Restless leg syndrome

[Old Merc]

I would like to hear from anyone who suffers from this. What they take, any tips, general chat.etc.
I’m 75 and fully retired.

I’ve tried all sorts, still get it mainly in the evenings when I’m trying to relax and watch TV. It drives me mad, I have to get up and do something.My legs twitch, even my arms.
My GP put me on Pramipexole, some side affects so then changed it to Ropinirole. I do get a reasonable good nights sleep now but wake at 6am and get twitching again. Have just bought a Therapulse, too early to comment on it myself, but it’s got rave reviews.

[solo2]

I take Pregabalin due to having Fibromyalgia but it seems to help with my restless legs.

[Scrump]

I occasionally suffer from this, usually when in bed and trying to get to sleep.
Watching with interest.

[Bobberoo]

Mrs Bobbers has it on a horrendous scale, severely interrupted night's sleep, aches and pain, says it feels like her muscles are either crawling or spasming, rubbing her legs and massaging them helps for a while, she's on her 3rd lot of tablets for it.

[Zetec-S]

Occasionally suffer from it when trying to get to sleep, I find I need to get up and move about for 10 minutes and most of the time it goes away.

A friend recommended compression socks, but I've not tried it as I don't get it often enough to warrant.

[Brum_Brum]

Suffered a lot in the past,. still get occasional bouts. Can't remember where I saw it but I find pinching the back of my leg just up from the ankle and holding for around 20-30 secs seems to help.

[King David]

At the risk of hijacking the thread - I have a question for sufferers.

For a little over a year I've had a persistent problem with involuntary spasms in my right leg (specifically knee and ankle). I feel a build up of pressure and then my leg will twitch almost like it's received an electric shock - this can last for up to 2-3 seconds. This normally starts just as I'm drifting off to sleep - but will then continue for several hours even I'm fully awake or fast asleep.

My understanding of Restless Leg Syndrome is that you feel the urge to move your leg until you can't resist anymore - but the actual movement itself is voluntary.

This has made me think I may be suffering from Periodic Limb Movement - which is apparently a different (if similar) condition.

I'm just wondering if my description above resonates with anybody as my doctor was pretty useless and told me I was suffering from Hypnic Jerk.

[Bobberoo]

Mrs Bobbers has it on a horrendous scale, severely interrupted night's sleep, aches and pain, says it feels like her muscles are either crawling or spasming, rubbing her legs and massaging them helps for a while, she's on her 3rd lot of tablets for it.

[Old Merc]

Bobberoo said:

Mrs Bobbers has it on a horrendous scale, severely interrupted night's sleep, aches and pain, says it feels like her muscles are either crawling or spasming, rubbing her legs and massaging them helps for a while, she's on her 3rd lot of tablets for it.

What tablets is your Mrs taking. ?

I used to be like that, sometimes at night getting so fed up I used to go down stairs and do something.
Thanks to Rapinirole ( I think? ) I’m getting into a routine with RLS. Take the tabs late evening, I get really drowsey, bed about 10 or so, reasonably good nights sleep. Then awake at 5 - 6 am RLS gets irritating finally get up around 7 or so. All day no problem as long as I’m doing something. Then around 6pm it’s back with a vengance,just like your Mrs description, I just can’t sit still and watch TV or what ever we do, spoils almost every evening.
It’s not advised to take Rapinirole during the day, certainly don’t drive a car with it.

GP’s are taking RLS more seriously now as it can affect the patients metal health. There are also some experts thinking there is a connection with spinal stenosis and iron deficiency.

[Bobberoo]

Old Merc said:

What tablets is your Mrs taking. ?

I used to be like that, sometimes at night getting so fed up I used to go down stairs and do something.
Thanks to Rapinirole ( I think? ) I’m getting into a routine with RLS. Take the tabs late evening, I get really drowsey, bed about 10 or so, reasonably good nights sleep. Then awake at 5 - 6 am RLS gets irritating finally get up around 7 or so. All day no problem as long as I’m doing something. Then around 6pm it’s back with a vengance,just like your Mrs description, I just can’t sit still and watch TV or what ever we do, spoils almost every evening.
It’s not advised to take Rapinirole during the day, certainly don’t drive a car with it.

GP’s are taking RLS more seriously now as it can affect the patients metal health. There are also some experts thinking there is a connection with spinal stenosis and iron deficiency.

Same tablets mate, she's currently on 4 tablets nightly which is now increasing to 6 a night for 5 nights and eventually 8 a night.
She recently started wearing support stockings to bed and says that helps!!!

[EddyP]

I have this as a result of MS, sometimes it can really disturb my sleep, I religiously take Clonazepam, just one each night although when its bad I can increase it. It certainly helps, mostly because it knocks me into a fairly deep sleep within an hour of taking it and that will usually last for 6 hours, if I've had a really bad night, I find mixing it with paracetamol works fairly well too.