Legs moving at night

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

My DH says my legs move a lot at night. Not every night, but often enough that it’s becoming a problem. He ended up on the couch last night. 
 

I’ve done some reading and it seems like it might be Periodic Limb Movement Disorder? Similar to Restless Leg Syndrome which I also think I have, and could be tied to the migraines I get occasionally. I’ve had a few days of headaches this week, including last night, and then last night my legs were moving a lot in my sleep. Does anyone know if PMS is a factor? It seems to be worse then. 
 

From what I was reading online, treatment tends to be in the form of medications. I always prefer to try lifestyle or natural supplements first but I’m not finding a lot about that. I did see that low iron could be a factor and I know my ferritin is low. It was at 20ng/mL a month ago. That’s up from 9 a year ago. So I’m working on that. Anything else I can try before calling the doctor? I feel bad keeping my DH up at night. He has an exhausting job and needs sleep. I’ve been tired a lot lately and I’m wondering if this might be part of the reason. And my legs are sore today, I guess from the movement all night. 

[Eos]

Yes to needing iron.  Get the most natural, absorbable kind, it's usually more expensive of course.  Take it with OJ or another form of vitamin C for best absorption.  Cook in cast iron pans and eat lots of iron-rich foods in addition to an iron supplement: beets, beet greens, dried beans, red meat, yolks, clams once a week.

Good for you for bringing it up from 9 to 20.  

Edited February 13, 2023 by Eos

[dsmith]

Magnesium helps me with restless leg syndrome. (Also with migraine.) Since it's similar to RLS, maybe it will help?

[KatieJ]

I was Dx with PILM many many years ago. Low ferritin was suspected as the cause.

I took a specific iron, can’t recall what it was, but I had to get it from the pharmacy counter…it was not available on the shelf. Eventually, legs calmed down. It did take awhile, but it’s hard to say as I am sleeping g when it happens. 
DH described it as my legs were bicycling. 

Sleep Dr wanted me to go on a drug he described as treatment for Parkinson’s disease. I refused.

Last fall my ferritin level was really high…altho I haven’t taken iron for years.

 

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Edited February 13, 2023 by KatieJ

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

4 hours ago, Eos said:

Yes to needing iron.  Get the most natural, absorbable kind, it's usually more expensive of course.  Take it with OJ or another form of vitamin C for best absorption.  Cook in cast iron pans and eat lots of iron-rich foods in addition to an iron supplement: beets, beet greens, dried beans, red meat, yolks, clams once a week.

Good for you for bringing it up from 9 to 20.  

From what I’ve read, I need to get up above 50 to help with the leg movements. I do cook in cast iron a lot and have tried to add more iron rich foods into my meals. I’ve been taking whatever iron my dr prescribed over the pharmacy counter. Maybe I need to look at other options. 

1 hour ago, dsmith said:

Magnesium helps me with restless leg syndrome. (Also with migraine.) Since it's similar to RLS, maybe it will help?

I have started taking magnesium, but not consistently. And I’m reading that there’s lots of different kinds. I may not be taking the most absorbable kind. I’ll have to do more research on this. I’ve also seen that there‘a magnesium creams. 

1 hour ago, KatieJ said:

I was Dx with PILM many many years ago. Low ferritin was suspected as the cause.

I took a specific iron, can’t recall what it was, but I had to get it from the pharmacy counter…it was not available on the shelf. Eventually, legs calmed down. It did take awhile, but it’s hard to say as I am sleeping g when it happens. 
DH described it as my legs were bicycling. 

Sleep Dr wanted me to go on a drug he described as treatment for Parkinson’s disease. I refused.

Last fall my ferritin level was really high…altho I haven’t taken iron for years.

 

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Yes, not interested at this point in those types of drugs. Glad to hear your legs calmed down. My ferritin is back in “normal” ranges but still quite low so I’ll be really careful to supplement that consistently. 

[City Mouse]

My DS has that problem and his is directly tied to iron levels. 

[KatieJ]

1 hour ago, 2ndGenHomeschooler said:

From what I’ve read, I need to get up above 50 to help with the leg movements. I do cook in cast iron a lot and have tried to add more iron rich foods into my meals. I’ve been taking whatever iron my dr prescribed over the pharmacy counter. Maybe I need to look at other options. 

I have started taking magnesium, but not consistently. And I’m reading that there’s lots of different kinds. I may not be taking the most absorbable kind. I’ll have to do more research on this. I’ve also seen that there‘a magnesium creams. 

Yes, not interested at this point in those types of drugs. Glad to hear your legs calmed down. My ferritin is back in “normal” ranges but still quite low so I’ll be really careful to supplement that consistently. 

I would have to dig to remember what my levels had been, very low for years, but then low normal…last fall it was over 300. 

I am seeing a functional Dr for hormones…she noted the high level, but didn’t address it specifically. I was so busy digesting all the other info, I forgot about it too. I do know if she was concerned, she would have said something.

I plan to ask her about when I got back for recheck in a couple months.
 

[BlsdMama]

4 hours ago, 2ndGenHomeschooler said:

From what I’ve read, I need to get up above 50 to help with the leg movements. I do cook in cast iron a lot and have tried to add more iron rich foods into my meals. I’ve been taking whatever iron my dr prescribed over the pharmacy counter. Maybe I need to look at other options. 

I have started taking magnesium, but not consistently. And I’m reading that there’s lots of different kinds. I may not be taking the most absorbable kind. I’ll have to do more research on this. I’ve also seen that there‘a magnesium creams. 

Yes, not interested at this point in those types of drugs. Glad to hear your legs calmed down. My ferritin is back in “normal” ranges but still quite low so I’ll be really careful to supplement that consistently. 

Magnesium L Threonate for neurological issues IMO. 

[Lucy the Valiant]

(I definitely read this thread title as "LEGOS moving at night" and was SUPER interested! Haha!) OP, I'm sorry I don't have any useful knowledge to add. 

 

[sheryl]

11 hours ago, 2ndGenHomeschooler said:

My DH says my legs move a lot at night. Not every night, but often enough that it’s becoming a problem. He ended up on the couch last night. 
 

I’ve done some reading and it seems like it might be Periodic Limb Movement Disorder? Similar to Restless Leg Syndrome which I also think I have, and could be tied to the migraines I get occasionally. I’ve had a few days of headaches this week, including last night, and then last night my legs were moving a lot in my sleep. Does anyone know if PMS is a factor? It seems to be worse then. 
 

From what I was reading online, treatment tends to be in the form of medications. I always prefer to try lifestyle or natural supplements first but I’m not finding a lot about that. I did see that low iron could be a factor and I know my ferritin is low. It was at 20ng/mL a month ago. That’s up from 9 a year ago. So I’m working on that. Anything else I can try before calling the doctor? I feel bad keeping my DH up at night. He has an exhausting job and needs sleep. I’ve been tired a lot lately and I’m wondering if this might be part of the reason. And my legs are sore today, I guess from the movement all night. 

There could be several reasons:  caffeine?  Coffee, tea, chocolate whatever?  Not enough activity/exercise?  I've had (and my sister too) restless legs for years.  My sleep study revealed my thrashing but dh also mentioned it.   Do you have sleep apnea?  

I heard/read years ago about magnesium helping.  Have not seen that since.  I took it years ago and stopped for years.  I started back about a month ago.  Magnesium is combined with calcium many times.  As I just typed that I'm wondering if I should pursue buying just a magnesium supplement as well.  Don't know what the recommended max daily dosage is.  I believe I'm thrashing much less since taking the cal/mag again.  

[Ausmumof3]

Mine is less involuntary and more conscious but I weirdly find hydralite or other rehydration stuff helps. I think it’s the potassium. Yoga and making sure to get enough exercise help too.

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

3 hours ago, sheryl said:

There could be several reasons:  caffeine?  Coffee, tea, chocolate whatever?  Not enough activity/exercise?  I've had (and my sister too) restless legs for years.  My sleep study revealed my thrashing but dh also mentioned it.   Do you have sleep apnea?  

I heard/read years ago about magnesium helping.  Have not seen that since.  I took it years ago and stopped for years.  I started back about a month ago.  Magnesium is combined with calcium many times.  As I just typed that I'm wondering if I should pursue buying just a magnesium supplement as well.  Don't know what the recommended max daily dosage is.  I believe I'm thrashing much less since taking the cal/mag again.  

I don’t like coffee and don’t drink caffeinated tea. Well, kombucha? Is that caffeinated? I usually drink it at night. I don’t eat tons of chocolate (although I love it) but I can keep an eye on that. I don’t have sleep apnea as far as I know. DH has never mentioned me snoring or breathing oddly. I’ve been walking most days for about 6 weeks now. 

 

2 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Mine is less involuntary and more conscious but I weirdly find hydralite or other rehydration stuff helps. I think it’s the potassium. Yoga and making sure to get enough exercise help too.

I’ll have to try rehydration drinks at night. It’s an easy enough thing to try. Once been trying to walk more but adding something like yoga couldn’t hurt. Just have to find the time. 

[popmom]

I didn't read all of the comments, so apologies if this is redundant. I was diagnosed with PLMD late last year. The vast majority of cases are caused by low ferritin/iron. I am pretty sure one of my dds has it, too. Well, she definitely has RLS and low ferritin. She has a lot of other troubling symptoms, too. Low iron can really wreak havoc with how you feel! I didn't know that until researching all this after my dx. You don't have to be "anemic" to be severely affected.

After doing a lot of research, I have dd taking heme iron. https://threearrowsnutra.com/pages/simplyheme

Most iron supplements have very low bio availability, cause GI upset, have to be taken with certain nutrients--and even then only a fraction of it is absorbed. 

There is a site on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/3412143085483810

Really good info in the group on how to calculate how much iron you should take. My dd also eats this to get an extra boost of heme iron. Any organ meats will be helpful. 

It takes a really long time to get ferritin up--as you probably have already figured out. 

I have no idea if mine is due to low ferritin/iron. My ferritin is high due to inflammation/autoimmune disease. At my next dr appointment I am going to ask how I can know if my iron is okay since my ferritin is artificially high. 

I take Requip for mine. I think it is helping. It would be hard to know without another sleep study because dh sleeps like a rock. Nothing wakes him up! So we had NO IDEA that I had this. My rheumatologist sent me for the sleep study because she suspected I might have sleep apnea. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by popmom

[popmom]

11 hours ago, 2ndGenHomeschooler said:

From what I’ve read, I need to get up above 50 to help with the leg movements. I do cook in cast iron a lot and have tried to add more iron rich foods into my meals. I’ve been taking whatever iron my dr prescribed over the pharmacy counter. Maybe I need to look at other options. 

I have started taking magnesium, but not consistently. And I’m reading that there’s lots of different kinds. I may not be taking the most absorbable kind. I’ll have to do more research on this. I’ve also seen that there‘a magnesium creams. 

Yes, not interested at this point in those types of drugs. Glad to hear your legs calmed down. My ferritin is back in “normal” ranges but still quite low so I’ll be really careful to supplement that consistently. 

What the labs call "normal" is way, way less than optimum for PLMD. I think the goal for PLMD is to get your ferritin up to 125 and maintain that level for at least 6 months.

[KSera]

10 hours ago, 2ndGenHomeschooler said:

I don’t like coffee and don’t drink caffeinated tea. Well, kombucha? Is that caffeinated? I usually drink it at night.

Kombucha is most often made with caffeinated black tea. 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

18 hours ago, popmom said:

I didn't read all of the comments, so apologies if this is redundant. I was diagnosed with PLMD late last year. The vast majority of cases are caused by low ferritin/iron. I am pretty sure one of my dds has it, too. Well, she definitely has RLS and low ferritin. She has a lot of other troubling symptoms, too. Low iron can really wreak havoc with how you feel! I didn't know that until researching all this after my dx. You don't have to be "anemic" to be severely affected.

After doing a lot of research, I have dd taking heme iron. https://threearrowsnutra.com/pages/simplyheme

Most iron supplements have very low bio availability, cause GI upset, have to be taken with certain nutrients--and even then only a fraction of it is absorbed. 

There is a site on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/3412143085483810

Really good info in the group on how to calculate how much iron you should take. My dd also eats this to get an extra boost of heme iron. Any organ meats will be helpful. 

It takes a really long time to get ferritin up--as you probably have already figured out. 

I have no idea if mine is due to low ferritin/iron. My ferritin is high due to inflammation/autoimmune disease. At my next dr appointment I am going to ask how I can know if my iron is okay since my ferritin is artificially high. 

I take Requip for mine. I think it is helping. It would be hard to know without another sleep study because dh sleeps like a rock. Nothing wakes him up! So we had NO IDEA that I had this. My rheumatologist sent me for the sleep study because she suspected I might have sleep apnea. 

Thanks for the info! I joined that Facebook group. It‘ll take some time to wade through all that information but it looks like it will be very helpful. It took me a year to get my ferritin from 9 to 20. At that rate it’ll be 10 years to get to 125. Yikes! I’ll need to try something else. 
 

 

8 hours ago, KSera said:

Kombucha is most often made with caffeinated black tea. 

That’s true. Maybe I should switch the kombucha to earlier in the day. 

[Pippen]

23 hours ago, sheryl said:

There could be several reasons:  caffeine?  Coffee, tea, chocolate whatever?  Not enough activity/exercise?  I've had (and my sister too) restless legs for years.  My sleep study revealed my thrashing but dh also mentioned it.   Do you have sleep apnea?  

I heard/read years ago about magnesium helping.  Have not seen that since.  I took it years ago and stopped for years.  I started back about a month ago.  Magnesium is combined with calcium many times.  As I just typed that I'm wondering if I should pursue buying just a magnesium supplement as well.  Don't know what the recommended max daily dosage is.  I believe I'm thrashing much less since taking the cal/mag again.  

I had Restless Leg and removing caffeine helped, but it took some weeks for it to settle down. 

My RLS started when I went on a blood pressure medication.