Okay, who else do you talk to about this at 1:20 in the morning? No one else is up...
For YEARS, I've had this really... weird... thing happen to me. Often times when I'm tired, and in a place where I have to sit still... lectures, meetings, planes... I get this really.. uncomfortable feeling in my arms. It's hard to describe... restless, uncomfortable, and accompanied by a sudden NEED to move my arms. I get all squirmy and weird... The second I stop moving them, the strange discomfort returns.
The worst I EVER had was on my plane trip to Ireland, I took two extra-strength Gravol (anti-nausea medication) to knock myself out, and instead of falling asleep, I sat there awake, squished in a window seat with two people blocking me in. My arms started bothering me, with that HORRIBLE discomfort, worse than I'd experienced it in ages.
Honestly? I just thought I was nuts.
But I was describing it to someone at work tonight and she was like, "Oh yeah, I get that. Only in my legs. It's called 'Restless Leg Syndrome.'" So I looked it up? Omigod. That's EXACTLY what I have. EXACTLY.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS, Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome, or sometimes, but inaccurately, referred to as Nocturnal myoclonus) is a condition that is characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations. It most commonly affects the legs, but can also affect the arms or torso. Moving the affected body part modulates the sensations, providing temporary relief. RLS causes a sensation in the legs or arms that can most closely be compared to a burning, itching, or tickling sensation in the muscles.[
It says that people usually stop the symptoms by standing up, walking, or exercising (I often left lectures right in the middle to relieve the weird discomfort, because as soon as I walked I was fine...)... and get this. It says that anti-nausea medications can make it worse. That time in the plane when I was hyped up on Gravol... crazy.
It's kinda nice to know that I'm not just insane...
My sister has restless leg syndrome. It used to bother her sooo badly at night & she would have a terrible time sleeping. You're not crazy - don't worry!
Are you doing your exercises to help alleviate it?
Last edited by Chance0421; 12-07-2008 at 01:31 AM.
Lol, what exercises?
I don't get it all that often, thankfully, it only happens to me occasionally. I was thinking about it the other night tho, thinking about whether it'll happen to me or not on the plane to Ireland... definitely won't be taking Gravol...
Any type of inactivity involving sitting or lying—reading a book, a plane ride, watching TV or a movie, taking a nap—can trigger the sensations and urge to move. This depends on several factors: the severity of the person’s RLS, the degree of restfulness, the duration of the inactivity, etc.
Lol, apparently you have to take iron supplements if you have low iron, cause that can be a cause... or if it's super serious to the point where it affects your sleep/functioning, you can get prescription meds... hopefully it doesn't come to that, lol. Apparently it gets worse as you get older. Wheeee.
Ughhh I tooootally get this is my legs occasionally. It's incredibly uncomfortable and I get so frustrated! I have a lardo-kitty that likes to lay on my legs, and I can't really move with him on em. But when he DOES move, all that not-moving causes my leg(s) to want to move for forever! (Did that make sense? Haha!)
But yeah, it happened just a couple of nights ago! But only to my left leg...it was soooo late, and I was exhausted but dumb lefty decided to spazz out...I feel your pain!!
I don't have the restless legs syndrome, but I do get the myoclonic jerks. HATE them. It's like a hiccup, but in your leg or arm, when you're half asleep, and with a nice (read NOT) electric shock feeling. I had a boyfriend once who was really freaked out by it.
I don't have the restless legs syndrome, but I do get the myoclonic jerks. HATE them. It's like a hiccup, but in your leg or arm, when you're half asleep, and with a nice (read NOT) electric shock feeling. I had a boyfriend once who was really freaked out by it.
Ugh! I hate those!!!!! You're all comfy down in your bed drifting off and WHAM you are zapped back awake! So maddening!
J, I'm sorry you have to suffer with this! I think that if it's that bothersome, you really should consider Mirapex. It's really effective, especially if it's hindering your ability to attend lectures!
The second thing that came to my mind is Multiple Sclerosis. Now, I'm not being an alarmist, or diagnosing you, or trying to scare you, but I really think that MS goes undiagnosed too often in young women (it's very common in our age catagory) and considering the degenerative nature of MS, catching it and treating it as early as possible is paramount. The diagnostic criteria is truely based on symptoms and abnormal MRI findings.
Anyways, hope your trip to Ireland is okay, I'd see if your doc would give you an Ativan.
LOL, MS. I d'nno. I'm the opposite of an alarmist, but if you'd just said something like that to my boyfriend, the hypochondriac, you would've set off a panic attack in him like there's no tomorrow.
I'm not concerned, really, about it being anything more serious that RLS. And it happens to me like.. twice a month recently, not daily. If it gets more serious, I will hit up a doctor, but I doubt it's symptomatic of anything more serious.
Actually, they say a lot that it can be caused by iron deficiency, and that's probably the case with me, lol... I definitely don't get enough iron in my diet, but I know that iron overloading (hemochromatosis) can be a pretty serious condition from taking in TOO much iron, so I might get my ferritin levels tested at some point before I decide to take iron supplements.
I don't have the restless legs syndrome, but I do get the myoclonic jerks. HATE them. It's like a hiccup, but in your leg or arm, when you're half asleep, and with a nice (read NOT) electric shock feeling. I had a boyfriend once who was really freaked out by it.
Oooh, yes, I have that too! For me they are always accompanied by a feeling like I'm falling backwards... into a ravine or something. Not the best way to wake up . I've seen guys that have those jerks always when falling asleep and waking up. And they don't even notice them. They were really surprised when I told them about it.
Your problem sounds really irritating Jelbb . I can imagine it really irks you, especially on a plane travel like that. IMHO it doesn't sound like anything more serious than restless legs, but that is nasty enough in itself! I believe there is some medication for it, but that has all kinds of side effects, and if you don't have it that often it's probably not even worth the trouble.
I've got rls and plm (periodic limb movement - basically I thrash around in my sleep), and am on mirapex for it at bedtime - definitely helps alot.
I also get muscle cramps, especially in my calves and feet, because I tend towards nutritional imbalances (doctors can't understand it, because I do eat a varied diet and take a multi-vitamin - though I read recently that unexplained nutritional defficiencies can be genetic and/or tied to grain/gluten sensitivities - not sure if it's true, but it's interesting). I've had Vitamin D, sodium (very rare) and calcium and potassium deficiency issues.
The calcium, potassium, and sodium deficiencies (all at different times) each caused leg cramps, especially at night.
REALLY Off-Topic: Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome
Apparently it gets worse as you get older. Wheeee.
