What is Restless Legs Syndrome
RLS may be described as uncontrollable urges to move the limbs in order to stop uncomfortable, painful or odd sensations in the body, most commonly in the legs. Moving the affected...
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I have ? - is there a definitve test for this?
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I just 6 mos ago finished a year round treatment of very harsh chemo like drugs....6 mos into tx I started having constant leg pains....I was told to wait for all the meds to clear my system and come back...which I did but still pain and no explanation as to why.
I was diagnosed as having osteoarthritis (mild and only in knees and hands) but other tests only show a bit of possible neuropathy...but not even close enough to warrant a visit to neurologist. So my primary care doc has tried and thought of everything and finally suggested I try meds for RLS....I'm afraid to take the meds as a guine pig guess cause doc admits she has no clue why my legs hurt. No sure of symptoms of RSL....I can't even explain clearly to doc how it feels...it is very random pain...sometimes from hip to ankles other times knees to ankles....my pain always is in both legs for some reason just diffrent parts of my legs it seems... sometimes when I've done nothing but rest and other times when I've been more active... Lately tho it seems more as if when I wake up I can't walk (only way I can think to explain is that the bones in my feet and legs feel bigger than the skin that surrounds them) after I walk around a bit it gets better. Other times tho it can just hurt the next day after day out walking, fishing, gardening or any other type physical activity...or even the same afternoon... Then again sometimes they just hurt out of the blue for no reason I can figure out..... I don't have any tingling or numbness which is major ? doc's ask...just a dull constant ache....it does keep me from sleeping w/o sleeping piil and does wake me up in the morning... I do know from my husband telling me that I have a strange tendency to pull my legs up in a bent position at night...but then again I also talk in my sleep so figured that was just part of my natural system... So my ? is does it sound even a bit like RLS enough for me to take the 2 week sample meds my doc gave me??? Just tired of taking meds that solve one problem but cause another...so any advice or suggestion are so very much appreciated. I apologize for my rambling....this is just the only site I've found that actually knew about RLS in a forum of people that actually live and learn to function with this....it is all unknown territory to me... Posted on 06/06/09, 04:06 am |
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Hi Ellie!
I'm sorry your legs hurt and you haven't been sleeping well. Your symptoms don't sound like what I've personally experienced. I get a very irritating (hard to describe) feeling in my legs that gives me a very strong urge to move them. I also have PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder) which is similar to rls. My legs and arms move involuntarily while I sleep causing me to wake up often. For me the RLS meds work for both. Your symptoms do sound more like PLMD is your husbands say you move you legs a lot. I 
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Sorry. I pushed reply too soon. I wanted to add that I hope this helps. Just so you know at low and moderate doses the RLS drugs I've tried didn't cause me any side effects.
Good luck!
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Thank you Moobert very much you have been very helpful...I seriously doubted that I had RLS too which is why I didn't take meds...
Other possibilites are fibromylgia as arms also hurt occasionally or some nerve damage due to chem. just thought I'd check and appreciate your advice.. Also so sorry that you afflected w/both of these painful problems and hope that the meds help relieve pain - also glad you arent havign bad sides... take care of yourself
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One thing I would be sure the doctor checks is pernicious anemia (b-12 deficiency). It can cause a variety of neurological symptoms (mine were cold back of hands and sore feet). I had it for 15 years before diagnosed, by then nerve damage was not reversable 100% my palms and soles still burn all the time. whether my RLS is separate or partially caused by B-12 def. is unknown but irrelevent now. Common cause of B-12 def.is stomach ulcers or other damage to the stomach where intrinsic factor (that takes b-12 from food and carries into the blood)is created. Like insulin for diabetics, taking B-12 orally doesnt help, it has to be either needle or nasal spray. Diagnosis is simple blood test for intrinsic factor.
I dont know, but could chemo damage the stomach enough to damage the intrinsic factor? good luck to you.
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