Here’s a source that says pumpkin seeds and molasses are good sources of iron:
http://www.healthcastle.com/iron.shtml
Google iron deficiency and food to find more.
What helped me figure it out was that I didn’t get it when I was pregnant, probably because I was taking an iron supplement. Anyway, these days I take a brand called Solgar that is a Gentle Iron (non-constipating) 25 mg of iron bisglycinate in a vegetable capsule. I try to take 2-3 tabs daily but just when I get to thinking my diet is adequate and I don’t need supplements, I wake up in the night needing “to walk to New York.” Instead I pop a couple of tabs and within 20 minutes my legs feels normal again. It’s a lack of red blood cells to the brain or some such thing. You’ll find fascinating reading on the web. I thank my lucky stars for access to everyone’s stories via the web. I call it the “People’s Encyclopedia” and I trust it more than anything! MaryJane |
| Terre |
Posted - May 13 2006 : 05:25:03 AM
It's been interesting to read all your comments on this. I have had a real problem with this for the last 2 years, but has been worse the last year. The doctor wants some further tests if it doesn't get better. I'm trying the Rooibus tea. I just started---it actually tastes all right. I didn't have any trouble finding it. My local grocery actually had it. I think it's Celestial Seasonings. So we'll see. Thanks for the tip!
Be true in heart. |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Apr 28 2006 : 04:40:14 AM
Thanks, Rebecca! I'll ask my doctor about it! |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - Apr 27 2006 : 8:51:26 PM
My sister takes Requip. It's fairly new on the market for restless legs syndrome. She said that it was originally for Parkinson's disease and now they have it for rls. There are 3 levels for it. She is on the highest level. With this medication she finally has had relief after many many years of dealing with it.
HTH,
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - Apr 27 2006 : 10:08:33 AM
My sister has this. It's a nerve problem. She takes a medication that has resolved it. I'll ask her what she takes.
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Apr 27 2006 : 04:46:01 AM
Thanks for the tips, Emily! Do you remember which allergy medicines got to you? I take Claritin now, but I'd gladly switch around to find something more benign.
Funny about the alcohol, too. Sometimes red wine (merlot) helps me, but sometimes the RLS is still there. I usually forget to drink it; I love it but liquor has long been a luxury, and I can't seem to get out of the habit of treating it as such. |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Apr 24 2006 : 6:05:39 PM
Dar, I really identify with what you said. Hubby's company once gave us a trip to Hawaii as thanks for some work well done. They have a gorgeous two bedroom condo on the beach on Maui, and they said we could have it for a week. They also gave us car rental and a big wad of spending money. We had a plane ride there that stopped and changed in L.A., and then went to the islands. The way home was from Honolulu to O'Hare, from six in the evening to six in the morning. I thought I would absolutely DIE!!! Not only were we switched from our original plane, but I got put in a seat away from hubby sandwiched between a couple other people, and the guy with the aisle seat was radically overserved and had all the accompanying disgusting body functions that result. Ugh! I wanted to get out of the plane and WALK home! It was the longest night of my life.
I also dangle my feet or a leg off the edge of the bed. Sometimes I jiggle it, sometimes I don't. I can't stand to have anything on my legs like pajamas or animals in the bed who might compress the covers, nor can I stand anything weighty like quilts. I sleep with a sheet and a down comforter in winter, and use a heated mattress pad if it's very cold.
My rooibos tea helps a lot, and going to bed usually relieves it. But every once in awhile it'll keep on going, and I'll toss and turn and feel like I'm going mad! Sometimes it helps to get up and go sleep on something different, like the couch. But sometimes nothing helps.
And here's my own personal he** lately. I got in a couple of wrecks last summer on a horse that bolted. Imagine standing on top of a car that accelerates to about 20-30mph and then they slam on the brakes. You go splattering! Good thing I had on a helmet; I got three cracked ones for my trouble. Now I have problems with my back, which cause weird pain to go down one leg. I'm seeing a chiro twice a week, but it's hard to get ahead of the inflammation. Sometimes I can't straighten out my left leg because of the injury, but the only thing that feels like it'd make it feel better is stretching!
*sigh* It's impossible sometimes. |
