New here with alot of questions

[Valkyrie]

Hi, I just found this site. I have been suffering rls since a car accident 4 yrs ago. Its good to see ppl are finally taking this seriously. I'm honestly not sure that it is rls that I have, though I was diagnosed by a neurologist. Some medication such as Mirapex, Sinimet, and vicodan do help. I read here that some ppl feel the need to "kick" their legs. My legs kick completely involuntaraly. I wish sometimes I could cut them off. I have gone up to 5 days with no sleep and an 72 hrs without any now.

Reading other posts here I'm not sure if this is what I have or not. All I know is that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. I would not wish it on the person who was laughing at the fact that this IS a desease in another post. I would not wish it upon the chiropractor that laughed in my face when I told him what I had. I'm just sick of not sleeping. Hopefully getting this off my chest will let me get 15 minutes sleep tonight. I'm actually considering getting drunk until I passout just to be able to lie down for a night.

I am completely out of medication until tuesday. Is there anything I can buy in a health food store or something? I don't care what it costs. Thanks for listening.....

[becat]

Hi Val,
Well, I'm glad you found this place. I'm no medical expert, just lived with RLS all my life. Don't know if your doc is right or not, but seems that if the Mirapex and Sinemet help, it's a good indication that RLS could be the answer. I know that some docs give a trial period of this medication as a way to diagnose RLS. Has the doctor ever mentioned PMLD (Periodic Limb Movement Disorder) you may have some of these symptoms as well. Tons of RLSers have both.
Your going to find some help within the NON-Pharm Thread. I will tell you that hot baths and massage may help until Tues..
Everyone is the same here, in that our symptoms seem to be overall different. As are the treatments that help. No, we won't wish this on anyone else either.Although, I've had it all my life, I like you have an accident, some 10 yrs. ago now. It left me in a severe state of RLS. I wanted to tell you that not to give up on finding a good treatment. If Mirapex or Sinemet work that is great.
Your true best defense is to be educated. This wasy if treatment needs to be changed up you'll have an idea how best for you to go about it.
I hope you get tons from the reading here. There is so much information to go through, but worth it.
Let us know how things are going. Glad you found us.

[lyndarae]

Hey Val, Boy have I been where you are!!!! No sleep for months and months.....I was about to go crazy and then I found this forum, instead of pacing all night I started reading every thing I could before I know it the sun is comming up.That was in July, today I know Im not alone in this deal Ive ben dealt and that I have people I can talk to who understand and pick me up when Im down. Getting drunk might put you out for a couple of hours but you will feel twice as bad when you wake up,,,,trust me on this one.I have been on mirapex about 6 months now and I have come to the conclusion that it is not working. So its back to the gatekeeper to fix me another cocktail!!!! I hope you stick around and something here will help you make it through those long nights WELCOME~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lyndarae

[Rubyslipper]

I am so sorry you are having such a bad time. There is a wonderful amount of information on this site and some wonderful people to talk to. You have a couple of days to learn as much as you can about RLS. You have to educate yourself as much as possible because so many health care professionals do not have a clue. Even the ones who do, aren't always up to date on what helps and what doesn't. Go well-armed with info and insist on being taken seriously. If that doctor isn't helpful, find another but don't go on without help. As Becat says, this is truly a case of trial and error. You will have to become your own guinea pig to find what works for you. Find your triggers, what makes your RLS worse. (Alcohol usually is one of them.) Keep a sleep diary and a day diary if needed that you can take to your doctor. If he/she sees that you are documenting your symptoms and can see for himself what you are going through, it helps. If you have a spouse/significant other who is willing to go with you and tell about how miserable you are, that lends more credibility to your problems. But whatever you do, DON"T GIVE UP!!! We are all here for you to vent to or to offer support. I don't know what I would do without my friends here. Keep us posted on your journey.

[ViewsAskew]

Val, I have both sensations: the need to move and the automatic movement. I think recently someone coined PMLW to stand for periodic limb movements while awake. I definitely have these. My legs will actually buckle if I am standing the the muscles contract and "kick". I find that the automatic movement has increased over time - used to be I only had the sensation that I had to get rid of.

All those that have replied have had good things to say. It's different for everyone. Treatment is different for everyone. No one experiences it quite the same way. Doesn't mean that your doc is right, but keep reading and see what you think.

Hope all of these posts helps some.

Ann