Ever since I had my surgery (a little over a week ago), my legs have felt absolutely awful. It's a constant antsy urge to move my legs, and nothing I do will get rid of it. I can't sleep or relax because of it, and since I'm confined to my house for four weeks (I'm not allowed to drive because of my surgery), I can't do anything but sit around all the time. I've tried taking iron supplements and Ativan, but nothing helps.
It's driving me absolutely mad. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it?? Preferably ways that don't involve seeing a doctor.
Good to see you, Nadleeh!
Are you allowed to exercise at all--like stretching, yoga, or a stationary bike--or is it bed rest only? If you've never had this sensation before, I'd certainly call the doctor and find out if it's normal. You had serious surgery after all, and your doc should know about all your symptoms and side effects.
Hi Nadleeh,
RLS is
horrible. I have it.
As far as ways to help it w/o a trip to the doc:
-Tonic water can help. It is the quinine in it that can ease leg cramps and restless legs.
-A warm bath before bed and a heating pad to the leg or lower back.
-No vigorous physical exercise prior to bedtime. I know if I do, it seems to "set off" my RLS.
I went to the MD. He gave me Miripax. It made me soooo sedated, it was awful. I was a walking zombie the next day. Then I was given pain medication for my chronic pain and my RLS disappeared. Opiates are often used as a last resort for RLS. But as you know, MDs are very reluctant to give them out.
I don't really have any advice, I might understand though. I don't have this much but there was a time, one night or 2 every few months I'd lay in bed and have this overwhelming urge to move my legs, like my legs just ached to move. I'd have this urge to lift weights with them, like I needed some reisistance to push them against. I would get up and walk around. ARGH it's annoying. I doubt I have it full blown but just wanted to say hang in there!
Followers of Dr Gott in the newspaper say a bar of soap tucked at the end of the bed can help. I have no idea why, but many swear by it!
I don't have any advice but wanted to say I'm sorry you are dealing with this.
Would an ice pack help?
Thanks, everyone!
I like the bar of soap suggestion. I have tons of them, so I'll try that!
As far as activity goes, I can pretty much do what I want, but it has to be in my house. My very tiny and very cluttered house. =/ I stretch them a lot. but that only gives me temporary relief.
I was also given Percocet for my headaches, so I tried those, but they only made me really itchy.
I don't want to see a doctor because after my hospitalization with my surgery, I never want to see another doctor in my life. I wasn't treated badly or anything (quite the opposite, actually...my nurses were wonderful), but it was just an awful experience and I'm "burned out" right now.
I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it and hope it goes away once I can drive again.
My grandfather has RLS. He takes Requip for it. Here's a link to a pamphlet from the RLS Foundation:
http://www.rls.org/Document.Doc?&id=3
I've also read the bar of soap remedy in The People's Pharmacy column. I hope you are feeling better soon! Glad your surgery went well!
Nadleeh,
I just read an article abut RLS and how diphenhydramine can make it worse. I know a lot of people w/ RLS will take Tylenol/Advil PM or Benadryl to sleep and this study seems to indicate that it will make RLS worse....but other prescribed sedatives don't seem to make a difference in RLS
Here is the article:
RLS
One thing that the article stated was that many people w/ RLS do not feel tired the next day. HUH?? I feel exhausted!
My RLS pain is worse than ever. The pain in my lower back and into my legs is causing major disruptions in my life right now. I can't get to sleep at night...then when I finally do, it is time to get up. I am so tired during the day that I have been calling in sick. I feel dizzy and groggy and sad.
I am trying everything and nothing is working now. I am so depressed by this.
Anyone else have any other recommendations to stop the pain? I am desperate!!
(I can't drink, so it is not an option for me, but, believe me, I have been contemplating it
)
Ironic you bumped this thread.
Earlier when I posted I had no knowledge of RLS, but since then I've had a few episodes of severly low iron count which one of the side effects is RLS.
OMG! I feel your pain! I only had it for about a week, and it was a nightmare. I'm sooooo sorry you have such a severe case of rls. Since it's been going on so long, I'd suggest a different doctor.
My MD prescribed Folitab 500 in addition to otc iron pills as well as nothing but iron rich foods for a week. Light massage seems to help a tad, other than that I still don't have much advice, but do offer my sympathy.
LOL, I saw this thread here and WTF'd, cause I didn't remember making it and my RLS has been absolutely horrendous this past week. I haven't had pain with it, but my legs could just run a marathon 24/7 and it's driving me berzerk! I've been taking iron and Ativan to calm it down. I've been really sick lately, though, so maybe it's just a part of whatever I have.
My heart goes RIGHT out to you. I had an incident last week where I woke up in the middle of the night with what I thought was RLS, I felt like I'd put my finger in a socket, and my whole body was twitchy, especially my legs. It was driving me NUTS; I would have done anything to make it stop.
For me, it turned out to be a reaction to an allergy pill I took that night that I normally don't take. I wonder if it's an adverse reaction to one of your meds? Check the side effects list on the medications you take.
Ugh - I've had occasional bouts of this off and on and it's awful. Luckily for me, it lasts a night or two so I can't even imagine how a week or longer would feel.
I've never heard of the soap thing. Interesting. I wonder why that would work? Did you try it?
Having experienced RLS is small doses and having HATED it, I would take any drug the doctor could subscribe to get rid of it.
Good luck and let us know how you're feeling.
Bumping this up because my RLS has been unbearable lately. Honestly, I'd have gone to the ER if I had insurance. I had excruciating pain yesterday that Vicodin, supplements, massage, showers, you name it wouldn't help.
So I tried to soap bar thing.
And would you fucking believe that it WORKS??!! I still have the unbearable urge to move my legs all the time, but boy, it completely took the pain away! The Vicodin seems to be helping with the moving urge.
This better go away soon. I've been in bed for 24 hours straight and it's nuts.
That's great! But why in the world would a bar of soap even register? Incredible.
Me again ( I just posted on P & M, lol).
I don't think the medical community understands the true PAIN behind RLS.
Sadly, the medical community has a very hard time grasping the concept of pain in people that do not show overt causes of their pain.
Don't back down. I finally got the meds and the treatment I needed by basically begging pleading. Ya, it was pathetic, actually. I told the MD I was desperate, that I had been through appts. like these before and that nobody will do anything. I told her my pain was taking a toll on my physical and mental well being as well as taking a toll financially. She referred me to a pain management specialist. He listened to me and for the first time in
my life, meds that had never been tried were prescribed and HELPED.
I was relieved and bitter at the same time. Relieved that the pain dropped to a 3-4 instead of an 8 and bitter because I had been living my life w/ this and something could have been done 15 yrs ago!
I am really, really sorry that you are going through this.
I always assumed RLS was a made up disease for pharmaceutical companies to sell more drugs. I know my legs get antsy every once in a while but I've always assumed it was because I had too much caffeine. I would think that many of our problems are because of our diet and rather than changing our diet, our doctors just give us more medicine.