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Muscles & Bones
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HELP! Feel the need to stretch every muscle.

CarolinaSal
CarolinaSal
I've heard of Restless Leg Syndrome and have had it 3 or 4 times in my life but over the last 2 days every muscle in my body feels like it needs to stretch. Doesnt matter if I'm sitting at the computer, on the couch, standing in the kitchen or here at work.

Sunday night was the worst. Every time I started to drift off to sleep I felt this incredible urge to stretch out, to move my arms/legs. I was too hot, then too cold. I tossed and turned and finally got up and watched some TV on the couch. Even tried to sleep there...nothing doing. I ended up falling asleep about 30 mins before my alarm went off. I had to call in to work....I knew I'd never make a whole day.

Finally last night I was able to get to sleep after taking 1 Tylenol PM and 1 1/2 Xanax. But now this morning I'm so tired!! I dozed off a couple of times driving to work (45 min ride) and here at my desk I'm having a hell of a time staying away! And STILL my legs, arms and shoulders feel like I need to stretch them. Does anyone else get this? Is there anything at all that I can do or take to help it??? It's driving me crazy! Seriously, I need some advice!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have that at least twice a month. It makes me feel ill to my stomach cause I know I will be getting no rest. I have learned to let it ride. My doc has no idea what to do for it. Nothing helps me to fall asleep when it happens. I learned I am just wasteing meds when I'm like that. I wish I had an answer for u. I hope knowing that someone else does this will give u peace of mind. An please be careful driving home from work.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have restless everything occasionally, too. One thing I've noticed is that it's worst when I have done a lot of calcium (I can't take suppliments without dire effects) and not enough vitamin C. According to some reading I did (a while ago, so I don't remember the link) there is some association between fibro, RLS, and calcium absorption.

When the creepy crawly muscles get me (or sometimes the muscle cramps) I go for cranberry and orange juice. It seems to help a lot. And even if it does't help, it can't hurt right? (unless you're like me and too much citric acid gives you migranes... But I get so sick of apple and cranberry juice, which are the only "safe" seats)
deleted_user
deleted_user
Good Post - Interested in the answers as well since I too experience this (quite frequently actually).
Cindihdlady
Cindihdlady
I too get the creepy crawly feeling in my arms and legs once in awhile and I have figured out that it happens when I take a larger amount of muscle relaxers.
I don't know if anyone else has had this happened from the mr but I know that is a prime time for the creepy crawlies to come for me.
I really watch now when I am having a bad time with pain that I do not take too much of the muscle relaxers.
Best wishes to you!!
Cindi
deleted_user
deleted_user
@Cindi... What muscle relaxer do you take?
maddiesgrammie
maddiesgrammie
i have experienced the need to strecth my arms and legs.i have stretched,i forced myself to do it.wont do that again.caused to much pain.so my body stays in a stiff,tight mode.maddie.i so wish i could exericise,but the slighest moves is pure torture on my body.maddie.
stranded
stranded
I always feel stiff and I constantly am stretching my legs and my arms and neck. I do it all the time sometimes. It drives me crazy also. Does anyone feel like they itch all over all the time. I actually feel like I have bugs crawling on me. In my hair on my legs and arms. I know part of is my dry skin but oh this wish worse than the stretching. I know some meds can do this.I think I need to check side affects of mine again.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Stranded - I too have the feeling of bugs crawling on me (not all the time but several times a day) and it'll turn out being something like clothing lightly brushing across my skin or my hair on my neck or face or the wind - I have seen other posts that others experience this too - I think it's just really sensitive skin - Like our nerves are hyper-aware or something...
deleted_user
deleted_user
Yes, I ex[erienced the need to strtch feeling. My doctor prescribed Flexeril, works lie a charm! My doctor is very good!
maddiesgrammie
maddiesgrammie
i was never an itchy person,about 3 mths.ago my back started itching bad.since then my legs and especially around my ankles.my dr gave me a script for itching.when i was a kid if i ran or got cold when i wore shorts,i would claw my legs up because the itching was so bad.maddie.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I just went to my dr. due to itching from unexplained hives when hot, stressed or nervous. Now have been getting blood blisters on the backs of my hands for no reason. I am always brushing away what feels like a "hair" or "thread" on my arm or face or nose or something. He said I have dermatographism. sp? I looked at it, he showed me with a tongue depresser on my stomach. Lightly traced my initials across me and within minutes I had raised patches of hives in the letters of my initials. Lasted a couple of hours. he put me on predinison, which has made me feel great, but horrific psychological effects! Beware! I use Caladryl lotion and that seems to help along with benadryl, but it makes me even sleepier than I normally am.
WhiteDolphin
WhiteDolphin
I go through this almost every night!
akr965
akr965
I go through this every night. Sometimes worse than others but there nonetheless. My Dr believes it is what is called restless leg syndrome but she gave it another name of which I can't recall.
I am on ropinirole and a low dose at that so if need be I can increase the dose. Part of the problem for me is that I want to believe this won't happen EVERY night so I don't take meds to prevent but only to treat the symptoms and by that time I have started stretching so much that the cramps start.
I also take a muscle relaxer and low dose pain meds when it gets really bad.
I am not happy anyone goes through this but I have been looking for answers and others for a few years and it does make me feel not so alone. :(
Pollybizz
Pollybizz
Unusual, odd but it works for me...bar of ivory soap between the bottom sheet and mattress. You can google it, others say it works, no one knows why but for under a dollar for a bar of soap, its cheaper than another script.

the other thing that works for hubby is drinking tonic water, has quinine in it and i also use a spray from Botanic choice, smells like cinnamon and it quiets my legs quite effectively. Called bend free. Just a couple of suggestions, hope one of them works
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have this pretty much every day. And the bugs feeling too. (although the bugs has started to go away since I started Lyrica)

My hands and arms also feel very weak when this happens. I often feel like I want to be put into a stretching machine like they used to use in corporal punishment. This is a symptom I had as a child too. My sister used to pull the blankets off of me in the morning because she knew my limbs were too weak to pull them back. It was the most pathetic scene of tug of war ever.