Anyone have any experience with Restless Leg?

[abrannan]

So, this isn't necessarily DDR or exercise related, but I want to know if anyone else out there has any experience with Restless Leg Syndrome. I've had it in a fairly benign way over the past 6-8 months or so, usually just a creepy-crawly feeling in my legs when I try to go to sleep. Occasionally, my legs will twitch on their own to "shake" off a particular feeling. Overall, it hasn't been bad, aside from delaying me falling asleep a few nights here and there.


Until last night.


Last night, at about 4:00am, I woke up crying out in pain, as my left calf had completely cramped up. The entire length was locked up tight and excruciatingly painful. Once awake, I was able to massage it a bit and get it to relax some, but it's sore as hell today. Now, I don't know for sure that it's RLS, and I'm going to wait for another symptom or outbreak of this magnitude before I see a doctor (comment on the foolishness of that all you want, but it's my Software Engineer nature*), but I was wondering if any other GUMers out there have any RLS stories to share to give me a feel for how bad my case is or isn't.




* Explanation by way of a joke: A Mechanical Engineer, an Electrical Engineer, and a Software Engineer are riding down a hill in a car. Suddenly the brakes go out and the car speeds out of control. After a few tense minutes, they're able to steer the car into a field and coast to a stop. Immediately, the Mechanical Engineer gets out of the car and begins inspecting the brake lines, the rotors, etc while the Electrical Engineer starts checking the wiring. The Software Engineer gets out of the car, looks around a bit, and turns to the other two. "Let's push it back up the hill and see if it happens again."

[xstatic]

Well...I wouldn't say I have RLS, but I did have incidents where I would do some sort of huge yawn/stretch in my sleep which twice resulted in exsasporating pain via charlie horse in my calf...this too had me on the ground yowling in pain. After a few of those, my body stopped it's stretch/yawn routeine.

[The Charming Canuck]

That does sound like a charlie horse. I got those when I was pregnant, which is kind of wierd but I haven't gotten one since. However I have gotten that twitchy leg feeling, I had it last night after I got done playing I got ready for bed and it was bugging me, but I can live with that.

[xstatic]

probably just a muscle spazm.

[Spooty Biscuit]

I had something like that happen to me a few times before. After I got back from China (I was waaay sleep deprived if that has anything to do with it), I was sleeping and just suddenly woke up with my leg completely cramped up. VERY painful, but it only happened the first few days after I got back from China. It's been fine since then (6 months ago).

Fact is though, I know nothing about RLS.

[mizpriz]

I have restless leg every once in a while, and when I was pregnant I got it allllll the time. Just miserable! I don't know if the leg cramps are related though. Could have just been an isolated incident. I had a leg cramp at night only once when I was a teenager, and man it hurt. I get toe cramps often though if I'm swimming or bend my toe a certain way.

I had to laugh at your joke because my husband also is a software engineer. You guys definitely are your own breed, but I just love the nerdy type!

[adeliecp]

I told that joke to my boyfriend just now...he said that "it makes sense because you have to isolate problems on a determinant basis"

Well, at least I think that's what he said...

[xstatic]

mizpriz said:

I had to laugh at your joke because my husband also is a software engineer.)

*also relates.

My goodness....Lots of Software Engineers, or significant others of, on this board, isn't there? I am amused.

[mizpriz]

adeliecp said:

I told that joke to my boyfriend just now...he said that "it makes sense because you have to isolate problems on a determinant basis"

I just told my husband what your boyfriend said and he said, "Yeah, that's true." Argh, whatever, I don't understand half of what my hubby says anyway. ;D

[breakarobot]

Ive had that same thing.
Woke up in the middle of the night with my leg all cramped. And after that night I'd feel my leg tense up a lot at night so I was so afraid to even move my leg haha. Or atleast when you point your toe and you use your bottom legs.

It eventually went away though.

I figured it was just a Muscle Spazm

[cornmann51]

Hey, my mom had restless leg syndrome, she started taking vitamins with grape seed extract in them (provex cv), she hasn't had a problem since!

[cornmann51]

if for some reason it isn't RLS, eat more bananas. I use to get leg cramps like that nightly during football season in high school. so i went to the school trainer and he recommended eating more banannas... didn't have another cramp like that again!

[abrannan]

Haven't had any more nighttime cramps, but I do still get a little RLS from time to time. Annoying, but not exceedingly so.

[cykoe]

Although I'm pretty sure it's not RLS, I do notice that during the day if I am standing still, I have the tendancy to just sit there and move my legs (only when I am standing though). I will be talking to a friend and not even realize I am sitting there moving my legs left, right,left, right, over and over again. I honostly never even noticed until a friend of mine goes "hey, will you friggen sit still for a second so I can talk to ya?"

[havix]

I have Sleep Apnea. I stop breathing while I sleep...

But my doctor suggested a sleep study, they hook you up to all sorts of machines and tell you to sleep (I would ask your doctor for some Ambien Cr to help you sleep during the study). That's what I had to go through, since I didnt sleep at all the first night, I had to go back, thats where the ambien helped, a little ><

[abrannan]

Wouldn't the Ambien mess with the results of the study? I realize that it's difficult for many people to fall asleep, on their backs, in a strange place, while hooked up to all kinds of machinery, but wouldn't a sleep aid alter how you sleep? Probably not for an apnea diagnosis, though.

My sister did a sleep study where they determined she had a mild form of narcolepsy. Basically, it's supposed to take anywhere from 10-20 minutes for you to officially fall asleep once your head hits the pillow. She was taking about 15 seconds.

[havix]

Actually, the Ambien just helps you get to sleep, my doctor actually recommended the Ambien because I didn't sleep at all.

For me usually, it takes 1-2 hours to fall asleep once my head hits the pillow. I think I also have a small case of insomnia =(

[kikome]

Does your sister fall asleep unexpectedly during the day? If not, it's hard to believe she has narcolepsy, as per what I learned at school some years ago.

RLS is a common disorder that often occurs just before falling asleep. Treatment is complicated.

What woke you up at night is most likely nocturnal leg cramps. Calcium or potassium supplements may help. Or try quinine if they don't work.

I laughed at your joke hard, because my husband is a software engineer and one of his cousin is an E.E. I wish I had discovered your site sooner.

I work diligently and painfully on 8-footers. Amano gave me a lot of kind words when I was very frustrated. I hope I can make it before I lose hope.

[jeans]

When I get a big cramp in my leg, I hold it out straight and flex my toes towards the body and that seems to relieve it quick. I also have a banana for breakfast and then I feel much better!

[tankers]

Well that doesn't sound so much like RLS as opposed to just a cramp.

I tend to get a lot more leg cramps at night if I don't drink enough water. When I do get cramps, I leap out of bed and walk around, which seems to help the most for me.

Anybody know if chronic leg cramps damage things or are symptoms for more serious conditions?