Question about restless leg syndrome

Indy, LPN, LVN · Sep 10, 2005

I had a post cath patient, who had RLS and one of her visitors said she also suffers from it. It's involuntary, according to these two ladies and when your legs want to jump while you can't move one of them for 6 hours, it can drive you bananas. The legs get all twitchy. So I told her to twist her foot a little bit to relieve it. Well, that didn't work. Benzo's work, if only 'cause they make you not care about it.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Sep 10, 2005

Benzo's work, if only 'cause they make you not care about it.

:chuckle

Thanks for the quick response, Indy.

Bicycleboy · Sep 10, 2005

My wife has RLS, and when it strikes it keeps her up all night. She has found great success with with mirapex.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 10, 2005

I recently read up (but only a little) on restless leg syndrome as I had a patient who had a history of it.
For those of you in the know, I'd like to know, is the moving of the legs voluntary to relieve discomfort, or is the moving of the legs involuntary and out of the patient's control?

Good question, Angie.

Actually, Restless Leg Syndrome is characterized by "sensations" in the legs often that occur at night or at rest. The movements to which you refer are VOLUNTARY to try and relieve these unpleasant sensations. Ones who suffer from this say these sensations are, itching, worm-like feelings, pulling, .....and most cannot give you an accurate description. Voluntary movement seems to help in many cases, but, allows for little rest and/or sleep for these individuals.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2005

I was going to say both based on my spouse who has it. Sometimes he says "it's hard to describe, but I have this overwhelming need to just shake my legs". Other times he does it in his sleep. I'll wake him up and make him change positions and then he'll stop.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 10, 2005

I was going to say both based on my spouse who has it. Sometimes he says "it's hard to describe, but I have this overwhelming need to just shake my legs". Other times he does it in his sleep. I'll wake him up and make him change positions and then he'll stop.

You are very correct describing that, Tweet or rather your spouse is.

The sensations are unrelenting even during sleep and the individual moves constantly.......

They say it is HORRIBLE. They cannot sleep and neither can their partners.

I might add there is a clinical term for this other than Restless Leg Syndrome called, Wittmaack-Ekbom's Syndrome.

Caffiene, alcohol and nicotine aggravates this as well. And, people who use Benadryl, especially the night time cap for sleep, have RLS exacerbated. The FDA approved a drug called Requip, a dopamine agonist this past May. This is the first FDA approved drug for RLS.

I used to prescribe Quinine for my patients years ago, but, too many cardiac probs with that.......

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 10, 2005

Dolomite helps me, two to three tabs at nighttime. Health food store. A friend who also has RLS told me about it, and it has helped me tremendously.

allnurses Guide · Sep 10, 2005

Ugh, I get it too, every now and then. The movement is voluntary, but it's because of an UNCONTROLLABLE urge to move the legs. I get it mostly when I'm really tired/sleepy but am having to sit up. Like, when I'm at work charting at night and I'm getting sleepy. Or, when I'm in a car on the way home late at night from a long trip.

Pregnant women get it a lot too, for some reason. I had it really bad when I was pregnant with my daughter; it was a lot worse then than it is now.

If you encounter a patient with it, a warm blanket wrapped around the legs can help.

gaijingal · Sep 10, 2005

GAH! Restless legs have been my bane for most of my life.

It is voluntary movement, although, kind of like something is voluntary if you have a gun to your head! Mirapex is wonderful...I don't like anything that works on my brain, but without it, the first 3 to 4 hours I "slept," I moved constantly, so never entered deep sleep.

I think you will see more patients with it, as it is part and parcel with fibromyalgia, and I am running into more and more people with that.

lady_jezebel · Sep 10, 2005

I had this while pregnant -- it was soooo miserable. It feels like there are ants crawling inside your legs, hence the urge to move & make the feeling just go away (though it doesn't). I found a little relief with tylenol, but my personal cure was delivery of the baby.

chadash · Sep 11, 2005

Might be a tic?