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Restless Legs

(93 Posts)
Wendyg Thu 08-Oct-20 20:28:58

Does anyone else suffer from Restless Legs? Mine are driving me mad particularly at night. I just cant get over to sleep. I take magnesium and have tried baths before bed and massaging my legs but they just want to keep moving when I am so tired. Any ideas to help calm them will be gratefully appreciated. It's like having tourette's in your legs.

BlueBelle Thu 08-Oct-20 20:32:06

I ve never had it but have friends who have I m never sure if the legs are actually voluntarily moving or if it’s a ‘feeling‘ of movement ?
I did see a group on fb for restless legs swapping cures or various comforts etc that may be useful
Good luck

Doodle Thu 08-Oct-20 20:43:03

wendyg I can’t help but if you find a cure DH will be interested as he suffers from this too. Hope you manage some sleep tonight.

Urmstongran Thu 08-Oct-20 20:44:15

It’s a horrid sensation.
It doesn’t happen to me often but I find concentrating on mindful breathing - focus on more breaths in than out with a slight pause between the two - sorts it out.

sukie Fri 09-Oct-20 04:37:24

Though I've not dealt with this personally, someone dear to me has and they've recently reported some improvement from sleeping with a weighted blanket.

MissElly Fri 09-Oct-20 06:57:38

I occasionally suffer from restless leg and you have my sympathy, it could drive a person crazy! Something that was recommended to me is tonic water. Apparently the quinine helps. I have no idea whether it does or whether it’s all in my mind but I think it definitely helps me.

growstuff Fri 09-Oct-20 07:17:03

You need to go to your GP and ask to try Ropinirole. I suffered very badly from Restless Legs Syndrome and it certainly helped me. I took it for about six months and I now only have occasional flare-ups. You should also ask to have your ferritin level checked.

growstuff Fri 09-Oct-20 07:19:21

PS. I tried all the "old wives" remedies and none of them worked and, yes, it does drive you crazy. It's a difficult sensation to describe to people who haven't suffered from it.

Riverwalk Fri 09-Oct-20 07:54:36

I've had a couple of episodes of not knowing what to do with my legs! They don't jerk or move involuntarily but they just feel super-sensitive, from the inside, not to touch.

I found relief by folding a firm pillow and placing it under my knees so that my legs were an upside down V shape.

dragonfly46 Fri 09-Oct-20 08:02:56

My dad suffered from this terribly. He even had it in his arms too. I get it occasionally so I know how you feel and can sympathise.

MamaCaz Fri 09-Oct-20 08:22:19

I suffer from this, too, but luckily not all the time.

Strangely, perhaps, when I was younger (pre-menopause), I only ever got this if sitting up in bed. Once I was lying flat it would stop! Unfortunately, that's no longer the case.

Sometimes it stops me from falling asleep. Other times it starts while I am asleep and wakes me up. How long it lasts is random, but even on the worst nights I am lucky in that (so far) it does eventually stop before it's time to get up.

As it doesn't happen to me every night, it has crossed my mind (in the middle of the night!) that I should perhaps keep a diet and activity diary, to see if I can spot a trigger, but I tend to forget about it during the day when it's not a problem.

Btw - I bought myself a weighted blanket a couple of weeks ago, and absolutely love it, but I can't honestly say that it's helped relieve my restless legs sad

Oldwoman70 Fri 09-Oct-20 08:41:23

I suffer occasionally and have found taking an ibroprufen tablet helps

Froglady Fri 09-Oct-20 08:50:19

My Mum had it when she was in bed and it woke her up. She tried very hard to ignore and just go back to sleep but she always had to get up in the end and walk around until it had settled down and then she went back to bed. This was over 14 years ago so I don't know if there are cures out there or not now.

growstuff Fri 09-Oct-20 09:01:52

Froglady

My Mum had it when she was in bed and it woke her up. She tried very hard to ignore and just go back to sleep but she always had to get up in the end and walk around until it had settled down and then she went back to bed. This was over 14 years ago so I don't know if there are cures out there or not now.

As far as I know, there is no permanent cure, but Ropinirole is the recommended medicine, which certainly worked for me.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/restless-legs-syndrome/treatment/

Sparklefizz Fri 09-Oct-20 09:20:53

I suffer from Restless Legs and have found that the homeopathic remedy Rhus Tox 30c (available from Amazon, Holland & Barrett, etc) works within 15 minutes.

Starblaze Fri 09-Oct-20 09:27:49

Magnesium spray

Compression socks

Just get up and walk around a bit, if they need to move, stretch them

Those are things that help me, never found a cure sadly

Franbern Fri 09-Oct-20 09:40:46

I have only started having this problem in the last couple of years. Fortunately, not too often - but when it does occur (always at night), it is horrible. Will totally prevent me sleeping, no matter how tired, and or even if I have taken sleeping pill. Have not (as yet) bothered to tell GP), and do find the only way of dealing with it is to get up and move around for a little while.

Best description I have heard - Wendyg - Tourettes in the legs.

lilyH Fri 09-Oct-20 09:41:31

pinch the back of your ankles 3 times moving a little up your leg each time and give it 10 mins x

Glosgran Fri 09-Oct-20 09:42:14

I have painful legs and bought a weighted blanket to help with Fibromyalgia from Amazon. Around £30.

Gransey Fri 09-Oct-20 09:47:17

I used to suffer when I was running ( more like a 5k plod) I found compression socks (flight socks) were the only thing that helped. Good luck Wendyg I know they used to drive me mad.

RillaofIngleside Fri 09-Oct-20 09:49:59

I had terrible restless legs a couple of years ago. All evening they were twitching and kicking. Also developed severe anxiety. A healthcare assistant suggested that it might be my statins, so I came off them. Within 3 weeks the restless legs had gone, never to return. So had the anxiety, I am back to my even happy self. I will never take them again. A nurse at the hospital told me it was a common side effect.

Coconut Fri 09-Oct-20 09:55:55

Willis-Ekbom Syndrome !
I’ve suffered on/off for a few years now, and despite various theories no one knows what actually causes this, plus there is no cure. Heat seems to be one of my triggers, and I spray my calves with the Body Shop peppermint leg/foot spray and it really helps. The Boots one does not work for me at all. Red wine will also create RLS for me so I never have more than one small glass. It does drive me nuts at times, but I also find laying the wrong way round in bed and putting my legs up vertically against the wall !

Jess20 Fri 09-Oct-20 09:56:50

I'm with MissEllie, quinine... a nice gin and tonic before bed/

Moggycuddler Fri 09-Oct-20 09:59:34

I suffer with this on and off. It's horrible. I usually massage them, take painkillers and roll Biofreeze all over the backs of my legs, then exercise them a bit. But it keeps me awake for hours sometimes.

Irenelily Fri 09-Oct-20 09:59:52

I suffered from this for 2 or 3 years. My GP prescribed Quinine - you have to have a week without every so often. I also took Magnesium and I was given exercises to do before bed. The most helpful one was to stand about 18inches from a wall, hands on the wall, leaning forward slightly and lift the heels 10 or more times. I also tried a cushion between my knees which seemed to help. The doctor said it was poor circulation in the legs. Thankfully I no longer get it - but I’m on other medication for heart problems - NOT a recommended cure!!!!