Restless Leg Syndrome and PLMD

clohessy
clohessy Posts: 394 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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.

Replies

  • LaLouve_RK
    LaLouve_RK Posts: 899 Member
    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
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    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
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    how are your iron and b12 levels?
    RLS is often a side effect of anemia.
  • clohessy
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    Perfect had blood levels done for anemia and thyroid.
  • jealous_loser
    jealous_loser Posts: 395
    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
    MotorCityFemmeFatale Posts: 222 Member
    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
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    How much magnesium? And what time of day do u take it?
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    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
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I take 400 mg of magnesium daily for muscle spasms. Seems to help.
  • kutastha
    kutastha Posts: 17 Member
    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
    LaLouve_RK Posts: 899 Member
    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
    btwalsh132 Posts: 289 Member
    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
    kutastha Posts: 17 Member
    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
    carebear7951 Posts: 404 Member
    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! :D Hope that helps!
  • natalovesmusic
    natalovesmusic Posts: 49 Member
    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
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    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
    mathteacher2010 Posts: 85 Member
    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
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    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
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    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
    backfixer1 Posts: 2
    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
  • clohessy
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    What causes PLMD?
  • dydenuo
    dydenuo Posts: 7
    My doctor is treating my PLMD with a very low dose of Gabapentin. It's worked very well for me. I'm one of the lucky ones that can tolerate Gabapentin with no side effects. Even if I had side effects, I'm not sure I could give it up. Anything would be better than what I was going thru before the medication, surviving for 3 months on 2 hours of sleep a night was awful.
  • clohessy
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    Dydenuo: I hear you!!! I had a sleep study done most I sleep was a total of 3 hours 25 mins. Said I was kicking or moving legs 28 -to 75 times an hour. Waking up constantly!! I just started Mirapex for the last two days. OMG I can't believe the difference last nite I remember waking up one time! I can't believe the remarkable difference in the way I feel. My head is soooooo clear. This a miracle for me . Even the leg sensations have diminsed greatly during day. I never realized the hell I was living till I felt better. I dreaded going to bed and trying to lay down and watch TV. Hope this lasts. I always thought RLS was a bogus afflication.
  • dydenuo
    dydenuo Posts: 7
    I'm glad you're getting some relief. Life is so much more difficult when you're not sleeping well.
  • clohessy
    clohessy Posts: 394 Member
    That's for sure!!!! Thanks
  • rhicab
    rhicab Posts: 1
    Hi all, not sure anyone will see this as it's quite an old post but worth a try. When I was expecting my son 8 years ago, i started having 'shakes leg' as my husband calls it, where I'd be in bed and my leg would kick out on its own, and do it repeatedly, even after I'm sleeping! Doc told me baby lying on a nerve so that was that. After he was born kept having it and doc said RLS and no more was said. I have had it for 8 years and thought nothing more of it.... Just dealt with it!!

    Today I read on yahoo news that RLS is linked to some nasty diseases so having read more about it tonight, I actually think I probably have PLMD rather than RLS as I have it nightly and it keeps hubby awake, but not me!!

    Anyone know how to get diagnosed properly!! Doc will tell me what I tell him!! Thanks.
  • bhoelscher
    bhoelscher Posts: 21 Member
    I have RLS and PLMD as well, and have for about 15 years. I started taking Requip, but it lost effectiveness for me. For the last ten years, I take 1mg Mirapex and 100 mg Lyrica. Together they keep my symptoms mostly in check. I do struggle with anemia and B-12 deficiencies as well -- I give myself B-12 injections every two weeks and take a daily iron supplement in addition to a general multivitamin. It helps, but I still struggle to keep my iron levels in check. I had to have an iron infusion done at a local cancer center in November because my levels were so low, and it did make a difference in my RLS.

    Also, pregnancy REALLY aggravated my RLS symptoms. My legs would kick and flail and I would just lay there miserable. I would get to the point where I couldnt lay down, couldnt sit down, so all I could do is pace the floor at night until my muscles tired themselves out and I could finally pass out for a few hours of blessed sleep.

    Definitely talk with your doctor. If one medication or therapy option isnt working for you, try something else. There are a few different options that can be tried until something works for you. Read and research, and go to your appointments armed with knowledge. Know the questions to ask and be your own advocate. The more you know the better off you'll be. Hope you get to finding relief soon.

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