I am brand new to this site, and im happy to know there are people out there as concerned as i am.
I am 21 years old, and i was diagnosed with fibromlyalgia at 17. It wasn't untill about 2 years ago that i started showing symptoms of RLS. It started out as an annoying feeling that i couldn't describe, and everyone i talked to about it had no idea what i was talking about. After extensive research on fibromyalgia, i learned about RLS. Some researchers say there is some kind of link between the two, but at that time i wasn't sure if RLS was what i had, because the symptoms that were listed didn't match mine. I then saw a doctor and told him about my new problem, and was them diagnosed with RLS.
Now, two years later, my symptoms have gotten to the point where i can no longer handle them, and i am constantly, 24 hours a day, trying to deal with them. I don't have medical insurance, and i'm tired of spending money on the wrong doctors who can't help me. I wan't to know what kind of doctor i should see, and in the mean time what i can do to relieve some of the symptoms.
I was born with a birth defect in my skeletal system. The knob that sticks out of my lowest vertabre is fused to my hip bone, pulling my back to the left side, and causing sculiosis. As i grew, this became more of a problem, because my right leg is about 2 inches taller than my left. Wearing a lift on my left side will complicate the problem even further, and force me to lean farther on the wrong side. As a result of this defect, my L4 vertabre is herniated, and my L3 and L5 are buldging, and will probablly herniate at some time in my life.
I know that these back problems cause extensive pain in the legs, and i am wondering if this can cause RLS. Or, could it be the combo of fibromyalgia, and the herniated disks??
My last question is, i've recently heard there is some new medication out specifically for RLS. I want to know if it is successfull, and if there is some other alternative for my pain meds, because so far, they are the only thing that has worked for me.
Anyways, sorry for the length of my letter, if anyone can give me some info about this stuff, it would really help. Thanks a bunch,
- Kristina B.