I tried to post this in responce to another blog on RLS, but I was out of comments.
Hi I have RLS, and I am a Sleep Tech. Requip is probably the best medicine out there for RLS because it has the fewest side effects. You can also try Sinemet it's a lot cheaper than Requip (there is a third medicine good for RLS, but I can't think of it right now, it will come to me when I quit trying). If your RLS is still giving you trouble try the following, avoid caffiene containing foods and beverages after lunch time as Caffiene withdrawls can cause and or make RLS, and PLM worse, have your doctor test check your serum ferritin level since brain iron deficiency can cause RLS/PLM. Also a Calcium/Potassium deficiency can cause difficulty with your legs at night mainly cramps, try eating a banana and a couple of tums (they contain calcium) before bed and see if that helps the problem. If you try all of these and are still bothered by RLS and aren't sleeping, you would probably benefit from a sleep study, not only to see the extent of the problem, but there are other sleep disorders that can cause RLS symptoms. Hope this is helpful, if you have any other questions let me know I'd be glad to help in anyway I can.
Neurontin does work for some people, but it can alter your sleep architecture, like anti-depressants do, so you would probably wnt to try other options before deciding Neurontin is the answer. In case your wondering PLM or PLM is Periodic Limb Movement Disorder is it a disorder that I believe Jeff is describing where your legs, (or in some people their arms and depending on the violence in which they jerk their limbs, their whole body, or bed) PLM causes disruptions in sleep just like sleep apnea does, they have found links between sleep deprivation and diabetes, the best illistration of the link is the researchers took young healthy men with no known health problems, I believe 19-25 years old. They only let one group sleep 4 or 6 hours a night (I can't remember but I want to say 6), the other group 8 hours. After 6 nights the group only allowed to sleep less than 8 hours, all had elevated blood sugar levels. Sleep Apnea and PLM disrupt sleep and can cause sleep deprivation which over time can lead to diabetes. Sleep deprivation also causes people to make poor choices when it comes to eating healthy, they crave starchy comfort foods, and they feel hungry when their not. A lot of times when a person goes on a night shift, they gain weight.
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I apologize if I was meaning that you need or should take Neurontin, I was just letting you kow what has helped me. Before I was taking the Requip and Neurontin, I was absolutely ready to go insane. The cramps were so severe I wanted to pull my hair out. It took me over a year to finally convince my doctor to put me on these meds...it seems that they wanted to go another route even after I told them many people in my family have RLS. Well, I hope you can get control on it as I have, life is so much better now. I hope you all have a good day.
Take care, Jeff
Jeff,
No need to apologize, :0) I'm glad you found some relief, I just meant that Requip, blood tests, avoiding caffiene, trying the potassium/calcium route should all be tried first. Neurontin is a neurological drug that can cause changes in your sleep architecture, and cause a great deal of unwanted side effects, and should only be used if all other avenues have been explored and failed. Requip by itself is usually adequate once the right dose is found, and it won't affect sleep architecture. Mirapex is the other RLS/PLM medication that can be used, as well as Sinemet. Mirapex, and Requip for most patients have few side effects. Sinemet is an older drug and is much cheaper then Mirapex and Sinemet. All of these drugs are used for Parkinson's disease also as they stop tremors, but PLM and RLS are not believed to be related to Parkinson's Disease. I hope this is helpful to someone. For those of you who don't know me, I am not a doctor, I am a Sleep Tech, it is part of my job to not only be able to educate about sleep disorders such as PLM and RLS but also to let patients know of possible treatment options to talk with their doctors about. That's my disclaimer :0) Sleep Well All! Michele
Wonder what you'd call it when I was growing up. For some unknown reason in the middle of the night I'd jerk, levitate, and in mid air turn completely over and land spread eagled across the bed! Glad I never had a bed partner! I could get arrested for assault & battery without even trying! I still do it occasionally. Kathy
SleepTech;
I dont know if I have RLS,but my thighs twitch,I mean up off the bed.But so do other parts of my body they jump.I am also curious about talking in my sleep.I just started about a couple of months ago.Was wondering if you knew anything about that kinda stuff?
Yvonne
Horsecrazy, I've seen all kind of strange things, but I don't know if I've ever seen that. :0) I guess without knowing what was happening when that happened, ie dreaming, deep sleep, apnea, etc. I couldn't really say what that was. Yvonne, Sleep talking happens in Slow Wave Sleep, very deep sleep. We all have a lot of Slow Wave Sleep as children, as we get older we have less and less, so I guess when it comes to sleep you have the brain of a very young person. :0) If you take Ambien or Lunesta that can cause talking in your sleep, possibly other medications can cause it also. Arousals from sleep from Sleep Apnea or PLM can cause sleep talking. Periodic Limb Movements can occur in your legs or your arms, so it is possible that is what you have going on. I'll email you some more info, as I always run out of 2000 charactures! HeHe :0)
What is Miraplex? What is Neurontin?
I have a dear friend, about 68 yrs old, that has Parkinson's disease. Has taken
Sinemet and now is taking Requip XL. Neither of these has stopped the tremors.
Requip XL may slow a tremor down for a few seconds, but at this point nothing
stops the tremors. Would Miraplex or Neurontin help?
I'm looking for further information on Parkinson's in order to be able to
help my friend, and anticipate what might happen in the future with the disease.
The person is fully functional at this time except for holding a glass of liquid in the
one hand that the tremors are so bad.
Thank you.
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA!
I see a specialist for RLS, and have for several years. I'm 36, and have a more severe case of RLS. None of natural remedies work anymore, and neither do the new RLS drugs on the market. The only thing that was working was OPIATES (methadone), because it blocks the brain from registering the horrible feeling. But that is something that will increase over time (I've taken opiates for several years now, for RLS). Without medication I have actually BEATEN my leg and exposed it to very hot heat, just to feel SOMETHING ELSE besides the RLS sensations. I have the feelings that feels like thousands of bugs crawling around inside. When it's bad, moving around DOES NOT EVEN HELP! My doctor told me about a man who would beat his leg with a baseball bat to stop the feeling (which doesn't work, of course), and I can COMPLETELY RELATE! I've stayed up entire nights, STANDING, crying, trying to excape the feeling- and trying not to fall on my face from sleep deprivation. Imagine that while having young children AND PREGNANT! (it's worse during pregnancy and certain times of the month).
But there are side effects of methadone on the body. I'm fed up with the side effects.
I have finally found that for me, and others, medicinal marijuana DOES WORK for RLS and has MUCH LESS side effects. It's safer than aspirin! Also it can be taken in ways that do not require smoking it (since the smoke is obviously bad for the body). It can be made into capsules, or inhaled as a non-smoke vapor.
The FACTS are in favor of medicinal uses of marijuana.
Just get PAST the social stigma. Perscription drugs have more side effects, are the most highly abused, and have the potential for sever addiction.
Take it from a VERY SEVERE RLS sufferer....the cannabis WORKS. Research it, please! GOOD LUCK!
In addition, I also have the feeling during the daytime and while being mobile. I still feel it while walking or exercising! The feeling can be so strong that I feel like vomiting.
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