Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Hi.. I've had RLS since I was in my 20's, and now 57. I take hydrocodone and Mirapex and do pretty well. However, I've noticed something interesting. Over the years when I would have colds, my nights would be free of RLS! I also noticed that when I went through a very stressful time a couple of years ago, that when I was crying at night I had NO RLS! I figure that it has something to do with histamine levels being high, but it looks like research is saying that low histamine levels are what helps rls.. so I'm wondering what's going on in the nervous system when we have colds and when we cry......... anyone heard of this topic being researched before?

I do not think it's been research, but a few people have mentioned it. It hasn't been that way for me, unfortunately! But being sick and having fewer symptoms has definitely been mentioned by multiple people. It does seem a weird connection....

Crying is good for my RLS too, definately and I have deeper sleep. I never have colds, so I don't know about them. When I had a fever (once) my RLS symptoms were low too. Weird!
Corrie

I can add to your theory about it being tied to histamines. I have hayfever and sinus issues all year long because I am allergic to most everything in the air. I noticed long before I was diagnosed that my WED problems were worse during the spring and fall pollen seasons. So my histamine levels probably go through the roof at those times of year.

The only issue is that I remember seeing that histamine does not get transported across the blood-brain barrier. So high histamine levels in the blood to not naturally lead to high levels in the brain.

I don't understand the histamine thing. I would think that brains should LIKE histamine to activate the neurons, because ANTI-histamines make WED go nuts. Don't anti-histamines prevent the release of histamine, or prevent its docking to neuronal receptors? And this somehow causes WED to go nuts, so wouldn't we expect that more histamine would be a good thing, WED-wise? Clearly, I'm missing something very basic.

I, like Ann (again like Ann!), have the unfortunate condition that my WED gets worse when I have a cold, a flu, or pneumonia. But someone else posted recently exactly as you did, marthared - when she got sick, the WED backed off.

As for crying, I can't remember anything specific about myself, but maybe the sensations associated with crying - if it's vigorous crying - take precedence and block the WED sensations.