Restless Legs - does anything actually work ?

[ClarkKent]

Is there anyone out there who has found something that actually works for RLS ? I suffer from it a wee bit most of the time, but during my last pregnancy it got really very severe, to the point where I was lucky to get an hour's sleep at a time and I had "jumping" sessions in up to three limbs at a time which could last up to 24hours at a go.

Now I am 13 weeks with second pregnancy and I am already having broken sleep. Last night I was up wandering the house for over an hour trying to get it to settle down, and now I am half asleep at work. I am really really scared that it is going to be even worse than last time.

My midwife just said to keep my legs cool... but I think my RLS is at a whole different level than where that makes any difference.

Any help would be very gratefully received.

more salt

Nope.

I used to tell dh massage.

Got some lovely guilt free ones out of it though

I suffered terribly with all my pregnancies.

Hello Eniddddo..
long time no see.

Someone told me it can be caused by calcium deficiency.
I had a load of sardines and next day it was gone, worth a try

Thank you for the suggestions !

Oh im so glad to see someone else is getting this !! im 13 weeks and i have constant restless legs, i never knew this was a pg symptom and never even related it to being pg,i was so happy to see this thread when i logged on

Wish I could hold out lots of helpful answers for you Broodymom, but it is good to know that I am not alone in this !

Oh no watch the salt. Restless legs are horrible and probably a hormonal thing. My kidney patients also suffer from it. Salt is not the answer - particularly if blood pressure or leg swelling an issue.

I had it in first pregnancy although only mildly - did drive me mad .

There are tablets but use in pregnancy generally no advised - I certainly wouldn't take them.

So sorry no help - but lots of sympathy.

I get this too - it is truly grim...It seems a bit better if I have a bath before bed , also if I do not have sweets at night...(easier said than done for me at the moment...)

Good Luck!

I heard it was due to iron deficiency, so got some pregnancy multi vitamins and minerals and it was gone within 2 days of starting to take them. Can't remember how many weeks I was, and my iron was always fine on the blood tests. It's worth a try though, hope it works.

Well, quinine works for leg cramps at night (in a 1/3 of people)
So, by a process of deduction, perhaps a tonic water before bed might do the trick?

My life was hell from 18 weeks with this. I was known to jump out of bed screaming. However by accident I found an over night cure 2 piriton and 1 iron tablet at night, worked a treat. My GP now passes this is to all and sundry.

I feel for you. I had this with DD - truly awful from about 22 weeks, all night every night and I only slept after 5 am. The rest of the time I was tossing and turning in bed (had it in both legs and one arm) pacing around the kitchen and DH spent 2.5 months sleeping on lounge floor.

Spent fortunes on a chiropractor - did not work. Out of desperation and no luck with the antihistamines GP got me to an oesteopath who sorted out back and posture and it did wonders - I know they say that its not to do with that but it def helped in my case. I do wonder if osteo was helped a bit by the fact that that bump dropped a bit. I think I was about 37 weeks and 3 visits to oesteo before it tailed off, but not before I went totally demented with lack of sleep.

I am pregnant again now, 25 weeks and have it midly, but all my preg symptom have been milder with this pregnancy. I have tried really hard to keep up with excercise and not put on too much weight (5 stone by term with DD).

I'm sure its got something to do with my sacrum on the left had side - its never felt quite right like its out of position somehow, and now though my leg not yet affected, the LH sacrial joint (the bit where hip bone meets spine at the back) is never quite comfy at night. the restlessnes did radiate from there last time. I do hope you get it sorted out I know just how miserable it can be - I am going to see oesteo for a pre-emtive sort out.

Last time work let me do 11-7 so I could get some rest, but that would be out of the question now I have DD wanting her breakfast at 7.30 and nedeing to be off to nursery...dreading a reoccurance, I think i might have some sort of breakdown (have a lot more on my plate now) if I had to go thru it again. Best of luck.x

Thank you to everyone for their comments.

Funbags, your experience sounds similar to mine last time. I tried the osteo as well, and even accupuncture, which both had some effect for a couple of days after the treatment, but faded after that. Oddly I have sciatic pain too, but it's on the opposite site to my usual "jumping" leg, although it can be in either leg, either arm or a combination of them.

This time around at 14 weeks I am already having "jumping" episodes pretty much daily, during the day as well as at night. Between that and feeling sick all the time I am struggling at work and at home. I am just so desperate to find something that works as I don't know how I am going to deal with this for another 6 months.

hi,
haven't had it myself but my yoga teacher mentioned a couple of things to try in last nights class:

don't EVER sit with your legs crossed even if it is just one foot over the other and not the whole leg.
try lying on the floor with your legs up the wall for a while.
hope these help...
x