Leg nerve damage

mowenlind · Post by **mowenlind** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:13 pm

I have had RLS for many many years......Having had nerve testing resulted with the diagnosis of nerve damage, primarily in my left leg and some in my right leg. Has anyone else had this happen? I KNOW it is a result of excruciating, breath-gasping painful RLS for all these years. I am now 65 and have experienced RLS for 40+ years. I take Lyrica, Tramadol during the day and Mirapex at night along with hydrocodone when neccessary. Just wondering if anyone has nerve damage after suffering with this disease.
Thank you, K

Neco · Post by **Neco** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:04 pm

As far as I know there has been no published work linking RLS to nerve damage.

Sometimes people just get unlocky and have multiple problems, unfortunately.. Many of us here actuall do suffer from at least one or two unrelated chronic ailments in addition to our RLS.

mowenlind · Post by **mowenlind** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:59 pm

Thank you for replying!
I just feel that the years I have been suffering from this has resulted in the damage.....

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:16 pm

I also know of no link between them. That said, some people here do have both and no known cause for the nerve damage. Given how many people do not have nerve damage, I'd guess that they are no related and it's just chance....but that's just based on probability. There could be some link in a genetic variant of RLS.

mowenlind · Post by **mowenlind** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:05 am

Thank you.....

jumpy · Post by **jumpy** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:08 am

I will try to make this short. I'm diabetic and have had a nerve conduction study. It showed some damage in both legs. I have had RLS as long as I can remember. (I'm 61)...My GP has run every test in the book to find out the reason for my almost continuous leg pain. (mostly in my calves). I have just completed 3 shots in my back for bulging disk and a series of shots in my knee for arthritis. Back and knee are better, but I still have the leg pain.
I think it's either from , as you said the RLS or mayby damage done by taking statin drugs. Not one or the other can be proven or disproven. I take Miripex and that helps with the "jumpies" and Lortab that helps with the pain. I have tried every pain killer there is and nothing helps but the Lortab. I stay off ever so often just to make sure I'm not addicted. Seems to be OK. I've tried Lyrica with no results except in my pocked book. I think the only reason he stills gives me the Lortab is because he has known me so long and knows I don't abuse it for the "high" (which I don't get anyway) and maybe if the pain is diabetic neuropathy then the Lortab is working. I don't know if this helps but mg GP doesn't believe either of my theories...Good luck, Pat

Neco · Post by **Neco** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:47 pm

I would think it would be due to neuropathy.. My dad has lot some of the feeling in his legs and feet, and used to have a lot of pain, apparently. Supposedly just straightening out his insulin helped reduce it, and now he also takes citalopram as its been suggested to help with the neuropathy in some diabetics.

mowenlind · Post by **mowenlind** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:46 pm

I have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy after the nerve conduction tests but am not diabetic. No reason has been found for this. Maybe someday we will have our answers....

jumpy · Post by **jumpy** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:25 pm

I saw my GP today. We had a long discussion. He thinks the pain is a form of neuropathy and told me this was just the way it reflected on me. I asked about staying on the Lortab and he did not have a problem with that. I really feel better after talking to him. He did change the dose from7.5/350 to 10/350. I think the tylenol is more dangerous that the hyrocodiine. And, Zach, he had changed my diabetic meds. I have lost about 15 lbs in 3 months. He thinks with continued weight loss I may be able to reduce the amount of diabetic meds. I hope you dad's ok, I haven't lost any feeling yet. But I know it can be scary...Pat

jumpy · Post by **jumpy** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:30 pm

Mowenlind, I forgot the reason for writing. Do extensive research. Sometimes you will find something the doctors have not thought of. Could you have back problems that could be radiating to your legs?

Just a thought...what about deep vein thrombosis (sp?) ...Pat

Nicky · Post by **Nicky** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:50 pm

In 1998 I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy (tingling, pins & needles in the feet & then the legs.) This was just a few months after starting anti retro viral meds. The drug combination was switched but the PN stayed. Then my symptoms worsened & I found I was hardly able to sleep. I'd drop off but would wake up as soon as my eyes closed. Eventually I noticed I was waking with a jerk. It got so bad that I didn't sleep for ten days straight and my whole body felt like it was coursing with electricity. My doc said "but PN doesn't do this" & somehow thought I was making it up. I seriously thought I was gonna die. The doc put me on cloneazepam for the jerking & I managed to get some zzzzs & started to feel a little better. It took me a long time (& the advent of the internet) to find out that I also has RLS. The pain was due to PN & RLS plus the jerking was PLMD. The PN seemed to pe-empt the RLS. Actually it took sooo long to tease out that i had these two conditions that life was almost intolerable. As you say, some of us have multiple conditions. I recognised my elderly mother's sleep problems as not just her arthritis & osteoporosis pain but also as RLS. We are both on Requip but struggle somewhat with it all. Before this all started for me, my older brother had terrible problems sleeping & sadly died of an overdose in 1997. He had many issues such as drug/alcohol abuse & depression but towards the end his inability to sleep was a major concern & poorly understood. I still miss him terribly. I sometimes wonder if it's the genetic link or the PN that kick started the my RLS. Or was I always going to get it. In much of the stuff I read about RLS, it is often mentioned that PN is one of the links but I don't know if it has been proven. Incidentally my older sister does not have RLS & she has never eaten dairy (allergic from birth) so I am off dairy but not sure if I notice much difference yet. Did anyone else have that horrible electric feeling? Mine was so pronounced that I felt I was frying like bacon & my eyes were crackling. (I can sometimes still reconize the feeling bubbling underneath).

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:32 am

N, I often get that electric feeling. Very uncomfortable for sure. The neurontin helps, however. Sorry about your brother. I'm sure you have many good memories. Best wishes, my friend. M.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:09 am

Nicky, I often get the electric/burning feeling for about 5 minute before the rls jumpies start. Its like a warning. And sometimes it is worse than others. I have it at the moment, the burning has been onging for 24 hours now, even when the jumpies/crawlies have been at peace.

And yet I had been without the burning for several months.

It is now 4am. At 2am I went into the spare room to allow my hubby some peace to fall asleep. I think I perhaps dozed, but awoke and had to get up..... and strangely tonight it is the burning hat is the problem.

I think I might go take extra codeine.

cornelia · Post by **cornelia** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:54 am

10 years ago I started having very severe RLS with not a single person in my family suffering from it as well. Reading this thread I think I have developed a (RLS related?) neuropathy in my feet. I often have short stabbing pains there and it feels af if I'm walking on soft cushions. It doesn't matter if my RLS is bad or reasonably OK at these times. Next month I will see my neuro too about this.

Corrie

Aiken · Post by **Aiken** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:07 am

Doesn't sound RLS-related to me, Corrie. :/ I only get things like that when I make a nerve angry.

Do you have diabetes, by any chance? If you do, I'm guessing you already know peripheral neuropathies often come with it.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Leg nerve damage

Leg nerve damage

per. neuro.