• HEALTH & RECOVERY
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules Thread Directory 1 Thread Directory 2
    Mindfulness Links Addiction & Mind
    Sober Living Partner Program (SLiPP)
  • H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist

Restless Leg Syndrome...

Opaner

Opaner

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 18, 2011
Messages
190
Location
Philly
I have had Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) for a few years now. And until recently I had no idea that this was a medical condition. I thought it was just something I had to deal with, which I have dealt with for the past 3 years. It is very hard to deal with sometimes, and I was doing a little research on it. There are medications on the market to treat it, one of them being a pill (Requip) that I have used but did not really receive much relief from it. Now my question is..I was reading a topic on Rutger's University and they stated that some painkillers were used to relieve the symptoms. There isn't a cure available yet for the syndrome. Only medication can relief the problem. Does anyone know or has read anything about painkillers treating it? If you have any types of information at all, please post.

thanks a bagillion!
 
The problem that I see with using painkillers to treat this condition is that painkillers can cause RLS during withdrawal or in between doses. Personally I would go another route. I have a friend that suffers from this condition (he was a classmate of mine and I no longer see him, so I cannot ask him for any advice now) and he used marijuana to treat this. I am unsure if it treated the RLS directly, or just helped him sleep. This may not be an option to you due to legal reasons, and/or MMJ not being legal in your state, but I figured I would let you know what he said had worked for him.

I am going to move this into the healthy living forum.

Homeless --> HL
 
There are numerous threads relating to RLS in this forum. Use the search engine. Or wait for someone to come along and rehash it.
 
DJ Revisionist said:
Exercise and magnesium should be all you need. The thought of using prescription drugs for RLS is preposterous but alas thousands of people do.
Click to expand...

Well honestly I have the symptoms of RLS about roughly 12 hours of the day almost 7 days a week. The medicine they have me on (Requip) did not do anything. I will sometimes go 2 days straight because I cannot fall asleep at night. It is so terrible, I use painkillers and it goes away and I go to sleep like a child. I'm not in anyway saying that I deserve to be RX'ed to painkillers. But that is the only thing I have tried that actually works. Before I was diagnosed with it, they tested me at a sleep center. And they said they didn't know how I dealt with it. Its so irritating.
 
Well, as a citizen of your country, you deserve the right to have your needs met. If painkillers help relieve the symptoms of this medical issue, then I can't see any reason why you should be denied a prescription. Not all medicines are prescribed to a single condition (painkillers for pain) and many serve multiple purposes. Though I would never recommend getting yourself addicted to opiates, though if it helps your condition and stops your suffering, then I can't really deny it either.

I have only suffered RLS during opiate withdrawal and it is a hellish feeling. I had it infrequently as a child but grew out of it, fortunately.

I'm afraid I can't help much as I have never really researched it much, though I thought I'd do a quick google search for you, which turned up this bit of info:

"Iron - Low iron in the brain can contribute to RLS, a diet high in iron can prevent symptoms.
Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol - All of these can increase and worsen the symptoms of RLS, so it is very important to avoid these substances.
Food - Some studies show that having reactive hypoglycemia can put you at risk for developing RLS. It is recommended that you eat several small meals and avoid high sugar foods while eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Chiropractic care - Some chiropractors believe that a part of RLS is having pelvic instability. A chiropractor will recommend strengthening exercises for the pelvic area, consistent walking and leg stretching twice a day.
Acupuncture - Needles are placed at specific areas of the body to either stimulate or turn down certain nerves, when used in RLS, acupuncture can reduce symptoms in as little as one session.
Homeopathy - The guidance of an experienced homeopath is important and can often help to relieve symptoms.
Vitamins - Studies show that the use of specific vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, vitamin B12, magnesium, calcium, zinc and folic acid can help relieve the symptoms of RLS."

I wonder....have you tried wearing out your muscles with vigorous exercise? Do you think a steady, challenging resistance training program would help?
 
I'm not sure how helpful exercise would be for this.
I developed RLS after what seems to be work related nerve damage.
I operated a spot welding machine for 12 hrs a day where I was sitting and had heavy parts resting on my thigh. I noticed that parts of my thigh are slightly numb all the time now. After doing this job for awhile, I developed RLS symptoms. My legs 'jump' involuntarily if I sit in a position that happens to piss them off. They jump when I'm driving. They jump at night if I'm laying down. It can be annoying, but I haven't had any pain so far.
I still work 10 -12 hrs a day on my feet constantly moving and still have RLS symptoms, so I"m not sure how exercise can help. But it's worth a shot.
I've read up on muscle relaxers being used, or benzos, or sleeping pills, I've seen OTC pills for it. I haven't tried any thing to treat it cause it isn't that much of a pain in the ass for me, I don't like sleeping anyway.
 
Thanks for posting some information. I have read into all of it, I have talked to my doctor and RLS can be genetic. I get it every night almost starting and ending about the same time every night. When I get it during the day, it is very hard to walk normally. I underwent a sleep study that proved that I had RLS. Its just a very uncomfortable feeling that I can't really describe. Its a little bit of everything I guess you could say. There is medication but it didn't work, I am very active I play baseball, hockey, and run occasionally. I have my vitamins that I take almost everyday along with fish oil so that I am getting my omega 3 vitamins. I do opiates daily (not prescribed) and I know you can feel RLS when you go through withdraw. I rarely go through withdraw because I always have a pill handy. Once I get insurance I am going to go to a doctor and request he give me a extended release form of painkiller.
 
when i first heard of this condition (i think it was mcwigga who mentioned it), i LOL'd so hard thinking the name must be fake, some kind of throwback to evil dead "oh no, my limb has a mind of its own!" joke.
 
L2R said:
when i first heard of this condition (i think it was mcwigga who mentioned it), i LOL'd so hard thinking the name must be fake, some kind of throwback to evil dead "oh no, my limb has a mind of its own!" joke.
Click to expand...

If my legs weren't retarded I would attempt to kick you in the ass for that joke. ;)
 
yeah i shut my mouth quick when i figured it was serious.


let's just say you owe me one (asswhipping) :)
 
Mirapex works wonders, but it knocks you out. Sometimes I wonder if it really helps RLS or if it just knocks you out.

I have it too, OP, really bad. I have always had it, but noticed it getting worse over the years due to drug abuse. I really wish there was a good cure for it. My grandmother keeps saying if you put a bar of ivory soap under your covers that it will help, but I do not see how that would work.

I noticed it is the worse after I eat. Possible from energy that has nowhere to go?
 
Does it still afflict you to the same degree if you do very strenuous exercise and hard-graft throughout the day? I'm not talking basketball and hockey. I'm talking heavy squats, deadlifts and absolutely annihilating your legs.
I know I don't suffer from it, but I still wonder if your muscles are much more fatigued after expending serious amounts of energy, then it may not bother you to the same extent. However, I am not a doctor and am merely asking a question.
 
Both of you is who I meant.

Walking and bike riding don't really push our bodies far. We were designed to do things like walk all day, so it's not hard to reach a plateau of fitness with these non-taxing activities (non-taxing for the otherwise healthy human, of course). I meant actually doing something that will really tax your CNS system and fatigue your muscles, like heavy deadlifts, squats and other leg lifts (though mainly those two).
I'd be very interested to see how they would affect your RLS.

I wish I could help more, but i'm afraid I don't know much about RLS at all, other than when I experienced it during opiate/kratom withdrawal and as a child randomly. Really nasty affliction. It made me stay awake most of the night.
 
I've had RLS pretty much all my life and I am 21 years old. When I was younger, there wasn't really a diagnosis for it, so I never even knew other people were suffering the same as me. It is really only in my left leg, and I broke my femur bone when I was 4, so I've always wondered if I maybe damaged a nerve when that happened. As I've gotten older I've developed my own coping mechanisms for it, such as always shaking or moving some part of my body. Lately it has actually moved into my left arm, which I really cant explain but it is extremely bothersome at night. I'm a very active person, and in highschool I played rugby and worked out almost everyday. Even on days where I would have rugby practice and work out my legs it would still be there. I've never tried any of the prescription medicines for it, but I have tried many vitamins, minerals, and other things. The only thing that really helps is painkillers, but I'm not about to start takin those everyday just for my problem
 
L2R said:
when i first heard of this condition (i think it was mcwigga who mentioned it), i LOL'd so hard thinking the name must be fake, some kind of throwback to evil dead "oh no, my limb has a mind of its own!" joke.
Click to expand...


Yeah, someone had a thread about their legs being strangely active and I said something like, "maybe it's restless legs syndrome. no joke, that shit's real. look it up on wikipedia" and a bunch of people were like "wat"?

I get really antsy and always tap my feet or whatever during the day, especially while seated. It's totally subconcious. I think it's due to the fact I have ADD.. and the stimulant meds they prescribe patients don't really help with this twitchiness. At night time in bed, I play with my feet and curl my toes. I don't have a problem with sleep but sometimes people get pissed off when I'm laying in bed with them and constantly moving my feet and disrupting their sleep :D

Anyway, try excersizing more during the day, because its on the days where I'm in school and sitting all day when it's worst. When I've been active, and therefore have tired out my body, my legs aren't so twitchy. If you're opting to not take any meds and still need some help sleeping.. well, I take melatonin as a supplement, and it works pretty well. I need to take it because I have slight stimulant-induced insomnia that I struggle with sometimes. Also try relaxing yourself before you sleep.. breathing calmly, and closing your eyes and imagining you are somewhere warm and happy. The more you focus on your legs, the more it's going to bother you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top