I just happened to stumble upon this site, and am completely overwhelmed with the things I have been reading. My legs have been tensing up since I was a young child. I'm not sure if I may have RLS. I've read the symptoms and they seem to match what I've been feeling, but I thought it was just a "leg cramp" from lack of vitamins, like how you get in the pool sometimes. Except, my cramps last forever. I try to walk, jump up and down, straighten my foot out, massage it, but nothing seems to work. What triggers this? I have so many questions. Also, I read that my aches and pains and loss of words and spellings may be attributed to RLS. Is this true? I am feeling really overwhelmed right now, so if anyone could please respond with anything you have to say, I would really appreciate it.
Thank you,
Courtney
I am in complete shock right now...
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ViewsAskew
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Hi Courtney, glad you found us! Many people stumble here by accident and many of us are self-diagnosed. It's an incredible feeling when you find lots of other people like you and know you're not crazy, imagining things, or a hypochondriac.
There are four primary features of RLS: http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/rls/ and go to the education page. That's a good place to look to see if you think you might have it. After you look at it, you may better be able to judge if this is what you have.
On this site, I'd highly recommend starting in this thread:
http://beta.restlesslegs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=549
There are links there to another thread on this site with good links and to many useful websites.
This is truly the best place to start. There is so much information that none of us could begin to tell you everything! But these links in the two threads will provide info on how to treat it, what it is, how to help your doctor help you, why it's caused, etc. In the beginning, there is a lot to take in and it can be very overwhelming. When you've had a chance to read more, let us know. We love to talk about it
.
Ann
There are four primary features of RLS: http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/rls/ and go to the education page. That's a good place to look to see if you think you might have it. After you look at it, you may better be able to judge if this is what you have.
On this site, I'd highly recommend starting in this thread:
http://beta.restlesslegs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=549
There are links there to another thread on this site with good links and to many useful websites.
This is truly the best place to start. There is so much information that none of us could begin to tell you everything! But these links in the two threads will provide info on how to treat it, what it is, how to help your doctor help you, why it's caused, etc. In the beginning, there is a lot to take in and it can be very overwhelming. When you've had a chance to read more, let us know. We love to talk about it
.
Ann
Last edited by ViewsAskew on Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
Cortney, it's Jan
I'm so sorry if you read some of my recent posts and they made you feel more hopeless. I don't want anyone else to feel that way. Please forgive me.
Jan
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
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ViewsAskew
- Moderator
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- Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
- Location: Los Angeles
HEY! I didn't realize what that link was for until I went now that Ann corrected the URL!!
JOHNS HOPKINS is studying RLS! Now THAT's impressive!!!! Don't know what all they're finding out, though I looked at the subjects of their studies. But RLS must not be such a "minor inconvenience" as some of the doctors and others seem to think if Johns Hopkins has a research /treatment section for it.
I know I'm easy, but that really made my evening.
Take care, everybody!
Sara
JOHNS HOPKINS is studying RLS! Now THAT's impressive!!!! Don't know what all they're finding out, though I looked at the subjects of their studies. But RLS must not be such a "minor inconvenience" as some of the doctors and others seem to think if Johns Hopkins has a research /treatment section for it.
I know I'm easy, but that really made my evening.
Take care, everybody!
Sara