Anyone else have Restless Leg Syndrome ?

[GDNF2ET]

I use to laugh at the title of this, until I realized I had it..When I'm trying to go to sleep, no matter how exhausted I am, its like impulses in my legs are telling them to walk..I have looked it up on the internet and its very confusing as to why it happens..No real solution, only guesses ..
Anyone else have this ? Any voodoo I can try ?

 

[WH1_T-Type]

I do. The key is to realize that for 1000's of years people have lived with this with zero health issues from it and then all of a sudden the drug companies realized they can make money on it....all of a sudden it has a 'name' and a 'magic pill' you can take to make it just go away. When I looked at it like that..that someone was just trying to rip me off..it made it a lot easier to deal with.

Seriously, nothing I've found works. Maybe the medicine works..but I'm not going to take ANOTHER pill just for something that, in the long term, is really just annoying. We as a society take WAY too much medicaiton already.

EDIT: just saw your location..lol...want to do a cars and coffee soon. Gonna post a thread in the VA area. Hope you can make it.

 

[1 in 2000]

Could be from having dry feet (nerve thing) try putting some lotion on your feet a little before bed.

 

[Just a Six??]

I used to have it almost every nite. Dry feet was mentioned & I do have dry feet in winter & use lotion sometimes. I have been on Flexeril muslce relaxants all year due to my back & I think it has seemed to help the legs as well. Not sure tho? I think some of it for me was stress related.
Anyways I have been much better as I've aged & lowered my stress to almost zero most days.

 

[1fast6]

i have it from time to time.

 

[Rivical]

Had it when I was younger. It was pretty annoying. Never bothered to make the bed properly because I'd always have the sheets turned sideways or upside down or something by the time I woke. Not sure how it went away, except that for a when I was in my 20's I had a recliner that was more comfortable than any bed. Sleeping in the semi-upright, not completely reclined position was more restful, and I never kicked the covers. Even the initial twitching went away and never returned. I slept in that thing for over a year. Not sure it would work for anybody else but anything's worth a try when rest isn't restful.

 

[Gary Wells]

Yes, I had it years back (25 years ago) and I just figured that it was from working out a lot as I was at that time. After a while it went away and I forgot all about it. Abruptly came back about 2 or 3 months ago for no reason that I can trace it to. Never went to a Doc about it. Right now it has been subsiding for a while.

 

[TurboTGuy]

I've had it since I can remeber and I'm in my early 50's.

The best discription I can give of mine is the feeling you get when novacaine is wearing off, that tingly, twitchy, i just want this to go away feeling.

Rivical is certainly right about kicking the sheets off, it looks like a tornado hit my bed every morning!

The ONLY thing I have found as a reliever is lower back and leg strechting exercises about an hour before bed.

Keeping your legs together, do your best to try and touch your toes (no, I can't touch them) and then kind of "bounce" up and down trying to get your fingers closer to the floor. This nicely stretches out the muscles in the back of your legs and provides some decent relief for me.

Do it again just before you go to bed.

I hope you can find some sort of relief, cuz it's no fun at all.

P.S. Gary, Those under hood pics of your car look pretty dang snazzy!

 

[Gary Wells]

Many thanks for the props about the under the hood shots, Guy.
Something that relieved the pain and discomfort of my restless leg syndrome was when it came on I am generally laying down and I arch my feet in my ankle joints several times, sort of like a super stretch, but only involving the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

 

[Phoneguy]

My wife had this for some time, she drank alot of diet soda with aspartame in it. She cut out any soda with aspartame and switched to Diet Coke with Splenda. Her symptoms have all but disappeared. Maybe a fluke but it works for her.

Bryan

 

[Silver Fox]

I have it. The bad deal is that is prevents you from getting into REM sleep. Are you tired all the time?

There is medicine to help you.

Rob

 

[RED LS1]

I get it a lot and after I stretch real good as mentioned previously I usually go to sleep afterards easier.
Try it.

 

[slow 87]

Not getting enough potassium most likely.

 

["Turbo-T"]

My daughter has this. They told us it's due to low iron.

 

[GNTIM]

it's mostly linked to anxiety or caffene, but there are other triggers

 

[gnpoweredrail]

My wife had this for some time, she drank alot of diet soda with aspartame in it. She cut out any soda with aspartame and switched to Diet Coke with Splenda. Her symptoms have all but disappeared. Maybe a fluke but it works for her.

Bryan

I hear this more and more.....there was na lady that drank so much she got MS..wuit drinking it and it went away...MS doesnt just go away so they related it to the Aspartame.

 

[Michael McCoy]

If I work a long hard day (which is most everyday), my legs jerk & shake like crazy. Looks like I'm trying to kick a fieldgoal most of the time.

 

[GDNF2ET]

Just to update; I'm in pretty good health, I don't drink,smoke and I stopped drinking caffeine about 5 years ago ( I would have a terrible migraine if I skipped a day without it) I've never kicked in my sleep..My problem is the constant feeling of wanting to move my legs.Its a strange feeling and its impossible to go to sleep until it stops..I posted this on another board and stretching was mentioned there too..For two days I've stretched a little before bed and I haven't experienced it..Then again, it doesn't do it every night ,so it might be a coincidence...Thanx for the suggestions...

 

[Guess]

You got the Jimmy legs! I always gotta be moving one of my feet. I do it voluntarily, but don't realize I'm doing it in public I'm sure. Especially when going to sleep. I can't fall asleep if I keep my legs still. Kinda like a 42 year-old rocking himself to sleep. That would suck to jerk involuntarily though.