Restless Leg Syndrome and PLMD

clohessy

I just had a sleep study a week ago. I was diagnosed with Restless Leg and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. Would love to hear from others that suffer from these. I have been misdiagnosed for years. I run 6 miles a day I would think this would help me. I go back to Dr. next week for meds. What are you doing or taking for these disorders. Will they tell me to give up running? . I won't do that!But I gotta get some sleep.

LaLouve_RK

I have this. Mine RLS is mostly cause by stress and sometimes by some pills such as Gravol and a certain muscle relaxant. But it's intermittent so I don't any medication. My father ended with this as well but he needed anxiety pills to calm it down.

So when I get it (and not provoke by pills coz the muscle relaxant drove me crazy!)), at night, when sleeping I try to forget about it, I move a lot but it passes. Otherwise I get up, go down stairs, move around and go back upstairs back to bed. It passes.
My doc said to take a hot bath... but dont feel like it at 1am lol

clohessy

I wake up on and off all nite I kick and flay arms. I stay up aout 10 minutes or more each time. Its maddening.

junipearl

how are your iron and b12 levels?
RLS is often a side effect of anemia.

clohessy

Perfect had blood levels done for anemia and thyroid.

jealous_loser

My mom has it, and she gave up caffeine for a while and it helped.

I get it when I have to sit still, I move my legs around or get up. It gets annoying sometimes, but I have never been officially diagnosed.

MotorCityFemmeFatale

I have RLS, the more I train the worse it is... that being said, I'm not giving up training. In the end Magnesium helped me.

clohessy

How much magnesium? And what time of day do u take it?

fittocycle

My husband has PLMD. He does medication for it and it helps. If he misses a dose, I know it but not him! From what I've noticed, caffeine and stress seem to make it worse for him. I hope you can get some relief from it soon. It must be maddening to go through!:flowerforyou:

Mokey41

I take 400 mg of magnesium daily for muscle spasms. Seems to help.

kutastha

These are two different but related disorders. A sleep study will not diagnose you with restless legs syndrome, which is an uncomfortable sensation in the legs that goes away with movement. PLMs occur during sleep and often without the person being aware, unless the movements wake him or her up. Both of these are movement disorders, and can be treated with the same medications.

LaLouve_RK

LOL @ all

Before taking ANYTHING get tested if you miss something... unless there's a doctor in the crowd....

I know it's totally a pain in the A.... but you learn your tricks if you need any of course (if it's too mild for medication). For what I've been told by docs, stress if factor number one... talk to a good doc.

btwalsh132

I visited my Doctor recently for this and he had me drink diet tonic water every night. The quinine is what you're looking for. Over time this actually helped. My google research led me to other home remedies (the post-it note is still in front of me!)

Clacium
Magnesium (stated earlier)
Zinc
Stretching before bed (this also helped me)
A short walk before bed
And....wait for it....a spoonful of yellow mustard. (never tried)

My RLS is so bad that I had to move into a different bed from my wife. Then again, she has her own sleep issues. O well! Over the years we have found that NOTHING works if you cannot sleep at night. Rest easy my friend.

kutastha

There appears to be some confusion about what restless legs are versus muscle cramps. Tonic water (quinine), magnesium and stretching will treat cramps, a muscle problem

Iron supplementation for those with iron deficiency, or dopamine receptor agonists will treat the symptoms of RLS, a central neurologic problem.

carebear7951

Oh, I have to respond to this one!!!! I have suffered from RLS since I was a kid-sometimes worse than others, especially when I was pregnant with my girls (weird, cause not with my boys!?) And it's WORSE with exercise. However, since I started taking Calcium and Magnesium (combined vitamin) I can lay down and go to sleep w/o any problem!!!!!! I take it twice a day b/c of the formula I have (in the morning and at bedtime)....soooooo worth it and no bad side effects from drugs! Hope that helps!

natalovesmusic

I have not actually been to a doctor about it but I read up that caffeine is a major trigger for RLS. I cut caffeine out and felt major relief. It could have also been from a high caffeinated diet but basic pain killers would do the trick for me. I have also seen at the store (Target) that they have otc medication for restless legs

clohessy

They were able to diagnosis restless leg from pre-sleep movements and anytime I was awake. They had wires on arms and legs.Repeatly asked about sensations in legs during a wake times..

mathteacher2010

I have had RLS all my life, even as a child! And my father's whole side of the family had it, too. I was never diagnosed, but I didn't need to be! My doctor agrees that RLS is what I have; the symptoms are classic. I find that it's often worse when I am very tired and/or stressed. If it starts while I am sitting up watching TV, I go to bed. If it starts in bed, I get up and read for a while, then I can usually go back to bed.

I don't want to take the medications because sometimes I am symptom-free for months, then it's bad for a while. Cutting out caffeine in the evening for me is a big help. While I don't advocate this for everyone, if I am having a terrible night, some of my favorite raspberry liqueur usually knocks me out!

My husband says that sometimes I kick a lot in the night, so I guess I have PLMD also. Also, I find that it doesn't seem to make much difference whether or not I have exercised.
:yawn:

love22step

My mother takes tramadol. It helps, but she still doesn't get much sleep. She walks a lot at night. I've see her sleeping with her legs moving rapidly. I don't know how she gets any sleep. I hope you find something that works.

clohessy

Thanks everyone for your advice. Just waiting to hear from doctor on course of action. I have two children that have been diagnosed with restless leg, both take Mirapex and magnesium and swear by these treatments. I always thought this was a BOGUS afflication!!! Was always told my symptoms were arthritis or poor circulation, Even hormone problems. So glad to finally have the RIGHT diagnosis. I do know that sometimes leg sensations or he-bee jee-bees as my husband calls it are much worse than other days

backfixer1

Restless leg syndrome is actually a sacro iliac problem that is chronic. I have treated many of these successfully without drugs or their side effects. The reason it is a sacro iliac problem, as described in the book Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain is because when the sacro iliac joints are distorted, as they are with people who are built asymmetrically, the sitting or lying position is uncomfortable because the myofascia that surrounds the core muscles and the legs have tightened.

Most medical providers have little training in the musculoskeletal system and many try to avoid the drug solutions that fool the brain into calming the irritation caused by pelvic distortion rather than dealing with the mechanical aspects of the problem.

Some quick recommendations for care
1. Wear shoes with arches and wear inserts that create arches in your flat shoes. This helps balance out the pelvis.
2. Find a good chiropractor, preferably someone who performs myofascial release treatment, ART or graston techniques. The fascial work combined with manipulation will markedly improve and in most cases eliminate the problem.

Find Cheating Mother Nature on Amazon.com