Had enough.

[scaredmum2be]

34 weeks today and since beginning of December have been suffering badly with restless legs.
At first it stopped me sleeping more than four hours a night for a week. Now I can sleep mostly but I can't relax. I can't watch television. It's like someone is running a feather up and down my legs and they kick and jerk which is very visible to everyone. Mostly happens at home in the evenings. I cry tears of frustration from it. All I want is to sit for a few hours and relax but I can't. Everytime I get up for a wee a night which is about ten times a night now I have this horrible feeling as soon I lie down. If my oh accidentally touches my leg they feel like I'm on fire and I jerk them out.
I've tried
Bananas
Milk
Paracetamol
Baths
Cold showers
Warm showers
Hot water bottles
Pillows
Raising legs
Exercise
Stretching
Massage
Tonic water
I've had iron checked and other vitamins etc and their all normal / high levels.
Nothing works. Please help me I feel like I'm being tortured. I can't bear the thought this will get worse and stop me sleeping again. I can't live like this it's ruining me. I'm in tears every night until I drop of to sleep. I just want to relax.
What if this doesn't go after pregnancy. I'm so scared it won't.
I had to take metoclopramide for nine days during week nine of pregnancy and I have read this can cause life long restless legs and now I'm so scared even though this started about week 24 and I had no symptoms when on the medication,
I suffer anxiety. And I've had this fear I won't sleep since I had that bad week in December, if I keep my hands busy eg typing, playing a game, knitting the restlessness stops but I can't just watch television, as soon as I stop doing something with my hands it starts,

[scaredmum2be]

My right leg hurts today to which is the most affected leg. The calf really hurts.
I drink loads during the day to. About two litres and take a multi preg vitamin but this is breaking me.
It's making me depressed and I can't go on

[Sophia1984]

I really feel for you. I have both anxiety and restless legs (which I've had for years, pre-pregnancy).

This is a complete old wives' tale but a lot of people claim putting a bar of soap under their sheets helps![http://www.livescience.com/22461-will-placing-soap-under-the-sheets-really-prevent-fidgety-legs.html

On a more scientific note, magnesium is also meant to help.

[scaredmum2be]

Thanks, it's horrible isn't it. I'm so scared I'll never have my life back.
I'll try the soap.
Gonna go to gps Monday but doubt their is much they can do

[ProbablyMe]

I'm 25 weeks and have this. It's awful and you have my sympathy. The only things I've found that relieve it a bit are things that make my legs cold - I smother my legs in cooling Aloe Vera after sun gel, I have a cooling spray designed to cool you down in hot weather and then I point a fan at my legs. My legs do feel a bit shivery but it's generally an improvement and I manage to get to sleep. Also - weirdly - drinking ice water helps a bit too.

[scaredmum2be]

It is awful isn't it.
Thanks for the ideas, I've tried legs outside the sheets and standing on cold tiles. The second I sit down though it's their again.
I don't see how I can enjoy mat leave when I can't even watch a film. Dreading it. I guess I'll learn the river dance.
Is their a chance I'm stuck with this for life? I'm cracking up now let alone the thought this won't go. I'll try my fan to. I've tried spraying cold water on them that does nothing

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

When my legs hurt etc, pre pregnancy I used to take some magnesium supplements and it worked a treat. I have a friend who is into running and it's something a lot of runners use.

But I would check before you take anything what is safe during pregnancy

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

If you want to cool your legs down, then Boots sell some really good gel ice packs that you keep in the freezer. I use them for my wrists, but they would easily cover the length of my calf

[Inwaiting]

Hi OP i use magnesium oil for my restless legs and find it really helps. Also put a hot water bottle on my calves around 20 minutes before i go to bed. have you had your bloods checked lately? it can be a sign of anaemia

[babynumber3eek]

If your calf is hurting then please do ask your GP for advice very very soon. DVTs are a possible cause of calf pain and are more of a risk in pregnancy. They are potentially very serious so well worth checking out xx