Restless Leg (BODY!) Syndrome

soshotout

I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to get any sleep with Restless Leg Syndrome? I have it, but mine is more like Restless BODY Syndrome. I get it everywhere and it drives me crazy! I tried Melatonin and it worked for about 1 week. I've upped my dose to two pills (6 mg) and it gets me to sleep initially most of the time, but within an hour the Restless wakes me up and I'm up for hours. I'm starting to feel like a zombie again. I'm really thankful for that one week that I got to sleep like a normal person, but I don't want to keep upping this dose of Melatonin if it is just going to lead to me doing it every week!

zacherybinx

Check out this link...just read the posts and/or search around on there.

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1161357

Hernandezedw

Try doing lighter yoga before going to bed. I know nothing about RLS, but I do know I tend to fall asleep while at the end of my Yoga routine.

soshotout

Thanks, Zachery!

AngelaPowPowPOW

I take potassium for my RLS. It might help you, too. I was told that RLS usually only happens when you're overly tired and stressed, too. This has always been my case as well. Good luck!

kerriknox

yuck! I had that when I was pregnant and it is HORRIBLE!

My naturopath put me on calcium / magnesium supplements (the magnesium being the important one for restless leg) and it seemed to help. Helped enough to let me get some sleep at least.

pizzygirltx

Bump

soshotout

Try doing lighter yoga before going to bed. I know nothing about RLS, but I do know I tend to fall asleep while at the end of my Yoga routine.

I've considered this, as the feeling reminds me of that 'need to stretch' feeling you get when your muscles are tight. Thanks!

lisapickering

Try doing lighter yoga before going to bed. I know nothing about RLS, but I do know I tend to fall asleep while at the end of my Yoga routine.

I get it when I'm really tired. Yes, yoga helps. If you go into a shoulder stand and then bring your feet behind your head -- don't worry about getting your toes to the floor just as far back as you can go (not sure what this pose is called). This helps with the blood flow in your legs.

Hernandezedw

I think that's crane. I'd do more than just the one move though.

kdavis123456

Hi!

I have what you have and it's horrible. I just got a diagnosis last month after having this for 15 years (started when I was 12 and now I am 27). When I was younger, it was only once in a while that I got it, but now it is generally every night. A few years ago I saw my primary care doctor, who misdiagnosed it as generalized anxiety. Then I started working with a psychiatrist on it. Finally I went to a neurologist who specializes in sleep disorders. He was able to give a firm diagnosis at the first appointment and every piece fit and made sense. It was amazing!

My diagnosis is restless leg syndrome, even though the feeling originates from and affects me most at my core instead of my legs. I learned in rare cases, people get restless leg syndrome that affects their whole body. It is a more severe case that needs to be treated with rx medicines. RLS is a neurological disorder, so please see a neurologist. I recommend looking one up who works at a sleep center/ specializes in sleep disorders, because he or she will probably be more educated about RLS and know more recent information about it.

Treatment includes:

- Some epilepsy medication like Gabapentin
- Dopamine agonists like Mirapex
- Benzodiazipines like Valium
- Narcotic pain killers like oxycodone or hydrocodone (this works effectively and completely pretty much across the board, but your doctor will only want to do it as a last resort if other meds don't work).

Other things that work for RLS are hot baths. Moderate exercise, after being incorporated into your daily routine for a few weeks is supposed to cut down the severity of the symptoms, but excessive exercise is suppose to make it worse, so you have to be careful.

Finally, RLS has been linked to low dopamine levels, which can be caused by low iron levels. Your neurologist will want to order a blood test to check your iron levels. If you have an iron deficiency, then your RLS is secondary and can be cured by treating the primary cause.

Good luck to you. RLS is horrible to go through but there is hope! Just make sure that you see a neurologist for the best results. This is a neurological condition and your regular doctor is not the right doctor to deal with.