I am a student in my 1st year of university and have been making use of the professors there to ask about the "jolts of the limbs" late at night and the "urge to move" and they suggested it may be this, I never knew there was a name for it.
As a child I was very active, to the point of being obnoxious, I was in everyones face, running around, jumping on everyone.
I also remember numerous times from a very young age to the present, getting up after hours of lying in bed and cleaning my room, laying out clothes for the next week, or getting dressed in tomorrows clothes, just because I couldn't sit still. I also remember my grandmother telling me to eat lots of nuts because it would help my extreme, painful growing pains.
As I got older I found that when I was sitting around the house my legs would start to ache and were just painful, but it was not a muscle strain pain or anything, it was more internal more as they described here "the thousands of red ants crawling through your legs".
I would try to go to bed and it was just horrible. It was so painful and very weird. I would make small kicking jestures and it would feel better, but only for a little bit, and then I had to start kicking furiously almost like i was running in the bed until my legs felt utterly exhausted.
I have woken up my boyfriend many many times with enourmous jolts in my sleep that feel like i'm jumping a foot off the bed, sometimes its only one limb, others its my entire body and it actually wakes me up. I also get this when I am awake, I can be sitting on the couch and my arm will flex and jolt and I can watch it do this repeatedly.
Also since a very young age, whenever i pointed my toe foreward, I would get dehibilitating cramps that were almost impossible to un-curl, I remember have to use my hands to pull my foot straight and it was just so painful.
Recently, I have gone to bed, and have had to systematically flex each muscle I could think of about 40 times from head to toe before I could get to sleep. I have also gotten out of bed and gone for a jog in the middle of the night or done jumping jacks in my room.
I have never done any drugs, so I can't find any cause there, and the most serious prescription painkillers I have been on were Vioxx for a bad back(tilted and misaligned hip from horseback riding accident)
Does this sound like RLS to you? Is it possible that these symptoms could get worse? I am been dianosed with tennis elbow, chronic teeth grinding and arthritis,yet the blood test came back neg. they said it was progressed far enough yet, I get throbbing pains in my hands in specific joints that are just impossible to live with.
Is there anything else that happens as a result of RLS? This is just what I can remember, but if someone can tell me something else, then maybe I can see if that happened to me to.
Thanks for your help, Lisa
I think I'm in this too, can you help me?
Hello Lisa I'm Lyndarae, I'm by no means one of the experts in this forum! But yup it sure sounds like RLS to me. The best info I can give you is to read read read everything you can in the forum. There is so much info here you will find ansewers to everything. Welcome to our family, I know how you are feeling. I've had RLS all my life and I am 51(a young 51)LOL Many people will be responding to your post and you will get lots of help. The one thing I can tell you is you are not alone!!! Your not crazy, and there are things you can do to get some peace.~~~~~~ You are about to meet some good folks who will share their stuggles and joys with you. And help you with your questions. Sorry I'm not that helpful but I did what to welcome you and say hello~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lyndarae
HI, Lisa--
Lots of people here had similar problems as kids, "not being able to sit still"-- and some got in lots of trouble because of it. I think my mom has RLS, too, and she STILL wiggles and shifts and gets into all sorts of silly contorted positions, especially in the evening. She laughs that it's not a very dignified thing for a woman in her late 60s.
Foot cramps, yup. Not sure if it's RLS-related, but you'll notice that there's a new thread in this forum on the subject. So whatever the cause, you're not alone in it, anyway. Ditto on the growing pains. A number of us had them very badly.
Again, related or unrelated to RLS... I have tendonitis in my elbow, arthritis I'm pretty sure in hands, feet and wrists... especially this time of year when I'm out working in cold temps a lot. I feel your pain, literally!
Jerking limbs.... yup. I have less than some here. There's a term for that, but I get the initials all backwards. PLMD... something like that. A number of members have had really tough times with this while sleeping with spouses. And I know at least one member also does the "bicycling" you mentioned.
Sooooooooo... feel welcome, sounds like you're "one of the folks". I love it here because no one here thinks it's trivial that "your legs and feet feel jittery every night" like many people (including some doctors.) We all know better!!!!!!! We're all at different stages of this condition, using different strategies to combat it, so I think there's truly something for everyone. Wish NONE of us needed this group, but glad at least that we have eachother if we have to have RLS.
Take care-- Sara
Lots of people here had similar problems as kids, "not being able to sit still"-- and some got in lots of trouble because of it. I think my mom has RLS, too, and she STILL wiggles and shifts and gets into all sorts of silly contorted positions, especially in the evening. She laughs that it's not a very dignified thing for a woman in her late 60s.
Foot cramps, yup. Not sure if it's RLS-related, but you'll notice that there's a new thread in this forum on the subject. So whatever the cause, you're not alone in it, anyway. Ditto on the growing pains. A number of us had them very badly.
Again, related or unrelated to RLS... I have tendonitis in my elbow, arthritis I'm pretty sure in hands, feet and wrists... especially this time of year when I'm out working in cold temps a lot. I feel your pain, literally!
Jerking limbs.... yup. I have less than some here. There's a term for that, but I get the initials all backwards. PLMD... something like that. A number of members have had really tough times with this while sleeping with spouses. And I know at least one member also does the "bicycling" you mentioned.
Sooooooooo... feel welcome, sounds like you're "one of the folks". I love it here because no one here thinks it's trivial that "your legs and feet feel jittery every night" like many people (including some doctors.) We all know better!!!!!!! We're all at different stages of this condition, using different strategies to combat it, so I think there's truly something for everyone. Wish NONE of us needed this group, but glad at least that we have eachother if we have to have RLS.
Take care-- Sara
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Rubyslipper
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:53 am
- Location: Missouri
I'm very glad you found us. As my other friends have said, there is good information on the board, just take time to look at the different threads. We are always here for you. I don't think I understood you on one thing. Did you mean that you had blood tests done to see if you had RLS? There aren't any positive proof test for RLS. That's part of the reason that many in the medical profession brush us off. It's mainly based on symptoms and it sure sounds like you have them all. A sleep study can verify what you already know, you jerk and kick all night long. But it can also tell you other things. Find a doctor that is willing to learn along with you. Keep looking until you find one. It's taken me 5 years and 5 doctors to get mine partly under control. But don't find that discouraging. I had no idea what was wrong and has been wrong for most of my life. At least you have a handle on it. Go with it and let us know how we can help.
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