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Post by jeremysgirl on Oct 16, 2015 15:26:40 GMT
Anyone have this and can tell me what it feels like?
Probably once every 3-4 weeks for the past six months or so, I am having a very weird nerve sensation on the left side of my body. My left arm and left leg are feeling very nerved up, like I have to move them to feel any relief. And it happens when I am about an hour or two into my sleep. It's so bad, it keeps me awake. I just can't seem to relax that side of my body at all. It happened again last night. I was awake until almost 5 am because I felt like I couldn't relax the left side of my body at all. Today I am exhausted, but the sensation has passed. It only seems to happen at night. Either that, or I don't notice it during the day.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
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Post by Delta Dawn on Oct 16, 2015 15:30:01 GMT
It's not en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardive_dyskinesia because this is *common* with the meds we are on. I get fidgety all the time. Sometimes with pain and right now it's in my toes. I have rubbed the second toe raw with fidgeting back and forth. I also used to do leg kicking and it looked like swimming butterfly. I find walking at night in cold air helps me if the pain gets too bad. Fortunately it isn't bad right now. Sorry it is awful. It really is.
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RosieKat
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Jun 25, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
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Post by RosieKat on Oct 16, 2015 15:31:13 GMT
That sounds like it from what I've heard. Both my grandma and my mom have problems with it. I think calcium is supposed to help over time.
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Post by melanell on Oct 16, 2015 15:33:25 GMT
Yep. I've had it all of my life...or at least as far back as i can remember. Definitely as a child. That was long before anyone gave it a proper name, so we always called it "Crazy Legs". Although, very occasionally, if I get too tired, it can now happen in my arms to a lesser degrees as well. There was a time when I was suffering with anxiety and depression, about a dozen years ago, that my doctor mentioned that the medication he was prescribing me for the panic attacks would help with that, due to the "crazy legs" being neurological, and he was right. It did help for while I was on it. I know there are medications out there for it now, but I have never bothered with them because I am hesitant to take medication if I don't really feel I need it. So I stick to what works for me, which is simple, and yet difficult. I have to get proper sleep. End of story. Mine will start to twitch a bit when I am really tired, and at that point, I have to go to bed. If I try to ignore them and stay up later, I will pay. So when I let them dictate my bedtime, all is well. But sometimes I am stubborn and then they keep me twitching and thrashing for ages before I go to sleep. I have noticed, that I have to be very careful about taking a decongestant like Sudafed too close to bed. Those make my legs act up like mad because they keep me awake.
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RosieKat
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Jun 25, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
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Post by RosieKat on Oct 16, 2015 15:33:41 GMT
Oh, Delta Dawn has a point as well. And I forget what it's called, but there is a restless, nervy feeling that you can get, too. My DD has that problem sometimes from meds. It isn't the same as TD, it's more like restless leg but in her whole body. Have you had any med dosage increases or changes lately?
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Post by nlwilkins on Oct 16, 2015 15:33:52 GMT
I have had restless legs since the late 80's before most people ever heard about it. What you are describing does not sound like what I feel. For one thing, my RL affects both sides of the body and is ALL the time not just once in a while. But, trying to remember back, I did not have it all the time at first, just at night, only missing a night here and there. That does not mean you don't have RL, it just means that what I have feels different.
It sounds like it could be serious what you are describing and it would be better for you to consult a doctor over it. You never know what it could be.
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Post by KikiPea on Oct 16, 2015 15:36:49 GMT
Yes, that's what I have, sometimes. My causes have been caffeine too late in the evening, or taking my BP meds at night. I started taking my meds in the morning, and try not to drink any caffeine after lunch.
It is really annoying. I hope you can find the cause!
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Post by lisacharlotte on Oct 16, 2015 15:36:49 GMT
I've never been diagnosed but have suffered over the years being unable to relax my legs. Makes me feel like I need to go run around the block a few times to tire them out. I usually do leg lifts to tire the muscle then stretch them really good. Usually works so I can sleep. This happens even though I usually walk 90 minutes (hilly terrain) 6 days a week.
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Post by Patter on Oct 16, 2015 15:45:44 GMT
There are actually two different limb movement disorders. One is Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) that can actually cause problems for someone at all hours of the day (any time they are at rest), and then there is Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) which only effects people at night and wakes them up. My daughter had a sleep study done, and was diagnosed with PLMD. She moved her legs over 600 times in one night. No wonder she doesn't sleep well. She is on medications that help control it when she sleeps. I would definitely get it checked by a physician to see what you may actually have. www.mountain-sleep.com/index.php/sleep-disorders/plmd-rls
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Post by jeremysgirl on Oct 16, 2015 15:55:20 GMT
I did not even think it could be a side effect of my medicine. That is a good point Delta Dawn. RosieKat, I have been going in and out of manic phase right now and my p-doc has stopped my antidepressant. I am feeling a lot more energy, in general, lately. The nerve sensation was so bad last night, I couldn't stand it. I could not even stand to keep lying down in bed. I ended up going outside in the cold and smoking for a little while which calmed me down a bit. I do think the cold air helped. I eventually fell asleep on the couch watching TV. Trying to lay still was next to impossible, though.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Oct 16, 2015 15:56:34 GMT
There are actually two different limb movement disorders. One is Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) that can actually cause problems for someone at all hours of the day (any time they are at rest), and then there is Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) which only effects people at night and wakes them up. My daughter had a sleep study done, and was diagnosed with PLMD. She moved her legs over 600 times in one night. No wonder she doesn't sleep well. She is on medications that help control it when she sleeps. I would definitely get it checked by a physician to see what you may actually have. www.mountain-sleep.com/index.php/sleep-disorders/plmd-rlsI recently had a sleep study. I have sleep apnea and wear a CPAP. They did not say anything about movement while I slept. But the night I was there, I slept fine.
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Post by Patter on Oct 16, 2015 16:07:46 GMT
jeremysgirl, isn't that always the way--nothing happens when you go in. Drives me nuts. Did they put electrodes on your legs?
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Post by jeremysgirl on Oct 16, 2015 16:24:29 GMT
jeremysgirl, isn't that always the way--nothing happens when you go in. Drives me nuts. Did they put electrodes on your legs? Yes, they did. They said I stopped breathing 55 times an hour. But no mention of any unusual arm or leg movements.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Oct 16, 2015 16:37:34 GMT
All my leg movement was when I was awake. I slept just fine.
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Post by Patter on Oct 16, 2015 16:40:57 GMT
jeremysgirl, isn't that always the way--nothing happens when you go in. Drives me nuts. Did they put electrodes on your legs? Yes, they did. They said I stopped breathing 55 times an hour. But no mention of any unusual arm or leg movements. Wow, thankful you had the sleep study. That would be scary to stop breathing that much! And they would have told you if they caught limb movement. We were expecting breathing issues with my daughter too during her sleep study instead breathing was fine it was all of the leg movement. We were utterly shocked.
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Post by pb on Oct 16, 2015 17:20:33 GMT
I have restless legs and have taken a combo of iron, calcium, magnesium, and b12 for years.
Now I only get it if I am really tired and sitting in a car all day.
Good luck.
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 16, 2015 17:41:47 GMT
My DS has RLS. He takes Mirapex and it makes a huge difference. And he can tell when the meds are wearing off. He takes them every 24 hours on the dot. Even an hour later and he can't sleep at night.
I'd make an appt. Your Vitamin D or calcium may be low--that's an easy fix.
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Post by mellyw on Oct 16, 2015 18:03:52 GMT
I have RLS, you described what I get pretty well. I'm on gabapentin for another medical problem, that keeps it under control.
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RosieKat
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Post by RosieKat on Oct 16, 2015 18:27:07 GMT
jeremysgirl, that feeling can be a side effect of antidepressant discontinuation, particularly if it was abrupt. I do think this is most likely RLS, but (totally guessing here) it might be exacerbated by the med changes and/or mood phase changes. Akathesia was the word I was trying to think of before, which is a feeling of inner restlessness/jumpiness that can manifest physically. A lot of psych meds (and changes in them) can trigger it. My daughter takes a supplement called Gaba Chola Calm that helps her with that akathesia feeling and with taking the "edge" off - I thought of it since mellyw mentioned gabapentin - this particular supplement has that and L-theanine, some B-vitamins, and some herbs like valerian. It is "prescribed" by her pdoc, who tries to keep the meds as low as possible. It might be worth checking into something like that. I think it's about $42 for 90 pills, which lasts her 45 days, so not too bad.
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 16, 2015 20:12:18 GMT
Have your iron level checked. I had other issues, was diagnosed with anemia and started taking iron supplements. I found out RLS is very common when you are anemic. I would say I'm about 90% better.
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