Resltless leg syndrome?
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Sorry to hear you suffer from this, but I'm glad there's someone else who has been suffering from it long before it was all the rage via the pharmaceutical industry. If you suffer from the worst kind of this (Primary), you'll know that drinking water, taking iron supplements, and walking around DO NOT HELP. I feel your pain about thinking you're crazy, many a night I stayed awake in the late 90's trying to figure out if I was not running/exercising enough, dehydrated, or just nuts. My esteemed doctor in NYC had to break out the book to read up on it back then, and the syndrome's name is so informal-sounding, it's embarrassing to tell other people what it is. It is not fidgety legs, everyone. It's not exactly pain, and it's not exactly cramping, but it will drive you nuts if left untreated. The best description I've heard is the feeling of huge bugs crawling through your legs. Doctors and researchers still do not know if this is a muscle, blood, or neurological problem. Respectively, in the past 8 years, before Requip and Mirapex, I've been treated with a muscle relaxer (Aproxolam, didn't really help) and sleeping pill (Ambien, very effective, but all it really does is let you sleep, it doesn't really treat the problem). I just saw a new doctor about it today, and she is trying very small doses of Amitriptyline. She did not recommend Requip or Mirapex, as these medications were being researched for other purposes and happened to alleviate symptoms, but that since they do not know the cause of the problem, it's a little sketchy to use a neurological medication before you know if that's the root cause. I'll try this new med, but I have to be honest, when it really acts up, I only want to go to sleep, as it always happens after 9 pm and not every night, so I split an Ambien in half and take that (2.5 or 5 pg). RLS happens to me about 2-3 times per week, so I don't have to pop a sleeping pill every single night. If the side effects of Mirapex are too much for you, I would discuss Ambien with your doctor if you can get a regular 7-8 hours of sleep each night. I'm only speaking as someone who has RLS and what has worked for me, not as a doctor, pharmacist or any other medical expert. Good luck to you, and here's hoping they change the name of this syndrome!
My fiance also has RLS but is not on medication. He's bothered by it when he's overtired or when he hasn't consumed enough liquids for the day, so he has become very watchful of both.
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