I was wondering if someone had statistics on the ratio between women and men who are diagnosed with RLS?
A few years ago I was reading up on fibromyalgia (thinking I had it) and discovered that it was more common with women than with men.
So along that lines, I have been browsing the forums here and notice a LOT of women who post here, more so than men, and I am curious if RLS is more common with women.
Are there any support group sites for men who suffer from RLS that anyone can share?
Men and Women RLS Ratio
Men and Women RLS Ratio
"War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over." -- William Tecumseh Sherman
http://www.uscivilwaronline.com
http://www.uscivilwaronline.com
Hi Notch ,
Yes, according to the lastest news from the National meeting and a poll done last year..........looks like women make up 2/3 of all RLSers.
Now, doctors are still trying to find out why, but in reading around this board and others, my guess is the all mighty "monthly joy" (Ha ha ha ) that women enjoy, may be the cause for the higher numbers. Since RLS seems to be an issue of dopamine and iron, it seems to me that going through the chemical ups and downs upsets our balance more.
I haven't heard of an all men's group, but we like men here and yo0ur certainly welcome to be here.
Besides we need the guys here to, post as much as you like and where you like.
WAM sings us songs when he doesn't know what to say! LOL
Yes, according to the lastest news from the National meeting and a poll done last year..........looks like women make up 2/3 of all RLSers.
Now, doctors are still trying to find out why, but in reading around this board and others, my guess is the all mighty "monthly joy" (Ha ha ha ) that women enjoy, may be the cause for the higher numbers. Since RLS seems to be an issue of dopamine and iron, it seems to me that going through the chemical ups and downs upsets our balance more.
I haven't heard of an all men's group, but we like men here and yo0ur certainly welcome to be here.
Besides we need the guys here to, post as much as you like and where you like.
WAM sings us songs when he doesn't know what to say! LOL
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Walking After Midnight
- Posts: 649
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- Location: Portage, Indiana
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All right, no song today.
Besides, he's from the Ozarks, he'd rather hear some Flatt and Skruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".
(Oh boy, nothing like putting a stereotype on a new member right off the bat.)
Anyway...forget all that.
Notch, I was wondering the same thing myself.
I've worked three doubles in the last 2 weeks and I gotta tell you, I'm stiff as a board. My entire body just wants to rebel everytime I get up out of bed or out of a chair. Muscles ache, hands, feet. My Dr. has mentioned FibroMyalgia a time or two to me but I'm trying to forget he said that, it's not an official diagnosis, plus the Restless Leg. It seems like I'm getting all these "Girly" afflictions.
Don't take that the wrong way, I have nothing but respect and admiration (dig dig) for these women who are dealing with RLS, PLMDS, Fibro plus all that female stuff they go through, I was just saying it seemed like it's much more prevalent in women.
So Notch...welcome. I've been here about a year maybe and have really enjoyed being a part of this group.
Besides, he's from the Ozarks, he'd rather hear some Flatt and Skruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".
(Oh boy, nothing like putting a stereotype on a new member right off the bat.)
Anyway...forget all that.
Notch, I was wondering the same thing myself.
I've worked three doubles in the last 2 weeks and I gotta tell you, I'm stiff as a board. My entire body just wants to rebel everytime I get up out of bed or out of a chair. Muscles ache, hands, feet. My Dr. has mentioned FibroMyalgia a time or two to me but I'm trying to forget he said that, it's not an official diagnosis, plus the Restless Leg. It seems like I'm getting all these "Girly" afflictions.
Don't take that the wrong way, I have nothing but respect and admiration (dig dig) for these women who are dealing with RLS, PLMDS, Fibro plus all that female stuff they go through, I was just saying it seemed like it's much more prevalent in women.
So Notch...welcome. I've been here about a year maybe and have really enjoyed being a part of this group.
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ViewsAskew
- Moderator
- Posts: 16580
- Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
- Location: Los Angeles
You know, I'm just not sure that these statistics are right. . .I think it's more accepted for women to complain that it is for men. And how many men want to admit to "girly" afflictions with names like restless legs????? Geeez, at least give it a manly sounding name like Hairy Virile Testerosa and then men won't mind!!!
Seriously, in those of us with family that "admit" to having it, what is the ratio? I'll list my family members and you can count with me: Josephine, Tom, Cliff, Judi, Ann, Kate, Jim. Kate's and Cliff's kids are so far free, but Cliff recently mentioned the Kevin may have it. Unfortunately, I don't know any of my grandmother's family well enough to know if her half-brother's children have it.
So, if I count those correctly, I get four women and three men. BUT, it is EVERY child of my grandmother and EVERY child of my mother. If my mom had had another boy, he'd probably have it too! And my sister only had girls, so that will skew if it they get it, but not because girls get it more.
Of course, this is just my family and not significant in any way, well, except to us
.
That said, Becat has a great point about hormones. Also, if the researchers are right, and ALL RLS has to do with iron, women always have more of a problem with anemia because of menses. And pregnancy contributes to a large portion of people who get RLS. . .last I checked, only women could get pregnant. Maybe if you remove the number of women who either had it during pregnancy, or "got" it during pregnancy, the amount would go closer to 50/50. My grandmother's RLS started with her first pregnacy and never went away. Maybe if she'd not had kids, she wouldn't have ever gotten it. Maybe once your ferritin drops to a certain point it triggers something that wouldn't have been triggered otherwise.
Isn't speculation fun???
Ann
Seriously, in those of us with family that "admit" to having it, what is the ratio? I'll list my family members and you can count with me: Josephine, Tom, Cliff, Judi, Ann, Kate, Jim. Kate's and Cliff's kids are so far free, but Cliff recently mentioned the Kevin may have it. Unfortunately, I don't know any of my grandmother's family well enough to know if her half-brother's children have it.
So, if I count those correctly, I get four women and three men. BUT, it is EVERY child of my grandmother and EVERY child of my mother. If my mom had had another boy, he'd probably have it too! And my sister only had girls, so that will skew if it they get it, but not because girls get it more.
Of course, this is just my family and not significant in any way, well, except to us
.
That said, Becat has a great point about hormones. Also, if the researchers are right, and ALL RLS has to do with iron, women always have more of a problem with anemia because of menses. And pregnancy contributes to a large portion of people who get RLS. . .last I checked, only women could get pregnant. Maybe if you remove the number of women who either had it during pregnancy, or "got" it during pregnancy, the amount would go closer to 50/50. My grandmother's RLS started with her first pregnacy and never went away. Maybe if she'd not had kids, she wouldn't have ever gotten it. Maybe once your ferritin drops to a certain point it triggers something that wouldn't have been triggered otherwise.
Isn't speculation fun???
Ann
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest
Managing Your RLS
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.
Managing Your RLS
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.
Hi WAM and Ann
I think both of your posts are very interesting. I wanted to add something.
I've been taking mental inventory of the people in my family who I KNOW have RLS. So far, I'm the only woman. I am fairly sure that my father had it, my brother suffers from RLS as well as one of his sons and my own son. Of course, they may be some who have it and I just haven't been told, or the subject never came up.
That being said, since low ferretin levels are a big culprit, I think Becat's "hormone connection" is certainly a good explanation for the fact that more women seem to have it than men.
Just my two cents worth.
Jan
I think both of your posts are very interesting. I wanted to add something.
I've been taking mental inventory of the people in my family who I KNOW have RLS. So far, I'm the only woman. I am fairly sure that my father had it, my brother suffers from RLS as well as one of his sons and my own son. Of course, they may be some who have it and I just haven't been told, or the subject never came up.
That being said, since low ferretin levels are a big culprit, I think Becat's "hormone connection" is certainly a good explanation for the fact that more women seem to have it than men.
Just my two cents worth.
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
Walking After Midnight wrote:All right, no song today.
Besides, he's from the Ozarks, he'd rather hear some Flatt and Skruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".
(Oh boy, nothing like putting a stereotype on a new member right off the bat.)
I dig all kinds of music, even Flatt and Skruggs, but I'll stick with the blues (grew up in the St Louis area)... Not all of us "Ozarkians" are hillbillies
Muscles ache, hands, feet. My Dr. has mentioned FibroMyalgia a time or two to me but I'm trying to forget he said that, it's not an official diagnosis, plus the Restless Leg. It seems like I'm getting all these "Girly" afflictions.
I honestly don't care if it is girly or not.. I'm pretty darn secure in my manhood to not worry about it.. I just would like a bit of relief!
As far as my family goes the only person I know who is afflicted with this is my mother...
"War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over." -- William Tecumseh Sherman
http://www.uscivilwaronline.com
http://www.uscivilwaronline.com
Good for you Notch!
Hey WAM and I like blues as well as blue grass, don't we WAM! Though there is an unknown group from the Ozarks Joe and Joe Not Related that do some mean Pink Floyd to bluegrass!
After my diagnosis and sitting down and discussing RLS with my children, my two sons and my daughter suffer from RLS to some degree. Jason suffered major spinal trauma which in turn increases his RLS problems. However his doctor has never suggested that he has RLS, but treats him for his spinal injury. As Jason has become more informed it will be interesting to hear what his doctor has to say when he presents him with the RLS questions.
It seems to me that RLS is not fully understood by members of the medical community and is not something that they readily identify in men or women.
All the drs I have seen believe that my "fibro" is a result of my inability to achieve restorative sleep. One doctor speculated that fibro is the result of genetic defects in the endrocrine system, so it would seem that men or women could be affected. It is just that, they don't really know.
And as I have learned Drs tend to make a gender based diagnosis based on what they are familiar with.
In the meantime, we have some musical talent here to keep us dancing those irish jigs, what better to do when the legs are jiggin' all ready!
Love Hazel
Hey WAM and I like blues as well as blue grass, don't we WAM! Though there is an unknown group from the Ozarks Joe and Joe Not Related that do some mean Pink Floyd to bluegrass!
After my diagnosis and sitting down and discussing RLS with my children, my two sons and my daughter suffer from RLS to some degree. Jason suffered major spinal trauma which in turn increases his RLS problems. However his doctor has never suggested that he has RLS, but treats him for his spinal injury. As Jason has become more informed it will be interesting to hear what his doctor has to say when he presents him with the RLS questions.
It seems to me that RLS is not fully understood by members of the medical community and is not something that they readily identify in men or women.
All the drs I have seen believe that my "fibro" is a result of my inability to achieve restorative sleep. One doctor speculated that fibro is the result of genetic defects in the endrocrine system, so it would seem that men or women could be affected. It is just that, they don't really know.
And as I have learned Drs tend to make a gender based diagnosis based on what they are familiar with.
In the meantime, we have some musical talent here to keep us dancing those irish jigs, what better to do when the legs are jiggin' all ready!
Love Hazel
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation.
Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell. --W H Auden
Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell. --W H Auden
Men vs women with RLS
I've had RLS most of my life I'm 72. My mother had it, I don't think my brother did. I have 3 sons and a daughter. All of them have it. The mere discussion of it during family gatherings makes it start with a couple of my boys.
men and women rls ratio
Hi Jiggyanne and welcome. I know rls can be very miserable. I am so sorry that all of your family has rls including yourself.
Go to the forum New to RLS "Managing RLS" there is an excellent article from the Mayo Clinic Algorithm. If you are seeing a dr now it would be great if you could copy this and bring it to him/her.
Also try reading alot of the old and new posts as there is so much info out there.
Are you taking any meds for it, and if so, are they helping?
Please keep us informed on how you are doing. You have found a great site. This group is very supportive and caring.
In case we do not talk before, I want to wish you and your family to have a very Merry Christmas.
Go to the forum New to RLS "Managing RLS" there is an excellent article from the Mayo Clinic Algorithm. If you are seeing a dr now it would be great if you could copy this and bring it to him/her.
Also try reading alot of the old and new posts as there is so much info out there.
Are you taking any meds for it, and if so, are they helping?
Please keep us informed on how you are doing. You have found a great site. This group is very supportive and caring.
In case we do not talk before, I want to wish you and your family to have a very Merry Christmas.
Charlene
Taking one day at a time
Taking one day at a time
Hi Charlene,
Yes, I am taking meds for RLS, apparently ALL the ones that everyone is taking. I didn't know that some of them would work on RLS. I take Vicodin for recent hip surgery and I thought that was helping. I also take Quinine Sulfate for legs cramps and that helps, too. Fortunately, I have a dr that's very sympathetic and is willing to try anything new on me. No sleeping pill works. I can get to sleep, it's the RLS that either prevents sleep or wakes me up. Thanks for the welcome. I've learned a lot already!
Yes, I am taking meds for RLS, apparently ALL the ones that everyone is taking. I didn't know that some of them would work on RLS. I take Vicodin for recent hip surgery and I thought that was helping. I also take Quinine Sulfate for legs cramps and that helps, too. Fortunately, I have a dr that's very sympathetic and is willing to try anything new on me. No sleeping pill works. I can get to sleep, it's the RLS that either prevents sleep or wakes me up. Thanks for the welcome. I've learned a lot already!
men and women rls ratio
Hi Jiggyanne. I am glad that I was able to help you.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing. It is also good to hear that you have a dr that is sympathic and wiling to try anything.
Hope that you have a restful evening. Please take care of yourself. We do care. We are one huge family and take care of each other.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing. It is also good to hear that you have a dr that is sympathic and wiling to try anything.
Hope that you have a restful evening. Please take care of yourself. We do care. We are one huge family and take care of each other.
Charlene
Taking one day at a time
Taking one day at a time
Welcome Anne. Do you take any other meds for RLS besides Quinine? I think that drug has a short half-life of only 3 hours and maybe that's why you wake up after that? Have you tried the dopamine drugs? (see link in my signature)
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I agree that RLS is more common in women from what Ann and Lynne said plus some studies lean in that direction. Of course, women live longer then men so that will account for some increase in the female gender ratio.
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I agree that RLS is more common in women from what Ann and Lynne said plus some studies lean in that direction. Of course, women live longer then men so that will account for some increase in the female gender ratio.
Hey Notch! Don't let them knock you too hard for being from the Ozarks of Missouri. I live there too and I love it! My husband and I are here by choice after moving around with the Army for 20 years.
Anne - I've been taking Vicadin to help my RLS lately and it seems to. Sometimes I'll take a muscle relaxer too. On a bad night I can usually end up getting some sleep with a combination of those two. It's not something I like to do very often though.
I have an appt for some other issues later this week. Maybe I'll bring this up too. Is it the colder weather that is making my legs feel worse??? The winter has barely begun and I think it's going to kill me already. I need a job that I can take winters off. Kind of like teachers can take off the summer, you know?
Susan
Anne - I've been taking Vicadin to help my RLS lately and it seems to. Sometimes I'll take a muscle relaxer too. On a bad night I can usually end up getting some sleep with a combination of those two. It's not something I like to do very often though.
I have an appt for some other issues later this week. Maybe I'll bring this up too. Is it the colder weather that is making my legs feel worse??? The winter has barely begun and I think it's going to kill me already. I need a job that I can take winters off. Kind of like teachers can take off the summer, you know?
Susan
men and women rls ratios
Hi Susan and welcome. I was just reading your post and hope that you are doing better.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Take care and have a wonderful New Year
Please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Take care and have a wonderful New Year
Charlene
Taking one day at a time
Taking one day at a time
crap i forgot what i was gonna say, distracted by spongebob on tv lol
i remember my grandpa always acting like his legs hurt, i can remember him getting up out of his chair and shaking his legs like he was trying to shake something off his leg. but i never remember him saying anything about it or to the dr i guess cuz he never took arthritis meds like my grandma. i guess women just like to complain more to each other than men, HUSH ARE, or i'll tell your wife to smack you! lol
i know what u are thinking, just don't say it!
dee
i remember my grandpa always acting like his legs hurt, i can remember him getting up out of his chair and shaking his legs like he was trying to shake something off his leg. but i never remember him saying anything about it or to the dr i guess cuz he never took arthritis meds like my grandma. i guess women just like to complain more to each other than men, HUSH ARE, or i'll tell your wife to smack you! lol
i know what u are thinking, just don't say it!
dee
I feel like a science project!!!
“The syndrome is so common that it should be known to every physician.”
Dr Karl Ekbom, 1945
“The syndrome is so common that it should be known to every physician.”
Dr Karl Ekbom, 1945