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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

RESLESS LEG SYNDROME ARRGGGHHH!

14 replies

nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 10:43

Please please please help with any advice on how i can try to ease these symptoms... I am now turning into an insomniac as i cannot sleep due to my legs feeling hot, achey and with urges to move them, worse at night and when resting.. they also twitch involuntarily when you are nearly dozing off which starts the whole cycle of no sleep off again! I am so desperate and frustrated it makes you cry with anger that it wont go away. I spend all night tossing and turning trying to get my legs comfy but no postion helps.. I have found out though that my legs like to be uncovered and have had to turn off the heating in the bedroom as warmth makes them worse.... Has anyone else suffered from restless legs and does it go away when baby is born .. i have 7 weeks left and have been putting up with this horrible problem now for 4 weeks. Midwife was no help saying i have to 'grin and bear it' YEAH RIGHT! All my blood tests are normal (iron levels and glucose tolerance test) They also itch and tingle.... and are really cold to the point of being purle and mottled in the morning... and nope it isnt a DVT..... antihistamines are no help and neither as is any creams as they seem to make me itch more.... i keep active and do a yoga exercise routine to stretch out the muscles before bedtime as i heard this may help but it isn't.... any suggestions will be very welcome!

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WigWamBam · 13/03/2006 10:49

My MIL suffers with this. Her GP told her that it can be treated with medication, but they prefer to limit it to really severe cases.

It can be caused by anaemia or vitamin B12 deficiency, so maybe you could start taking B12 and ask the GP for a blood test to check your iron levels.

The GP suggested taking a hot bath to relax the muscles before bed, then stretching and massaging her legs before she went to bed, and he also advised avoiding caffeine and alcohol.

Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 11:01

Thankyou....

Folate and iron levels are fine... and i am a teetotal person anyway so the alochol bit is not an issue.... hmm caffeine maybe but this is limited to the one cup of coffee in the morning before taking my other two kiddies to school.. without it i would not cope with having to travel (their school is 7 miles away) or even be alert enough to drive due to the sleep deprivation. I will try the massage or get my partner to do that bit and the hot bath before bed sounds like a good way to unwind and de-stress.... X

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vickiyumyum · 13/03/2006 11:05

bananas and tonic water! apparently you need potassium and quninie(?SP) the potassium is int eh bananas and the quinine in the tonic water. you can get supplements but in pregancy better to stick to natural sources.

i hate bananas but force myself to eat at least one a day to keep the restless legs at bay, also the tonic water is nice, makes a change to water, as anything else gives me heartburn. make sure its ice cold and its quite pleasant.

Gloworm · 13/03/2006 11:23

nicky, I'm a nutritionist and have found that almost everyone with restless leg responds well to calcium. It doesnt matter if you drink lots of milk etc, if you have restless leg syndrome taking a calcium supplement is probably going to help. It is best to use a calcium/magnesium one (as madnesium can help with cramps too).

I "grinned and beared" it for years before doing some research into it. It disappeared within days of starting on the calcium tablets. I have continued to take them after PG.

Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 11:26

lol bless ya and thankyou :0 .... my mum says if i eat any more bananas than i do i will turn into a monkey... love them they are a huge part of my diet as with all fruit and veg and tonic water has been something i never drank until i found out i was pregnant and it took my morning sickness away and i continue to drink it with ice and fresh lemon slices several times a day.....

its me i am officially a freak nothing works!!!!! P.s are you having a boy? just with the tonic water thing.... several friends of mine who are pregnant tried it for their morning sickness and the only ones who liked it had boys or are having boys the ones with girls hated it! silly theory but for me and my friends it was a strange co-incidence

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Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 11:35

calcium hmmmmm not tried to up !! that one, may help with my palpatations too... i will go and see the pharmacist today and get some which are suitable in pregnancy...... i am really confident with all the other aspects of my diet providing me with all the other nutrients and minerals etc and even the quinnine and calcium does make sense... i was well still am an anorexic but pregnancy has made me change my eating patturns so much as i now have to nurture a baby i eat a well balanced diet in all areas including choccie puds when i fancy it which i never used to and as the anorexia stopped my periods for a long time i was told my calcium levels may need boosting... but putting on a few stone to reach my target weight (4 months before i concieved as my periods returned) i didn't think to have them checked. Plus it isnt a mineral level checked by routine pregnancy bloods so my midwife wont be able to fob me off with putting up with something.... I am gunna try this one as well as keeping up the quinnine and bananas and the massage which everyone suggested... YEAH there seems light at the end of the tunnel THANKS EVERYONE x

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Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 12:03

The pharmacist said that taking extra supplements of calcium and magnesium would harm my baby.. but i am not sure his advice is correct as he told me to get plenty of rest DUUURRRRRR it is the resting bit which makes the symptoms worse!!!

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VeniVidiVickiQV · 13/03/2006 12:09

Yes i did. In both pgs pretty much from the start. It was awful.

I used to get my DP to massage my legs each night with some cocoa butter or something really vigorously for about 10 minutes. It used to do the trick and help with my swollen ankles too.

Gloworm · 13/03/2006 12:10

nicky, I would get a second opinion. I took it the whole way through my second PG. I dont see how it could possibly harm the baby. As someone with a BSc in Human Nutrition I would love to hear his reason.
My 2 GP's, midwives,nurses, consultant had no problem with me taking calcium.

is there somewhere else you could get advise?
GP?
anyone in your local health shop who is qualified? (NOT holland and barrett as they give appaling advice sometimes imo)

Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 12:16

I am waiting for my G.P to give me a call back.... as i thought his advice was non descript as i got the impression he didn't even know what restless legs are..... I am a nurse and when you mentioned you were a nutritionist i accepted your advice as really really good advice but because there are different brands of Ca/Mg on the market some with other minerals/vitamins in i thought i would check i was buying the right kind.

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Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 12:34

G.P wants to check my magnesium and calcium levels first... the reason they gave was that there is a one in ten chance of it causing foetal abnormalities... but surely with only 7 weeks left to go all the developmental issues are over with... or is it just them covering their backs... either way i am seeing my G.P this afternoon to discuss things further as i am not going to be able to cope with this for much longer let alone 7 more weeks it is not only disturbing my sleep but my partners too, lucky for him in a way he is working away this week so he wont have to put up with me tossing and turning and my jerky limbs! but like any supportive partner he says he would rather have no sleep than having to stay away at work.
I will let you know how i get on with a visit to the doctors.
Thankyou once again X

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Original poster
nickyp08 · 13/03/2006 18:08

G.P suggested either codeine taken at night or amitryptalline (???spelling) and a calcium suppliment! no surprise there with the calcium, you were right and the pharmacist will not be used by me for advice anymore! I am going to go to the health shop to get some calcium supplements tomorrow and i have the codeine so fingers crossed i can get some much needed sleep!
X

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vickiyumyum · 13/03/2006 19:07

supposedly having a girl! according to 2 scans anyway, will find out on thursday, quite liked tonic water anyway though so not just a pregnancy craving, that has been for bitter lemon!!

Original poster
nickyp08 · 24/03/2006 10:53

codeine is helping (G.P prescribed it) but i think it is because it just totally knocks me out for the count and i bought some mum-to-be massage oil and my bloke gives my legs a good massage before bedtime... getting some better quality sleep at last

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