Severe Restless Legs - desperately needing help.

[suis]

I am currently 34 weeks and my restless leg syndrome is about to drive me insane.

I get RLS occasionally anyway, but since becoming pg it's become increasingly severe. I get it in both legs and sometimes arms too and the symptoms come every night for hours, and are starting to affect me in the daytime as well.

I can't sleep longer than 2 hours at a time before it wakes me, when I can get to sleep at all. It's just gone 8am and so far I have had 2 hour long naps since going to bed at 1am. On a good night I might get 5 or 6 hours of broken sleep.

I am so exhausted that it's starting to make me ill. I have various associated problems (all over itching, abcesses in my armpits, SPD) which I think come down to not getting enough rest and being really run down. It is making me very irritable and teary. I look appalling, I have no concentration and I am getting downright depressed.

I have cut down caffiene, increased iron and calcium intake and take raspberry leaf tea and cammomile tea to try and help, but to no avail. Acupuncture has helped a bit, but the effects only last 2-3 days.

If anyone has any suggestions at all I would be very grateful.

Hi Suis, I am gettting this quite badly at the moment too, 38+2 and counting... Cutting out sugar is the only thing that seems to help me, I have tried everything else too. I cannot seem to cut it out completely but if I avoid sugary food in the evening it seems to reduce intensity of it, pain in the backside at this time of year especially, loads of christmas cake left, but it is worth it to get some sleep. Hope yours improves

I suffer from restless legs and find that drinking tonic water helps - it is the quinine apparently. So I have a glass every evening.

I don't mean to alarm you but I would see the midwife/doctor about the itching. Itching all over can be a symptom of a condition called obstretic coleatis (not sure on spelling there) which affects the liver. So I would just rule it out.

My friend really suffered from this when pregnant. She was advised to have a couple of brazil nuts everyday and it really did work for her. Good luck!!

Have you thought about trying accupuncture to sort out all your pg problems - worked for me - or reflexology supposed to be good too.

Hi Suis I had really bad restless legs when I was Pregnant, get yourself a reflexologist, their worth their weight in gold.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what is restless legs?

I really feel for you - I get restless legs and hot feet, as well as mild SPD. It is so dispiriting.

the only thing that helps me with restless legs is to lie down on the sofa with my legs up on the arm and my feet and lower legs sticking out of the duvet. I make myself a spare bed. It's not best comfy by any means and I don't sleep brilliantly, but better than tossing and turning with RL. I think RL is caused by blood pooling in the legs, its a circulation thing.

I agree it is probably worth mentioning all these things (hard!! sometimes these doctors and midwives aren't listening carefully) in case it does indicate something underlying in terms of circulation etc.

I also found fresh air and brisk walking good generally for helping with this, but with SPD this has come to an end.

wishing you lots of luck. take good care

Thank you all for your suggestions, I give them all a go and let you know how I get on.

T4T - I so know how you feel. I have the same with the SPD, can't walk about, can't sit still. Utterly maddening.

Harry - RLS, also known as Ekbom's syndrome, is where you experience an involuntary but irresistible urge to keep moving one or both legs (sometimes even arms too). People describe it variously as feeling like crawling, tingling or electric currents in their legs, or even just as an indescribable feeling. People I know refer to it as "disco leg" or "jumpy leg". It is usually temporarily relived if you move the limbs leading suffers to have to walk about to relieve the symptoms, although it comes back as soon as you stop. The cause is unknown, but it is aggravated by pregnancy if you already have it, and for some only happens in pregnancy. There does seem to be a genertic element (my Mum gets it very badly too). It tends to be worse in the evening and at night and leads to disrupted or even impossible sleep.

I have had mild symptoms for years, however, it has gotten worse as my pregnancy has progress so I now have symptoms in both legs most of the time, only stopping for a few hours in the middle of the day.

I read something recently that something new is around that's really effective for restless legs. Sorry can't remember anything but why not ask your GP? I expect it'll be some drug that you can't take when pregnant!