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Related Diseases

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 3:43 pm
by dogeyed
The website www.morehead.org has a very good and involved description of RLS and its related diseases and various treatments. It should help a lot of folks who have this MOST annoying problem. The exact address is:

http://www.morehead.org/wellconnected/000095.htm

As for me, I continue to believe I have a neurological component, and I am going to see a neurologist this Tuesday. I have posted elsewhere on this site, which others here have urged me to see one. I had read on here, too, that Neurontin has helped some folks with RLS, which makes sense if some have neuropathy also.

I am off ALL drugs I was taking for the last few years, which had included Zoloft, beta blockers, and I don't know what else. I only take a low-dose tranquilizer now, which I've taken for more than five years. When I dropped all my medicines, I began to feel very well emotionally, but my legs continued to hurt like mad. My family doctor was unhappy I had stopped my Zoloft. But she did prescribe some narcotic pain meds, which have rotten side effects, but do stop the pain just before I pass out.

Additionally, I found out very recently I have hypothyroidism. My thyroid readings have been up and down for years. When I visited the endocrinologist, he explained the symptoms I have in my legs are NOT likely from hypothyroidism. He said my leg symptoms sounded different and wants a report from my neurologist. I am now taking a terrible thyroid-replacement drug, which has ruined my general health and I have really gone round the bend mentally. Interesting, huh? I placed a call back to his office.

I did take statin drugs for a while, which was given to me for high lipids last year, which I had high lipids even before I had hypothyroid. They upset my stomach so I stopped those. But I since found out for people who have MS, a neurological disease I thought I had for a while, that statin drugs can give relief by reducing MS inflammation. So, I started those up for a while and felt much better. But my legs continued to hurt. As for the lipids, my thyroid doc said the thyroid meds would help reduce the lipids...but of course I had high lipids before the tests showed I had hypothyroid... My plans are to drop the thyroid meds and go back on the statins.

That's the extent of my knowledge of the relationship of RLS to other diseases. I hope the neurologist this coming week tells me what is going on.

Anyone Bitten by a Mosquito?

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 4:35 pm
by dogeyed
I am back again, but I have to go offline after this post...

It occurred to me to ask the question if anyone experienced illness from a mosquito bite, after which they began to limp and have leg aches? Mine started in 2001. It was a cool early fall afternoon, and I was trimming my dogwood tree. It began to rain, and I was tired, and I was getting bit by mosquitos and such. Finally I went inside. I have a terrible time with outdoor bugs biting me and having swelling from them. Anyhow, this particular time, I could not get out of bed for three days, had a stiff neck, leg aches. Then a couple weeks went by, and the legs aches and malaise came back again. They thought it was my thyroid.

Now it's three years later, and my legs aches have turned into spastic painful RLS... I wonder if there's a relationship between that fall afternoon in the rain and my legs? Anyone else have that kind of experience? GG

Re: Anyone Bitten by a Mosquito?

Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 8:24 am
by sardsy75
dogeyed wrote:I am back again, but I have to go offline after this post...

It occurred to me to ask the question if anyone experienced illness from a mosquito bite, after which they began to limp and have leg aches? Mine started in 2001. It was a cool early fall afternoon, and I was trimming my dogwood tree. It began to rain, and I was tired, and I was getting bit by mosquitos and such. Finally I went inside. I have a terrible time with outdoor bugs biting me and having swelling from them. Anyhow, this particular time, I could not get out of bed for three days, had a stiff neck, leg aches. Then a couple weeks went by, and the legs aches and malaise came back again. They thought it was my thyroid.

Now it's three years later, and my legs aches have turned into spastic painful RLS... I wonder if there's a relationship between that fall afternoon in the rain and my legs? Anyone else have that kind of experience? GG


Hi Dogeyed

As someone who lives in a sub-tropical part of Australia, the alarm bells immediately went off in my head as I read your post above :shock:

To me, your sypmtoms point straight to what we Aussies call "Ross River Fever", better known overseas as Dengue Fever - a mosquito born virus which causes flu-like symptoms including joint pain, fever, lethargy, and skin rashes. I know of two people personally who have contracted "Ross River" who have now developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

You need to see your doctor ASAP to get a blood test to confirm if this could be what you are suffering from.

Below are links to some information which you might find useful.

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-hea ... sriver.pdf
http://www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/healt ... /4430.html
http://www.medicineau.net.au/resources/ ... _fever.pdf

Take care of you!!

Lots of (((((HUGS)))))
Nadia