Is restless legs syndrome real or imagined?

[sheryl]

Honestly, sometimes my legs are spastic.  Just wondering if rls is real? 

 

Does anyone here know?

 

[Dandelion]

It's real.

 

It's often (though not always) linked to a magnesium deficiency.  Supplementing with magnesium (400mg daily) helped both DS and me. 

[Twigs]

real

[texasmama]

It's real. I had it during a pregnancy.

[J-rap]

Oh my, don't even ask that of people who DO have it! haha :) I do, and it's awful. Magnesium doesn't help me, but making sure I have adequate iron intake and enough sleep helps.

[sheryl]

OK, thanks y'all. Magnesium....I got that but stopped taking it.  Ah ha! 

[Parrothead]

RLS is an evil disorder. It is hideous in the way it disturbs a person's sleep or rest. It runs in my family. It is very real.

[SoCalLynn]

I have had it since I was a kid. So frustrating. It's worse when I'm tired.

[sheryl]

Oh my, don't even ask that of people who DO have it! haha :) I do, and it's awful. Magnesium doesn't help me, but making sure I have adequate iron intake and enough sleep helps.

Thanks.   Iron too?  I do get enough iron as I use cast iron cookware "most of the time".  I'm sitting here now trying to sleep and got out of bed b/c my legs are all.over.the.place!!!   :)

[sheryl]

thanks all.  I think i'm going to check into homeopathy for this. 

[Parrothead]

 

 

OK, thanks y'all. Magnesium....I got that but stopped taking it. Ah ha!

It may also be an iron deficiency. My doctor told me to take magnesium about a month ago. It made my RLS even worse. Some people can cool down the legs and feet for relief. Others prefer heat.

 

Looks like someone decided it need to be named after a researcher. http://www.rls.org/. It is now called Willis-Ekbom disease.

[Pippen]

I had it some year back--triggered by some blood pressure medication I was trialing.  It took both getting off of the meds and caffiene before it cleared up completely.

[Isabella]

It's very real!  I'm sure my husband wouldn't wish he could cut his own legs off on an imaginary whim! ;)

 

Magnesium only helps for a while.  Everything he has tried has helped for a short while and then stops being effective.

 

[BakersDozen]

Real for sure!  And horrible.

[UmMusa]

Low iron triggers it for me. It can be awful. I have used Hyland's Restfull Legs when it's happening at night and I've found relief with it.

[Tap]

Real.  I get both RLS and Bruxisum (clenching of the jaw) form when I am taking Savella, a med for nerve pain.  I can off set it by taking a very small dose of Gabapentin, 100 1-2x per day.  Without the gabapentin, I will do just about anything to avoid going to be at night.  It is so miserable, I have been almost in tears from the discomfort. 

[gardenmom5]

yes it is very real.  for me it is tied into a vitamin deficiency.  

[MollyAnn]

Real.

I think I have a moderate form as it only bothers me when I am tired, stressed, or pregnant.

Calcium magnesium helps me a lot.

[klmama]

A friend's dc has it.  If I remember correctly, in her case it's caused by low iron in her spinal fluid.  Her blood levels are okay.  Supplemental iron helps her.

 

 

[MyLittleWonders]

Real here too and it seems my eldest inherited it too. Homeopathic coffea cruda helps calm it down so we can sleep.

[LaCEmom]

Real!

My mom has it and she kicks so much and so violently in her sleep and trying to sleep that she frequently wakes up with her mattress no longer sitting correctly on the box spring. She even broke a toe once from kicking a bedpost. It's awful :(

[Cinder]

My sil has RLS; has had it all her life. I remember my other sil (I'll call her sil1 since she's the older of the two) talking about having to share a bed with sil2 when they traveled as kids and not being able to sleep because sil2 kicked her all night. Then there was the trip where sil1 refused to sleep with sil2 so fil traded. And he wasn't able to sleep all night for being kicked.

 

Sil2's RLS is so bad that even a Cal-king didn't spare her dh. They've had separate beds for a long time now.

[Peach]

It runs in my family as well and it's maddening. It's iron related for me as well. 

[Luanne]

My mother has it.  She has been on special medicine for it for a couple of years now.  It is very real.

[LuvToRead]

Real. I get it when I take certain medications.

[HS Mom in NC]

Real.  My youngest had it as an infant.  Some people respond well to iron supplements.  She needed a supplement because she was iron deficient (just a simple blood test.)   Once we added it in, there was significant improvement.  On the days we missed giving it her, she had very difficult nights.

[Mergath]

Real.  My dh has it.  It's a side effect from the meds he takes for his bipolar disorder.  He has to take another medication (Requip, I think it's called) to treat the RLS.

[DianeW88]

Real.  It can be caused by some VERY common drugs.  Diphenhydramine for one.  So if you are experiencing symptoms, and you're taking Benadryl...that could be the cause.

[sheryl]

I just wanted to thank everyone for input.  I use cast enough on a regular basis that my iron should be good.  Good reminder for the multivitamin which I haven't taken in a while and need to.   Calcium/mag helps me to sleep along with my melatonin, but I haven't taken that in a while.  Back on all of these good things.........to the store!

[FaithManor]

I have it and it's relatively mild during the late autumn, winter, and early spring if I can keep my iron intake up. It gets brutal sometimes during the allgery season because it seems to be mildly exacerbated by Allegra D which is the only med that's been effective for me, but I sometimes have to add benadryl to the Allegra D in order to get enough relief to function and that combo is lethal for my legs.

 

If it's allergy season, and I'm also anemic, I can get almost frantic due to lack of sleep. I'll lay in bed with legs that ache so bad I cry, and I can't lay still, for whatever reason, I have to move them all the time as if it somehow gives a quick release to the ache. It's awful. So then I go off the benadryl and suffer headaches from the congestion...the Allegra does well for the itching eyes and nose, but it can't quite deal with how severe the congestion gets or the sneezing which can go on for long periods of time.

 

So, on the worst of days, I have to take my pick, relief from the allergies during the days so I can function, homeschool, keep up with obligations, etc. in which case I go without meaningful sleep and suffer a lot of leg pain, or have migraines, and be unable to function holding kleenex under my nose for hours on end, wanting to claw my eyes out or scratch my nose off, and able to...if the other symptoms abate a little, sleep some at night...which is debatable because it's awful hard to sleep when the allergies are that bad. Usually, the allergies win, and some nights I just pace. The walking feels better than attempting to lay still.

 

 

[GSOchristie]

So very real! I had it during all three of my pregnancies and it was awful. I wanted to do anything just to be able to fall asleep. I could not have any caffeine after the morning, or it was unbearable. It went a way within a week of delivery every time.

[countrygal]

I have it with pregnancies and when my thyroid is off. Iron deficiency and calcium/mag def. is a problem. I recommend mag. citrate as it is the best absorbed. It can be terrible, but when all my hormones and minerals are in balance, it goes away completely.

[Mom2TheTeam]

I have it.  It's awful.  Very real.  I had no clue what it was till I saw an ad for some medicine for it on TV, which I don't take. ;) Mine gets SO much worse when I'm pregnant.  I really hate it.

 

I have found a homeopathic remedy for it that works well for most people I tell about it.  It used to work for me, but not so much anymore.  :(  Anyway, it's called Restful Legs.  Hyland's makes it.  You can get it at Wal-Mart or CVS or online and I'm sure other places too. Here is a link:

 

http://www.restfullegs.com/

[sheryl]

I have it.  It's awful.  Very real.  I had no clue what it was till I saw an ad for some medicine for it on TV, which I don't take. ;) Mine gets SO much worse when I'm pregnant.  I really hate it.

 

I have found a homeopathic remedy for it that works well for most people I tell about it.  It used to work for me, but not so much anymore.  :(  Anyway, it's called Restful Legs.  Hyland's makes it.  You can get it at Wal-Mart or CVS or online and I'm sure other places too. Here is a link:

 

http://www.restfullegs.com/

I have heard of this remedy.  Thanks for the reminder.

 

I have it and it's relatively mild during the late autumn, winter, and early spring if I can keep my iron intake up. It gets brutal sometimes during the allgery season because it seems to be mildly exacerbated by Allegra D which is the only med that's been effective for me, but I sometimes have to add benadryl to the Allegra D in order to get enough relief to function and that combo is lethal for my legs.

 

If it's allergy season, and I'm also anemic, I can get almost frantic due to lack of sleep. I'll lay in bed with legs that ache so bad I cry, and I can't lay still, for whatever reason, I have to move them all the time as if it somehow gives a quick release to the ache. It's awful. So then I go off the benadryl and suffer headaches from the congestion...the Allegra does well for the itching eyes and nose, but it can't quite deal with how severe the congestion gets or the sneezing which can go on for long periods of time.

 

So, on the worst of days, I have to take my pick, relief from the allergies during the days so I can function, homeschool, keep up with obligations, etc. in which case I go without meaningful sleep and suffer a lot of leg pain, or have migraines, and be unable to function holding kleenex under my nose for hours on end, wanting to claw my eyes out or scratch my nose off, and able to...if the other symptoms abate a little, sleep some at night...which is debatable because it's awful hard to sleep when the allergies are that bad. Usually, the allergies win, and some nights I just pace. The walking feels better than attempting to lay still.

I'm so sorry Faith.  You are really attacked.  I will say I was on allergy shots/meds in 2 states/regions too, for about 15 years.  I've been off of them for about 5.  It worked for me.  I was allergic to cats.  We adopted a rescue Ragdoll 4.5 years ago.

 

 

 

To all of the others, so many of you have experienced rls with pregnancies!  I'm not preg - LOL! 

 

Are there any others out there who experience rls without being preg.

 

 

[Mom2TheTeam]

I didn't say too much about it before except to link it. 

 

Mine gets like the poster you quoted when I'm pregnant, really bad every time I sit down.  Though, I don't have the allergy thing going too.  That's awful.  But, I have it all the time, not just while I'm pregnant.  It can get very severe some days...depending on sleep which I lack because I have 6 kids 7 and under.  Often, I can't be touch as a result, like my husband can't lay his hand on my leg while we are watching TV or touch me when we are in bed going to sleep.  It's really frustrating and has brought me to tears many times, especially when I want to be touched but can't.  Sometimes I get it at night while nursing my 9 month old and that makes me cry because I'm SO miserable and I just want to comfort my baby, but I'm desperate to put him down.  It's so sad.  I struggle in the car a lot, on long trips especially at night, but it can be any time of day if I'm tired. 

 

The above remedy really helped in the past.  Now, I usually just have to suffer through.  But, I still take it sometimes.  It's been a while.  I should try it again.  My biggest issue is I can't keep it in my night stand anymore because my 3 year old will eat it.  Ugh!  So, it's downstairs and I don't want to go get it.  Too tired and miserable to get up, even though getting up helps.  Strange. 

 

RLS is very strange and definitely like torture.  It's really awful.  :(

[sheryl]

I didn't say too much about it before except to link it. 

 

Mine gets like the poster you quoted when I'm pregnant, really bad every time I sit down.  Though, I don't have the allergy thing going too.  That's awful.  But, I have it all the time, not just while I'm pregnant.  It can get very severe some days...depending on sleep which I lack because I have 6 kids 7 and under.  Often, I can't be touch as a result, like my husband can't lay his hand on my leg while we are watching TV or touch me when we are in bed going to sleep.  It's really frustrating and has brought me to tears many times, especially when I want to be touched but can't.  Sometimes I get it at night while nursing my 9 month old and that makes me cry because I'm SO miserable and I just want to comfort my baby, but I'm desperate to put him down.  It's so sad.  I struggle in the car a lot, on long trips especially at night, but it can be any time of day if I'm tired. 

 

The above remedy really helped in the past.  Now, I usually just have to suffer through.  But, I still take it sometimes.  It's been a while.  I should try it again.  My biggest issue is I can't keep it in my night stand anymore because my 3 year old will eat it.  Ugh!  So, it's downstairs and I don't want to go get it.  Too tired and miserable to get up, even though getting up helps.  Strange. 

 

RLS is very strange and definitely like torture.  It's really awful.  :(

Bless your heart.  That sounds tough.  Have you thought about a little small lock box with a turn dial (what are they called) lock to store the remedy?  Which one are you talking about? I want to be certain.

 

Getting up helps?  I didn't know that.

It seems there are some common factors here:

Less/no caffeine

Preg - which I am not LOL

Tired

Allergy

[Mom2TheTeam]

Yes, getting up helps because your legs are moving. However, often it will start up again after you lay back down.  As for the other things, I haven't noticed a caffeine connection, but maybe I should have. :glare:  Preg definitely makes it a LOT worse for me and brought it on in the first place.  I never had it till I was pregnant with my first and it wasn't till after my 3rd pregnancy that it stuck around.  It was really, really horrible with my last pregnancy.  Being tired is what brings it on now.  The more tired I am, the worse it is.  When I'm well rested, it doesn't usually plague me. Oh and hormones...it's worse near my period.  I don't have any allergies, and I've never heard of that as a trigger, but others are saying that.  So, I'd say it is probably a trigger too.

 

A lock box!  That is genus!  I should have thought of that.  I have twin 3 year olds, but one of them is...well...a hand full.  Someone will say, "can you put this where he can't get it?"  To which I'll answer, "you mean at the neighbor's house?" :tongue_smilie:  I'm only half kidding.  We have to keep many doors in our house locked.  He has 3 older siblings and I've never had to toddler proof much until him.  But, he's only 3 and he will grow up.  At least the Restful Legs is homeopathic.  He can't OD on it.  Still, I don't want to risk it.  But, the lock box would work for many things.  The Restful Legs doesn't help as much as it used to even when I do take it.  It's better than nothing though.  I need to try it again. 

 

Thanks! I hope you find relief.  Try the Restful Legs.  It really has helped many, many people I've told about it.  It's only around $5 at Wal-Mart. :)

[fairfarmhand]

Real. But less likely to happen to me when I've been exercising like I am supposed to be.

[Tap]

.

[Myeightkiddies]

It's real.  The worst case that I have experienced was the result of a side-effect to medication.  It's very disruptive, especially when trying to sleep.  Periodically I experience it still, but it is nothing like it was as a side-effect.

[shawthorne44]

I am surprised no one has mentioned potassium.  That is what takes care of it for me.  I used to really struggle to get in enough, because there is only so many bananas a person can eat.  Then I noticed that the Emergen-C packets have 6% of RDA for potassium.  Plus it is a multi-vitamin.  I don't take them everyday.  But, when my legs start to get a little twitchy I will take two packets. 

It takes a few hours to work, so if I wait too long stretching my Achilles tendon helps some.  It is like a calf stretch but you bend your knee too.  

[AnnaM]

Very real. I have not found anything that helps, but I do know that it seems to be exaserbated by too much caffine.I once took a PM pill and that also gave me RLS. It was HORRIBLE. Nothing like being drugged and needing to sleep but not being able to due to the the RLS!

[BlessedMom]

Very Real.

[ktgrok]

Pregnancy/iron are the factors for me. ugh. 

[Peach]

For a long time I've  been seeing reports from people that putting a bar of soap under the sheet at the foot of the bed helps, and they mention Ivory most often. Anyone tried this?