grew out of it?

[Jamie]

when I was 10 through maybe 14ish I could never sleep because my legs hurt and I never knew until recently from seeing commercials other people had it too! I really don't get it anymore and I'm 15 now, but it was always bad when I was nervous, anxious, or excited for something that was happening the next day like Christmas eve was always the worst night ever and then I'd be thinking about how weird and bad my legs felt so that never helped so what I would do is take wet wash cloths and put them over my legs because anything cold helped and usually after an hour or so of that i'd be able to fall asleep somehow either that or I'd just scratch my legs because I got so mad and then I would finally fall asleep crying because I was so tired from being so frustrated and on all the commercials I've seen about rls they never have younger kids on them, so is it uncommon in kids? does it actually go away? or will it come back?

[ViewsAskew]

Jamie,

About 40% of adults 45 and under that have RLS also had it as teenagers, so it's definitely not uncommon. Once you have it, it never really goes away, although sometimes we do have periods where it lessens for awhile. It also doesn't always get worse, but it often does.

But you may just have had growing pains, and not RLS. Many children have growing pains and it is NOT necessarily associated with RLS. If it was RLS you were experiencing, then you will most likely experience it again as you get older, however that might not be for years.

Hope that answers your questions and does not contribute to your worries. If you have more questions, let us know. It might help to talk to your mom and dad, if possible, as RLS often runs in families.

Ann

[nephriticus]

Once you have it, it never really goes away, although sometimes we do have periods where it lessens for awhile.

Hi, Ann.

I experienced, to my great delight, about a year of negligible RLS symptoms. What symptoms I had did not affect my sleep, with only two exceptions.

But, alas, I recently was reinstated as an RLS.ORG member in good standing when the sleep interfering symptoms returned. However, I have not had to resort to my prescription of sinemet, which worked well for me for about three years. Instead, I use my rapid respiration elevation method. I'll call it RRE regardless of my complete lack of scientific credentials or other authority to be throwing around acronyms. For those who have climbed onto this Discussion Board in the last several months and have not previously read of my description of the now-named RRE method, here it is:

Prior to lying down for bed, I bang off about 80 to 100 push-ups. The count is not important, and I do that many because push-ups have been part of my exercise regimen for years. During the performance of these push-ups, my blood becomes starved for oxygen, my heart rate increases and my respiration increases significantly in the minute or so it takes to do the push-ups. If I lay down immediately after this respiration elevation, my legs go absolutely nuts. I cannot contain them. But after four or five minutes my respiration returns to normal, my legs calm down and I usually go right to sleep absent RLS symptoms. Occasionally I might have to perform RRE a second time about fifteen minutes later. Rarely, I will perform RRE a third time, never a fourth.

Not for a second do I believe push-ups of themselves are the relief of the symptoms. I believe any exercise that rapidly elevates the respiration would achieve the same effect. I do not know why it works or if RRE would work for anyone else. It works just fine for me and I find the method preferable to medications which may have side affects or may eventually lose effectiveness.

I have, in the past, challenged others in the RLS forum to trial RRE, but I have never received any reports, be they yea or nay. I am curious to learn if it is effective for others.

[ViewsAskew]

Hi Neph! Glad to see you, but sorry you have some symptoms returning, but glad again that what you are doing it working!

Before my RLS was severe as it is now, I could ALWAYS stop it dead with certain leg exercises. I had to exercise to fatigue in the affected muscle, and it would stop enough for me to fall asleep. Alas, that doesn't work anymore. I don't recall ever my respiration getting high, though, as the things I would do (initially alwasy hurdle stretches, and then 'bicycles') didn't really wind me. With the bicycles, I would just get that intense muscle fatigue and it would be enough.

Maybe this is related in some way. I know I've heard others use similar techniques - it would be an interesting study. Maybe we should spend some time doing a survey - really interview people who have had luck stopping the RLS with some form of exercise and see what the common denominator is.

Hope all is well with you, Neph.

Ann

[trevb]

the RRe doesnt work for me.. i regularly go running ... which gets me right out of breath and it doesnt help my rls at all.