Freaked out by similar sensations? Anyone???

[Sara]

Okay, here's a new one for you.... Jumpy, you'll laugh, here's my brain going a little sideways.

Ever since I can REMEMBER (and the standard joke in my family is that I remember things from before I was BORN!) I have HATED anything metal with a fine ribbed texture. Couldn't even HOLD a fingernail clipper if the metal file part was in contact with my finger when I was a kid. I felt an uncontrollable urge to drop it; I can control that urge now, but intensely dislike the sensation. Can barely THINK about or LOOK at, let alone hold, let WAY alone USE a full-sized metal file. And if my husband has to use one, he warns me. I feel the same way about really fine metal springs and also metal guitar strings (or I'd have learned to play the guitar years ago-- but a musician friend says I can get all nylon if I still want to try it! )

To say that they give me the heeby-jeebies is far from expressing it properly, and no one I've known has ever been able to relate. "What do you mean, it makes you feel all quivery and uncomfortable?" is the standard response.

But, it was SOOOOOOOO interesting to me... the other day, I used the tip of a metal file to open a paint can, since I couldn't find where my husband left the screwdriver I'd been using. And when I picked it up... WHAMMMMMO! I realized what that sensation is............ Fine metal ribs feel like RLS, to me, anyway!

I have really intense RLS this morning anyway, but let me tell you, just TYPING about files and guitar strings has the RLS sensations from my feet running Alllllllll the way up to the base of my neck. YIKES!!!!!

I don't know what the 'connection' would be, if anything, between RLS and my aversion for fine metal ribbed items... not sure if it would be a chicken-and-egg thing, or both from a similar 'cause' or what.........

but I just had to ask... anyone else have any problem with things that FEEL like RLS?????

Sara

[jumpyowl]

This is a tough one. I can only think of the mental and emotional processes affecting the protective potential increase in the nerves that counteract pain sensation (about 5-6 mV countervoltage). Fear, and other mental processes (apprehension, etc) can tremendously lower such a protective potential thereby enhancing the sensation of discomfort and pain.

[Sara]

Pretty cool, Jumpy. You mean I have a countervoltage problem? My husband will probably have a cute comment about that!

I wonder what "mental process" it is, though, because I can see why all the sudden NOW it brings additional apprehension even thinking about say, a metal file, because I now RECOGNIZE that the icky feeling I'm going to get is like RLS... and especially today, because my RLS symptoms really spiked this morning for some reason (I think because I haven't been sleeping well for three nights now).

But when I was a kid, and I didn't have, or didn't recognize the symptoms of, RLS, I wonder what about those particular textures would create a mental/emotional process that would lower my pain/sensation protection all my life?

Interesting to think about it all. I don't know enough about the actual processes of pain and nerve action to have much of a theory. Just struck me really fascinating when I realized the sensation I always got from those textures is pretty much identical to what I get from RLS.

Thanks for the information! Hugs-- Sara

[brady]

I also get this but it is with wool. When I was just a kid standing in line to get a carton of milk at school the kid standing in front of me turned around and he had half of his wool mitten in his mouth and he was grinding it between his teeth

To this day the thought of wool and teeth give me the creeps.

I don't know that I feels like RLS but it certinly freaks me out

My brother gets the same feeling I do when someone licks newspaper.

I can't believe that I am typing this stuff

I hope that any new members who read this dont get freaked out and leave.

It would be ironic if someone got the feeling we are describing from logging on to an RLS SUPPORT GROUP !!!!!!!


I needed a laugh


Brady

[Sara]

Wool in the teeth... yup, that's a weird sound/sensation, too. I will NOT ask about licking newspaper, though. Think I don't want to go there.

I saw your post this morning about your back/leg injury, and didn't have anything intelligent to say, so I didn't post to you. But I'm sorry to hear your RLS is worse now, and to total-lay-person-me, it doesn't actually seem unlikely that the two might be related. I know that some types of injuries do include a "neurological component" so to speak, so I could see the one perhaps exacerbating the other.

Is your injury all healed now? Or are you still on the mend?

Take care.
Sara

[brady]

Firstly

Thanks for asking about my back Sara

Not sure what is wrong with it but it seem that I am getting alot of numbness in my feet and knees when I sit down. I also noticed it on the treadmill this morning (the numbness).

Just seems that when my back acts up the RLS gets worse. although what better a place for my RLS to act up but on the treadmill.


Later

Brady

[Sara]

Hey, Brady--

Are you under a doctor's care? I think a friend of mine who had back problems and had numbness sitting was told that that was a "nerve" thing (can't recall if they said "pinched" or what).

I'll have to try and find the post from a week or two ago, but aren't nerve things "neurological" ... pertaining to nerves, spine, etc..... like RLS?? Someone smart help me out here!

Anyway, seems like something has to be out of whack if you're getting numb-- either a neurological thing or a circulatory thing-- right? I hope that whatever it is gets either well or diagnosed soon, Brady. That doesn't seem like a good thing.

I did like your treadmill joke, though. I'll have to remember that with my NordicTrack when I can't sit still. I still haven't seen a particular improvement or worsening of my overall RLS from exercise, so for the time being, a little extra couldn't hurt my pudgy middle-aged figure at least. LOL

Take care and feel better.

Sara

[nephriticus]

Are you under a doctor's care? I think a friend of mine who had back problems and had numbness sitting was told that that was a "nerve" thing (can't recall if they said "pinched" or what).

Sara,

There are several things, I think, that can cause the numbness. However, in most cases it is a herniated (ruptured) disc that presses against the spinal cord at the foramen [ where the nerves branch out ]. If I remember correctly, it is the L4-L5 or the L5-S1 vertabra that most commonly cause numbness in the legs.

I hope Brady isn't trying to tough it out with exersice. I did that back in 1979 and have paid a heavy price since. In my case, with a sudden movement, the already protruding disk burst and violently impacted the spinal cord. It felt as if someone had shoved a red-hot knife blade into my back. The end result was that severed nerves resulted in permanently lost feeling (and use) in my left calf, parts of my left knee, and a portion of my left foot. That was a minor deficit compared to the unrelenting generalized pain I endured in my entire left leg for many years and periodic episodes in the present. Hence, the pain control clinic I've mentioned before. To this day I make many conformances to my spinal injury.

My attitude that I could work through it was a null and void premise.

Neph

[bradyferguson]

bye

[bradyferguson]

bye

[Sara]

Brady,

I have lots of past and a few present military relatives, and my husband is a fireman. So I do understand what you mean that your body is your livelihood. Take as good care of it as you can, and use your brain to try to keep safe.

Sara

[jan3213]

Brady, this is Jan

My son was in the Air Force for almost 8 years, and I, also, understand what you mean about keeping your RLS to yourself. BTW, thank you so much for your service to our country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan