Anyone fight with RLS? Any suggestions?

Hello ATS,

I am 28 and have suffered from RLS long before I ever knew RLS even existed. For those that don't know RLS is Restless Leg Syndrome, and I get it so bad some nights it even creeps up to my arms. It is such an awful feeling, and sometimes it is not so bad, and some nights I can't even tell, but for no reason I would say 4 nights out of a week, I have to get up and move, it has got so bad some nights I wake up in the middle of the night and have to do a 30. min work out just so I can go back to sleep. Other nights that doesn't even help.

I have a great diet. I only eat healthy foods and do not eat candy or sugar or soda and such. I work out out 3 times a week, and I am an auto mechanic that works 60 hrs a weeks, and I never sit when I am working, so its not like I am not exhausted when I am ready to go to bed at night, but I can't sleep, I always get the urge to move my legs, or my arms, and if I don't move them, then it just builds to where I have to flail my limbs about to make it subside. Only for when I stop moving my arms or legs or hand or feet it then builds again, and it is an awful cycle.

I will say I have not seen a doctor about it, due to no insurance, and I do not take medications. I will take antibiotics but thats about it. For some reason most pharmaceuticals react different and don't do what they are supposed to. Most over the counter sleep meds with manifest the RLS.

I was hoping for some input on some of the great minds that are here on ATS and maybe I may just find someone that also shares this same horrible issue as me. For my whole life I have never met anyone that has this, or can understand what it is. It is really hard to explain, the best I have found to explain to people, is it feels like "growing pains" from when you were a kid. Its is remarkably close, as far as I believe.

But thats all I got, thanks ATS!!!

I started getting this about 10 yrs ago. My doctor told me it was connected to my Fibromyalgia which is pretty bad.

Check this:

www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org...

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Many people with fibromyalgia suffer from restless leg syndrome symptoms. RLS causes unpleasant sensations in the lower limbs, so much so that the limbs have to be moved in order to reduce the pain. RLS occurs mostly at night, between the hours of 10:00 pm and 4:00 am, though it can also occur throughout the day in severe cases. It is thought that somewhere between 20% and 40% of fibromyalgia sufferers also have RLS.

I know the feeling and sometimes when it happens, I have to get up and punch the muscles on the top of my legs to take away from the feeling. Lay back down and legs start jumping. Feels like an anxiety attack in my legs would be the only way I can describe it.

Didn't know others had the same until a few years ago.

I take Tylenol with codeine and that does help actually. Just before bed and some nights, no RLS.

Good Luck with it. I know how you feel and sometimes it's so bad you want to scream.

Take care

reply to post by jude11


Thanks for the link, I have various things I try but I always thought at some point it would go away, and it never has, and now that I work so much, it is starting to affect how much I sleep before work, so thats upsetting. Thanks again for the link

My wife gets this occasionally and it keeps us both up as she kicks the hell out of me and rolls around all night.
I looked into remedies a while ago and they recommend Iron and Vitamin B. I am glad you're going with diet and exercise instead of running to get a prescription filled.
Here is a link to some home remedies people have had success with..........
www.myhomeremedies.com...
Good luck.

reply to post by Trublbrwing


Hey thanks for the link, I really liked this one....

After hearing about putting soap in bed (sounds goofy I know) helping so many people, I decided to give it a try. I slipped a small bar of soap in my sheets, and to my amazement slept peacefully for the first time in years! After doing some research online I found lots of people who said this had been a lifesaver, but no medical reason as to why it works. I'm not asking too many questions though, cause all I know is I'm sleeping like a baby and can actually relax at night! I've hear that dove and ivory don't work, but haven't tried either so I can't really say. Also, my friend bought a soap like product in some type of pad and said it worked wonders, but I have to find out the name, it was rlspad or wonderpad or something like that. Best of luck to all!

Gonna give that one a try...

I've had it for over 10 years now. I've been taking neurontin (gabapentin) for 6 months now and it works the best for me. I've tried so many different things but this works miracles. I take 1200mg before bed and there are very little side effects. Neurontin also helps with a lot of other symtoms like anxiety, nerve pain, and sleep. But there so much more uses. It's now made in generic brands so it's much cheaper.

RLS can be a sign of major iron deficiency. This is a little known medical explanation. Especially if your a female, make sure you get plenty of iron and vit D.

No caffeine after 6.

And get exercise.

tonic water is supposed to help, but my rls is usually caused by the iron deficiency.

I figure I would update, the soap in the bed did not work. I have noticed recently (last year maybe) that almost as bad as it is in my legs, it can be in my arms.

My only remedy for RLS is the use of something I can't talk about on ATS. But it worked well for a long time. It is just within the last year, it seems to shine through all the haze.

I suffer from this as well. I have had it so long that my sleeping has been affected in a large way.

I have been prescribed with a number of sleeping pills throughout the years and even though they make me sleepy, the RLS is MASSIVELY worse.

I am going to keep an eye on this thread for any remedies, and of course I will share any that I find that work.

RLS sucks so bad!!!!!!!!

reply to post by MoosKept240


You should really look into the iron deficiency problem that nixie_nox suggested. I had a neurologist put me on meds for RLS and I had a horrible reaction. I was told by another doctor that it could be an iron deficiency. But it turns out I had developed Type 1 diabetes. Once I started insulin, my RLS went away and I only really have problems if my glucose is high.

You might want to just get some blood work done and make sure there isn't a underlying cause.

OiO

Weed helps

I had RLS my entire life, but everytime i am high it is non present. However its not a permantly cure. It only helps when im stoned.