new to forum

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:50 am

i'm new to this forum. i didn't even know that there were sites or groups for this disorder. i'm so glad i discovered it. anyway, i had my first run-in with "the tickles" when i was babysitting all night when i was 11. (i'm now 39) i was waiting for the parents to come home. they did at 6am. i remember sitting on their couch after i put the kids to sleep, and i was so sleepy. i kept having this sensation in my legs, but i figured it was happening because of the lack of sleep.
i'd like to know what causes it, since my dr. has not been any help. he said that there is nothing wrong, and that there is no physical reason why i would have this. all i know is if i could, i would like him to spend one night in my body. then maybe he'll see that there is something wrong.
it is a horrible, torturous disorder. i can't sleep, sit, or lay down often enough. when i do sleep, (during the day), my family gets mad at me for the "laziness".
so far, the only thing that has worked for me which i tried tonight for the first time, is i took a pair of long socks and tied them around the middle of my calves. so far it has helped, but is somewhat cutting off the circulation to my legs. at this point i don't even care if my legs turn blue and fall off. at least then it would be over and done with.
i have a few questions, if anyone could answer them, i would be greatful.

1. what causes rls
2. what can i tell my dr. to convince him it's not all in my head
3. if i can convince him, what meds should i ask him for.
4. is there some sort of otc cream or something i could rub on my legs so i can stop this.
thanks so much. cj

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Sat May 07, 2005 9:41 am

Dear CJ, you have a lot of questions and you've come to the right place. In the following message there are many, many links to help you learn all the answers. Unfortunately, it's not a short easy answer and you'll need to do a lot of reading to find out all you want to know.

http://beta.restlesslegs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=549

If you're up and restless, you can occupy some of your time with these links. And all of the old posts. Many of us come to the board and just dive into a category and read the posts.

We're all sorry you have this condition but are glad you found us.

Ann

squirmy · Post by **squirmy** » Wed May 11, 2005 12:46 pm

Welcome. You need to find a doctor that will prescribe some medicine for you. And yes, you must sleep during the day, it's the only time I feel like I really get any sleep. Read thru some past posts here, print stuff out for your family, you really need them to be more supportive. Keep a journal of your RLS symptoms and give it to the doctor. It most often takes a Neurologist to really know what is happening to you. I think it is related to the brain and the rest of the central nervous system. They think it has something to do with dopamine or the ability to absorb iron to the brain, from what I understand. I have taken Neurontin in the past, now taking Sinemet, both are anti-seizure meds used for epilepsy and parkinsons. It is very real and there is help out there, but hard to find from most docs. Hang in there and be aggressive with your doctors. Tell them everything and don't worry about them not taking it seriously, it only means they are ignorant, and you need to find a doctor who knows more. Tina