Inspired by Saffron's legs --- restless legs

[Pig Pen]

I have this too. Mine always seems to occur in the most inopportune times...such as in the car on a long trip, on a plane, during a movie, watching tv, Dissing, etc.

I thought for a long time it was something psychological. It is always better once I get up and walk around for awhile. It rarely happens when I go to bed. In fact, when it gets bad in the evenings when I am watching TV, I just go to bed.

I heard it was caused from lack of potassium, etc., so I try to eat a banana every day. I can't say that it really helps, but I haven't really tracked it.

 

[VampHeartless]

I didn't even really notice my legs did this until I got my first kitten.

Let's just say that....randomly moving legs under a blanket = kittens equivelant of Disneyworld.

 

[rwade428]

Yes, it is the potassium, I'm a pharmacy tech and that is one of the little tid bits I've learned since starting there 8 years ago.

My sister takes OTC potassium because of restless leg and cramping at night. She swears by it.

 

[NHAnn]

Originally posted by phamton
his sleep cycle is normal. I'm the one who needs a sleeping pill to sleep through all the jumping. They put him on ambien and Depakote and it didn't help one bit. I threaten to tie him up with duct tape so I can get some sleep. Did you find anything that worked for your husband?

Unfortunately...the only thing that has REALLY worked (for ME to get a good nights sleep) is to banish him to the guest room when it gets really bad! WIll have to try the DUCT TAPE thing!! I believe he tried the depakote as well one time....but is now using carbidopa (sp?) I think for the jumping. He tries not to use the sleeping aid. He has nights that are better than others...avoiding caffiene, alcohol and stress/overextertion seems to help.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Please try Leg Cramps.I get it at Walmart on the vitamin aisle.It is a little bottle.I use it about once a week and within 15 minutes of taking it,my legs feel much better.I told my aunt about it andnow she swears by it.

Misty

 

[grinningghost]

I'm going to get the Leg Cramps stuff from Wal-Mart today. I've had RLS for years, but in the last few months it's gotten awful. I end up on the couch where I can move my legs like crazy so I don't disturb DH. It's the most annoying thing. It's not pain, it's just like, you HAVE to move them or you will jump out of your skin.

I'm losing alot of sleep lately. I'm getting desperate. I totally know what you're going through Laurie.

 

[Blondie]

From what I've been told by my MD, there is a difference between "Restless Leg Syndrome" and "Nervous Leg Syndrome/PLMS."

RLS (what I have occasionally) is when it feels like something is crawling under the skin on my legs, kind of a creepy crawly feeling that causes me to move my legs to get comfortable. I'm only comfortable for about a minute or two, and I have to reposition again, and again, and again! It lasts several hours for me, and I've been told that temperature change helps. What I do is get up and put really hot (or really cold) washclothes on my thighs. That is the only thing that works for me.

A good friend takes Klonopin for her RLS. Seizure control meds like Tegretol and Neurontin work for some people, as do Parkinson's drugs like Permax, Mirapex and Sinemet. I'd rather not mess around with those medications!

NLS/PLMS is when the legs jump or jerk around uncontrollably. Thankfully I don't have that.....yet!

 

[phamton]

Periodic limb movements in sleep are repetitive movements, most typically in the lower limbs, that occur about every 10-40 seconds. If you have PLMS, or sleep with someone who has PLMS (also referred to as PLMD, periodic limb movement disorder), you may recognize these movements as brief muscle twitches, jerking movements or an upward flexing of the feet. They cluster into episodes lasting anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

The main difference is Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) occurs only while awake but often exacerbated at bedtime, just before falling asleep, or during awake periods through the night. While Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS) occur only while asleep.