Crazy legs now has a name..

[PaulG]

Hi, just found the site this morning. After another fitfull nights sleep and feeling so groggy the day ahead seems like a huge challenge rather than a day of expectation.

I'm a 51 yr old male, married with 3 kids.(20,18,16) All of which still live at home....bless their little cotton socks.

Anyway, I just had a visit, for the first time, to the sleep lab at our hospital.
This was setup because of my complaint to my Dr. about extreme fatigue.

Now, Im a Hemophiliac with chronic active Hepititis C. I've been on a disability pension for over 10 years due to my medical condition. But the overwhelming main symptom I have is bone-numbing fatigue every day.

For the last 8 years or so, I've had this thing my wife and I have come to affectionatly call, "my crazy legs". Usually at night, I get these weird feelings in my legs...something like a dull ache, and mild shooting pains..Sometimes I shoot my legs out in a effort to some how rid them of the discomfort......this usually makes the kids laugh and my wife say, "Oh no, the crazy legs are back"..I make light of this, but its very, very uncomfortable and usually requires me to go to bed to find some sort of relief..

After falling asleep I usually wake in a hour or two and at times my legs are fidgeting about alot. Sometimes my wife has had to go sleep in the living room because of it.
She says most nights my feet and legs are constantly moving.
Because of this I think Im averaging about 4 hours sleep a night. I'll know more I guess when I hear the results of my sleep lab tests.

I have to nap through out the day, usually twice. I'm so tired at times I feel sick...claustrophobic in my own body.

Like others, I was relieved and shocked when I found out this is a huge problem with thousands of people....

I'm not sure what the Dr.'s can do for me.......But if I could start getting full nights sleep I know my quality of life would improve dramatically.

Is there hope.......?

Anyway, glad I found this site.

Take Care

[Sara]

Hi, Paul--

and welcome to the forums!

I think it's safe to say that there's definitely hope. I've had RLS most of my life, but am not being treated for it, yet. From what I know from hanging around with the nice folks here, though, a sleep study is a good first step. I'll be hoping for you to get the help you need. We've discussed here on the forums many times how seriously debilitating and potentially dangerous on-going lack of sleep can be!!!!

BTW, "crazy legs" seems to be a very common name for RLS. I didn't use that one, but I know plenty of others here who did! (Mine before I heard the real name was "my nighttime foot thingie". )

And I found it interesting that you're another person who retreats to bed for "relief" (at least some... better than trying to sit still in the evenings, right?) I have always been that way, though it took a little while for me to "put it all together" that that was the best move when my "foot thingie" was getting really bad. Many here to NOT find going to bed any relief at all, but my 13 year old son, my brother-in-law, and the friend who first happened to mention RLS to me, all are the same. For the four of us, fatigue exacerbates our symptoms, so the longer we struggle to stay up, the worse they get, and the more trouble we'll have getting to sleep when we actually try. ( I think that my grandfather used to also go to bed, or at least get fully stretched out in his recliner to help the symptoms, but he passed away before I realized he had it, too, or that it had a name.)

Anyway, you're in good company here. I'm sure others with more experience with treatment and meds and such will chime in with advice, welcome, etc. Best to you and your family.

Sara