Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

I am going through a difficult relationship breakdown which is throwing up all sorts of very worrisome issues. This has caused me to experience pronounced fight or flight symptoms on a more or less daily basis over the last 3 or 4 months. These often occur most significantly in the evening as time zone differences mean that difficult communications take place at that time. I get surges of adrenaline causing heart palpitations and nausea (to the extent that I paid for a private heart examination which fortunately gave my heart a clean bill of health but confirmed the palpitations and attributed them to adrenaline). The thing is that my rls symptoms have been virtually non-existent over that time. In particular I notice that on nights when I get a particular shot of adrenaline (some more bad news/unpleasant interactions), my rls disappears completely. On nights when I have less significant adrenaline symptoms come through although mildly.

Things have been so good (rls-wise) that in the last week or so I have eliminated my pramipexole and am now only taking dipyridamole and ldn. Even though I had been taking pramipexole daily which I would have thought would mean exacerbated symptoms when it was reduced/eliminated, the symptoms I am now experiencing could at the highest be described as mild and, as I say, when a big shot of adrenaline comes through in the evening, they are non-existent. The only other changes I have made are: (1) I have started to use iron patches as well as iron bisglycinate every other day; (2) I have introduced a daily dose of glucosamine; (3) I have been eating a lot less and have lost quite a bit of weight but my diet remains varied - fairly healthy with whole foods etc but also some high sugar elements.

Has anyone else noticed a connection between high adrenaline and rls? I saw a post on another website of someone noticing an improvement in their rls when being treated with mirabegron, a drug that assists with bladder control by operating on the adrenal system, and wondered - in my non-sciency way - if this provided some sort of support to the theory.

Rachel,
There is a disease called pheochromcytoma that causes these symptoms. Seems like a heart problem but is actually a hormone problem that causes hormones similar to adrenalin to be secreted. It can be cured with surgery. You should ask you doctor about it. It is diagnosed with blood and urine tests.

Glad Holland was here to provide some answer as the best I have is a virtual hug!

Nothing to do with adrenalin but on an occasion when I was ill and was in bed with some sort of a 48 hour bug, rls wasn't even an issue. As though the bug kicked the rls into a corner.

I'm very sorry that you are going through such difficult issues at the moment. Hugs from me.

It's interesting that your symptoms stop when you're upset like that. There might be no real correlation, since your symptoms have been improving for the last while. Or it might be another example of how distraction blocks the WED/RLS signals somehow.