I had no idea there was a name to explain the fidgeting I feel at night and sometimes during the day. I have to move my legs constantly and I often have trouble sleeping at night because I have the most incredible urge to move. Doesn’t help my husband much either. At least I know that it’s not just in my mind (well, actually it is since it’s considered a neurological disorder, but you know what I mean).
I may be a sufferer of this as well. I am constantly shaking my legs. It drives my wife positively bananas. I posted about it earlier this year, but the post was wiped out in the Great Board Purge of 2002. It was then that another doper told me that I may have RLS.
Zev Steinhardt
I knew, but that’s because I have it. (I think - I assume so because my legs are almost always moving, especially when I’m falling asleep.) Everyone in my family does it, so I just assume it’s genetic. It’s weird, but I live with it.
throatshot, my mother-in-law had that problem for several years before her death. I hope you are able to get more relief from it than she was.
Oh, I hate having this! It is doubly aggavating when it moves into my left arm. it used to only bother me while I was preggers, but now it infrequently visits. The movement in the leg can also be attributed to Spontanious Leg Movement Syndrome, which as I understand is a sepperate condition, but goes hand in hand with Restless Leg.(sort of like HIV/AIDS)
As for treatments, I’ve read there is a drug, although I can’t remember the name. it is one also used to treat Parkinson’s disease.(I read this in the Dr.Donahue article a few years ago)Ask your Doctor about it,they sure know more about it than I!
Other than that the home fix seems to be alternating hot and cold packs.But I have tried this, and apparently I am treatment resistant or did it wrong! I suggest you consult with a Physical therepist for further details.
FWIW, I get relief from rolling over and laying on my tummy. I then adjust my legs, knees slightly pointed so the joint connecting my legs and hip are able to get pressure from the surface I am laying on. This can also be accomplished by putting a pillow between your legs and pushing the edge into the fold.Similar to how Preggers women prop up thier knees to sleep.
I can sympathise with you, BOL on treatments!
Oh, I hate having this! It is doubly aggavating when it moves into my left arm. it used to only bother me while I was preggers, but now it infrequently visits. The movement in the leg can also be attributed to Spontanious Leg Movement Syndrome, which as I understand is a sepperate condition, but goes hand in hand with Restless Leg.(sort of like HIV/AIDS)
As for treatments, I’ve read there is a drug, although I can’t remember the name. it is one also used to treat Parkinson’s disease.(I read this in the Dr.Donahue article a few years ago)Ask your Doctor about it,they sure know more about it than I!
Other than that the home fix seems to be alternating hot and cold packs.But I have tried this, and apparently I am treatment resistant or did it wrong! I suggest you consult with a Physical therepist for further details.
FWIW, I get relief from rolling over and laying on my tummy. I then adjust my legs, knees slightly pointed so the joint connecting my legs and hip are able to get pressure from the surface I am laying on. This can also be accomplished by putting a pillow between your legs and pushing the edge into the fold.Similar to how Preggers women prop up thier knees to sleep.
I can sympathise with you, BOL on treatments!
It’s not severe now, just annoying. I’m sitting here in front of the computer bouncing my legs together. On the positive side, I work off more calories than someone who just sits still. 
I only heard about it last December when my dad mentioned my mom had it. I’m not at the stage where I would attempt drugs to fix the problem, but if it ever became debilitating, that’s the route I would ask my doctor about, assuming homeopathic remedies didn’t work.
I’ve read on the web that clonazepam (Klonopin®, Rivotril®) can be used to help alleviate RLS. It’s not a Parkinson’s drug; rather it’s a benzodiazepine often prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder (which I have, and for which I take it daily). Do some Googling, and good luck.
- s.e.
Restless legs syndrome. Who knew?
I sure didn’t. On a recent exam, this was the question I largely bombed. So I’ve reviewed the skinny on this to learn more.
Restless legs syndrome often comes to light when people complain they can’t stop moving their legs at night. They tend to kick their partners a lot, really pissing off their spouse. Things get better with walking. The condition is different from night cramps, claudication, dystonia, tremor and dyskinesia. But the drugs recently found to treat it successfully are the same ones used for Parkinson’s disease.
Many patients seem to find relief from avoiding caffiene and doing stretching exercies before bed. Your doctor may want to rule out uremia and diabetes using simple blood tests. Vitamin E is probably helpful. Prescription drugs that are beneficial include levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet), bromocriptine, seligine and Permax. Clonazepam is known to help but there are concerns about benzodiazepine adddiction, and the Parkinson stuff apparently works better. I’ve really not seen much RLS in clinical practice.
You mean this is an actual problem?!?
And I gotta cut back on my caffine intake and walk more? Crap. All these years of leg kicking, and I always thought I was just antsy. Thanks, SDMB, for enlightening me again.
I’ve heard of doctors prescribing quinine sulfate to their elderly patients for restless leg syndrome, but I’m not sure what side effects this medication would have.
Damn! Just when I’d given up figuring out why my legs always feel strange and I can’t sit still to save my life… Hell, even the fact that it’s been better since I stopped drinking Mountain Dew makes sense.
My doctor (who has since retired) has done everything short of telling me it’s in my head (after all the blood tests and x-rays looked normal). However, after playing with Google, and seeing as how my legs have done this for as long as I can remember, this is sounds like something I’ll be asking about when I find a new doctor.
And they thought I was nuts because exercise made the aches go away. Harumph. :mad: Well, no, actually I’m going to go be happy now.
I had a problem like that,maybe it was RLS. It was aggravated by my being very active .We played a lot of ball when I was a kid. I still had it into my 30s but guess I grew out of it because I haven’t had the problem for a long time now.
I do notice both my kids bounce their legs constantly.They are 14 and 22.
This is an interesting subject. I hope there are lots of replys.
BTW I have an artificial hip and the other one isn’t real good. My dad had a hip replacement also.
I was actually composing a post about this in my head the other night, when I couldn’t sleep because my legs were so damn twitchy. I get this in the evenings and at night, mostly, but that may be simply because those are the times when I’m sitting or lying still. I’ve found that a jacuzzi bath before bed helps a little sometimes.
I’d rather take Valium and risk getting addicted than cut back on my coffee intake, but if I get one more condition that can be helped by decreasing my caffeine intake, I may have to rethink that stance.
Hey, I feel for you guys! I get this problem when I take Benedryl with Prozac. Of course, it took a few Benedryl to figure out that was the problem. It’s a horrible feeling and keeps me awake, even when I’m all groggy on antihistamines. Luckily, it seems to be only this drug combination (or something related to it anyway) that causes my problem. So it’s not really a problem! But if I was like that all the time, I think I’d go nuts. Best of luck finding a solution!
L
OK once again IANAD but watch out with Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) - also the main ingredient in most OTC sleep aids (Tylenol PM, for example). Too much of it and you can go into anticholergenic psychosis - and that will keep you awake, even though you’re all groggy. Believe me, I’ve been there.
Don’t ask me why I know all these things. I just do. 
- s.e.