restless legs symptoms?

[jillsmom]

I was diagnosed MS 15 years ago, but had no significant symptoms after my first flare until 5 years ago. My symptoms have been primarily visual, cognitive and fatigue, some numbness. The other night I couldn't sleep and my limbs started twitching. I couldn't lay still I had to move them. This lasted half of the night.
I have read where this is a symptom of MS, but the Neur. who I see once a year (I can't imagine he remembers me), after listening to my 20 second descripton on his answering machine had his nurse call and say no that doesn't have anything to do with MS.
Any thoughts? Has anyone dealt with this? One site I found say that it was part of MS...
Thanks for any thoughts.

[sesebaby]

I was diagnosed with MS two months ago ,I started having pins and needles and very week legs for a year or two but restless legs been bothering me for years.One dr told me to take calcium/magnesium .I hope you feel better!

[dpmich]

I had restless legs for about 10 years before I was diagnosed. The meds I am on apparently help keep the milder symptoms at bay. The others while during my last exacerbation, not so much.

Once a year? Is he a MS neuro? It may be time to make an appointment for a visit with him or to find one that specializes in MS. Good luck.

Debbie

[chalknpens]

That sense of "have to move" your legs might be spasticity, which I understand from reading on this board is a tugging of your calf muscles (and others, of course, but in this case, calf muscles.) And spasticity may call for certain medications other than those marketed for "restless leg syndrome"

[foxz71]

I have MS and I have restless legs syndrome. I was told by my Neuro it is common in people with MS. I Also have some
spasticity. For the restless legs they prescribed 1mg a day of a drug called "requip" it is a parkinsons medication. I can tell you sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't but when I do not take it, my husband tells me my legs twitch all night.

[akafearless]

Try this

Try wearing leg warmers or placing several blankets on your legs. Several of us in my family have restless leg syndrome.
My sister is able to rest in a recliner. Mine tends to act up when I'm the most tired and had too much caffiene.
I've had RLS almost 40 yrs and only dxed with MS for 2.
Good luck.

[workinmammaof2]

My whole family...

My whole family has RLS...at least most of the women. Me, sister, mom, cousins, and my Grandma has it the worst. She has tried about every Parkinson's med and pain meds out there...

Mine tends to come in streaks. Certainly occurs in the evening when I am trying to relax. 9 pm ish. I have tried Requip... Had to take it too early and had side effects from it. Diazepam works very well but only on a once in a while basis...(do not want to get dependent or build a tolerance)

It pretty much sucks when it is there... It's so hard to explain to others who have never experienced that odd sensation...

Oh yeah, MS dx aw almost 11 yrs ago. I had this then also. Nobody else in the fam has MS though mother has rheumatoid arthritis..

Good luck in finding something that helps... It can be very frustrating...

[knuckle]

Check out my post on the Medications section: Neurontin making my jerking worse

Magnesium often calms down MS jerks and twitches.

Magnesium, usually in combination with Calcium, improves nerve conduction. Try taking a Magnesium supplement twice a day. I found my nighttime leg jerks pretty much went away.

[empirerecs]

RLS is in my family too. My mom had a HORRIBLE case of it, she seemed to have it all day and barely slept because of it.

I used to get it when I was realy bored and sleepy. I still experience it under those circumstances if I can't get out of the situation - it always happened when I was babysitting and couldn't go home to sleep. I don't take anything, I think one of the meds I take probably helps it.

when my mom was going through cancer treatments and they were looking at all the issues she was having they did tell her that alcohol exacerbates RLS. She was an alcoholic. Not sure if that's true or if they were just trying to get her to stop drinking while she was on all the pain meds and chemo.

[Hawkgirl]

My DH has RLS. He takes something called Praximole (?) for it. But I guess he doesn't like it much because he tries not to take it. Sometimes he has literally kicked me out of the bed. When he gets to kicking, I pull away the sheet and blanket off his legs so I don't get tugged on so much and can get some sleep myself!

Good luck!

[dann]

Me too

RLS stuff came along when fx'd w/ MS. Was taking neurontin for yrs, helped some. Have new neuro now, am not taking neurontin and mow take 4AP and baclofen. I really had not thought about my RLS stuff until I read your thread...... I really do not have RLS stuff so assume it is due to baclofen. Also keep tonic water next to my bed -- has quinine!

[Margeaux]

I now believe that eating beef causes me to get RLS, as on the 3 or 4 occasions when I have eaten beef in the last few months, I have had RLS symptoms.

I have experienced occasional RLS for many years, perhaps a few times per month, almost always after supper when sitting to watch tv. With dietary changes, for other reasons, about 3 mo ago, I soon realized I wasn't getting RLS hardly ever.

I first stopped eating beef, pork, dairy, and wheat as an experiment for one month. After, as I was moving back toward a regular diet I realized I no longer have a taste for beef, and have continued to avoid beef and dairy.

Other changes I have made in the same time frame: well rounded meals including protein (turkey, chicken, fish, eggs) with every meal, supplement: Magnesium Citrate, Cod Liver Fish Oil pills. So all this may have contributed but the red meat really seems to cause it. (Oddly since Internet advice is to eat more to get iron.)

If anyone else has dietary results, please let us know about it.

[Hawkgirl]

****! Does tonic water really help with RLS? I am going to buy some for DH and see if it helps him!

[hunterd]

ok, i need to ask stupid questions (i`m sure i know, but i just can`t remember) several times each day! what is the difference between RLS and spasticity? is it painful?

[empirerecs]

Hi Hunterd - my experience with RLS is a feeling of my legs just "itching" to move. I can't keep them still and it's sort of tingly, but not like the falling asleep tingly that you might experience with MS. My spasicity is painful, like a charley horse. RLS is just totally annoying - my mom had to walk constantly and it woke her up, I tapped my leg to the point of exhaustion.

HOpe this helps!