Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Hi,
I'm new to rls. I have been sleep deprived for over a week getting between 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hrs a night. I usually need 8-9 hours of sleep.
I'm schedualed to see a sleep specialist in 2 weeks, but wonder how I'll manage to function till then. I'm also bipolar so depression/anxiety
can come easily. Please advise.

Thank you,

Sleepless in NY

Welcome, edelman2. So sorry you are suffering. When did your symptoms start - recently?

Any changes in your medications? Many medications can worsen or cause RLS to start. Anything else new in your life?

My symptoms started about 2 weeks ago, I was put on Horizant and they disappeared for about a week and then came back with a vengence.
I would like to hear from others, how they manage their daily activities without getting enough sleep?

All my medications are the same, except for Horizant.

It seems no one manages their daily activities well, or with any kind of joy or pleasure, without enough sleep. Jay Leno, Mother Teresa, and Martha Stewart have all claimed to only need about four hours of sleep a night to feel good. Other than those three people, I haven't heard of anyone else that functions well on so little sleep. Nor do I know of any secrets for feeling good during the day even though I hardly slept at night.

I know Viewsaskew tried to determine what if anything changed for you in terms of medications, starting two weeks ago, and you stated that nothing did, but if that's the first time in your life that RLS has hit you, then you really need to look at a lot of things in your life that may have changed two weeks ago. I know prescription medications have not changed but what about over the counter medications? Antihistamines, antacids, melatonin can all trigger RLS in predisposed people. Also hormone fluctuations, a drop in your red blood count/iron, injury (especially to the spine), even a change in diet - especially eating more at night, can all trigger a bout of RLS. Has any other medical condition you may have flared two weeks ago? Is any of this you?

Nothing changed in my lifestyle, meds or health wise, no OTC meds, nor drop in iron levels, no injury. I do not eat after 5-6 pm, so I do not
see what could cause this agrevation of rls.