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Original poster

Restless Leg Syndrome - Have you heard of it?

30 replies

Bunglie · 18/07/2004 17:17

I have recently been in hospital. I was told that I could not sleep because I had 'restless leg Syndrome', which I don't think I have! I am in a wheel chair and paralized in my legs so I doubt it, but I am curious to know what it is? I was told it is where women can't sleep at night due to twitching legs that 'jump' around and that there is no cure and no one knows what causes it and it is really common in about 25% of women. Am I missing out on something here? It sounds like it is the perfect syndrome, no cause, no reason and no cure. Do you have it?

OP posts:

suedonim · 14/07/2004 14:17

There's something about Restless Leg Syndrome here . HTH!

Utka · 14/07/2004 14:31

My husband gets this, so it's not just women. His is normally caused by too much caffeine coupled with tiredness. He has to get up in the night and walk around, or he drives me mad with his wriggling!! He now has to limit himself to one cup of proper coffee a day, and plenty of water.

rosies · 14/07/2004 16:52

suedonim,

interesting article, thanks! i see it mentions iron deficiency and cold/ massage being good.

best wishes

rosie

noddy5 · 18/07/2004 17:24

I had it while on dialysis and it nearly drove me mad.I was told that tonic water just before bedtime would help and it did.In my case I had an overwhelming urge to keep moving my legs and it really stopped me sleeping.Try the tonic water but not the low calorie one HTH

fairyfly · 18/07/2004 17:25

I had it but it was just a mild feeling in my legs when i was pregnant, annoying, keeps you awake, i had to keep running baths, but it was nothing major, just very irratating. Are you alright?

luckymum · 18/07/2004 17:28

I have it occasionally Bunglie, for me its usually a sign that I'm anaemic. Strangely I also get it when I drink red wine (which is quite often)!

hmb · 18/07/2004 18:07

Also known as Ekboms (sp) syndrome. Can be caused by pregnancy, vitamin deficiencey or dialysis. It is the quinine in the tonic water that can help it

Original poster

Bunglie · 18/07/2004 18:08

Oh Gosh! It seems that it really does exist! I feel a bit guilty now as I thought that they were trying to fob me off. I take morphine regularly as a pain killer and since I have been back on that it has not bothered me. I think that morphine is a little drastic though if a simple tonic water works, Thank you for putting me straight and I am so sorry that I did not believe that it was real. I think that I will talk to them about it again as I hate feeling 'drugged up'

OP posts:

hmb · 18/07/2004 18:20

The tonic water thing doesn't work for everyone tho.

prettycandles · 18/07/2004 18:22

I had it in both my pregnancies. It drove me potty in the evenings and I felt so embarassed to keep disturbing my dh with my wriggles and twitchings. I only learned that this was a 'real' condition a few months ago...and felt better retrospectively.

I wish I had known about the tonic water then - or that it had occurred to me to ask Mumsnet!

boudicca · 18/07/2004 18:27

for those of us that can(?)cycling your legs can help.......apologies to those who can't......I had it when on medication for a frozen shoulder

boudicca · 18/07/2004 18:29

hope I haven't offended any one

Janh · 18/07/2004 18:30

Oh, Bunglie, having the syndrome but with legs that can't twitch must mean it all bottles up inside you! No wonder you couldn't sleep!

My cousin's DH has it. Not sure whether sharing a bed with a sufferer wouldn't be worse than having it yourself!

Original poster

Bunglie · 18/07/2004 18:37

Hmm, It seems to me that there are a lot of 'treatments' and that it is a lot more common than 25% of women. I think that some of those over-paid male doctors should do some research into this, but then I doubt that they will because it doesn't affect them.
Sorry I am feeling rather cynicle. I hope that it works if you put Gin in the tonic water

OP posts:

hmb · 18/07/2004 18:37

Have a look at

www.rls.org/

HTH

efmach · 18/07/2004 19:08

I had 'restless leg'syndrome in my pregnancies, it was very annoying and kept me awake at night too.

Carameli · 18/07/2004 19:33

I also had it when I was pregnant. I remember trying the tonic water, but cannot remember if I worked.
I also think I was told by someone to try ginger ale.

highlander · 18/07/2004 21:43

There has been a trial published recently in one of the Neurology journals where they report that one of the Parkinson drugs has been pretty effective.

Sadly, I doubt whether it is suitable for use in pregnancy (but don't take my word for it).

I get it occasionaly, but only in my left leg!

gloworm · 19/07/2004 00:07

for most people it means a lack of calcium, even if you eats lots of dairy etc, your calcium levels can still be low. i sufferd for a long time before knowing what it was and how to treat it. as soon as i started taking a calcium tablet the problem disappeared. i own a health shop and almost everyone with restless leg syndrome has come back to say they had their first goods nights sleep in ages after starting calcium.

gloworm · 19/07/2004 00:09

btw, for those of you who are pg, its a good idea to take extra calcium anyway as the baby needs so much.

rosies · 19/07/2004 02:29

i did a little research into this recently for a reflexology client with restless legs and feet... made worse in the evening and at night.

i did some looking up on the net and came up with a possible link with some anti depressants (SRRI) (prozac, paxil). also it could be a circulation problem.

suggestions were to try potassium, vit E and calcium... although some people have an intolerence to calcium so that could aggrevate the problem. bananas or orange juice before bed, if nighttime is the worst time.

have your iron levels been checked?

my client has responded well to reflexology... there is no reason why you could not try this, if you wanted to.

best wishes

rosie

Bozza · 23/09/2006 20:38

I am just reviving this thread because this is something that has been bothering me for a while and it is certainly disturbing DH. I am going to try the calcium tablets and then take it from there.

beansprout · 23/09/2006 20:40

I've had this and it's been a real problem for my mum for years. The tonic water does help though.

Olihan · 23/09/2006 20:47

Someone on my antenatal thread swears by spraying her legs with a cold shower before she goes to bed. Don't know the science behind it but it's supposed to really help!!

Elibean · 23/09/2006 21:32

Not sure if that was me or not, but cold shower on back of legs does help me with it - definitely. Just before bed. I think (in pregnancy at least) its something to do with circulation.
Have also been drinking tonic water, and it does seem to help a bit too - and I like it!

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