Restless leg syndrome? What the heck is that?

Question

Do they just make this stuff up so we can have more ailments?

I know there's a joke in there somewhere

Answer 1

I too suffer from this.

Mine started after I suffered a spinal injury and was paralyzed from the waist down in 1987

I was given steroids during my 2 and one half year recovery to learn to walk again

My legs have come back about 50% but I developed AVN Avascular Necrosis from the steroids and needed a hip replacement

My other hip degenerated but that stopped about 11 years ago and causes me no pain.

I am not very mobile - I can walk - have not run since the day of my injury - But I can not walk at a fast pace because I only recovered so much.

I can not walk for long distances either - about a half mile NOW at first I could not walk AT ALL

I do have those shaky legs when I am sitting and I can actually see my muscles twitching when I am resting -- It feels like there are bugs under my skin.

The steroids also contributed to heart problems, and 4 heart surgeries, but I will spare you that part of my Medical history

Many people have commented to me at various functions - they see my legs shaking and They say to me "Boy you are a nervous one" I then have the opportunity to tell them my story.

As Lou Gherig once said "I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth" AND I AM because I can walk again

My whole story is award winning and found @

http://MickyMantle.2ya.com

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Answer 2

As one who suffers (and I do mean suffers) from this (joke as you call it) I can tell you it is no fun. I have had it for many years and only within the last year have they come up with a prescription that relieves the anxiety and pain of the leg. Before the drug only for Restless Leg I was put on Elavil which put the leg at ease but also put me into a fog (which was not much better than the leg problem) and which also over the years left me with tremors in hands when stretched out (it is called a Parkinson's like tremor which has not progressed since I have not taken the Rx. Elavil for 10 years or so). The new Rx Requip takes care of the problem without side effects and no drug fog or hangover and if I wake up during the nite I can go back to sleep within a few min.

Answer 3

It begins as a strange feeling in your legs that seems to get worse until you stand up and move around. Deep inside your legs you can feel burning, creeping, and crawling sensations that are hard to describe, even to your doctor. Meanwhile, you cope with your condition the best you can.

If these symptoms describe the way you are feeling, you may have restless legs syndrome (RLS), a sensorimotor condition that affects millions of Americans.

Restless legs syndrome can be a primary or a secondary condition. Primary restless legs syndrome is the main form of the disease. While no one is sure what causes primary restless legs syndrome, nearly half of the time it can be traced to a family history. There is currently no cure for primary restless legs syndrome. Secondary restless legs syndrome is caused by an unrelated condition such as pregnancy, anemia, or iron deficiency. Once the unrelated condition has been treated, secondary RLS will usually go away without further treatment.*

Answer 4

For someone who has suffered from this syndrome most of my life, I am very offended by the remarks here. It is real, and it is not a joke.

It is something like the jerking motions you see in someone with tourettes syndrome, except it is confined to the legs. If you have ever felt your legs after the blood flow is cut off (falling asleep) and then the pins and needles of the flow coming back, it is something like that.

No, this is NOT made up. It just took a long time for enough medical people to hear it before they realized something was actually wrong.

It's not nice to make fun of something you know nothing about.

Answer 5

Restless Leg Syndrome is real, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restless_legs_syndrome.

I recently read there have been some new discoveries in the genetic influence.

When I have it I attribute it to bad circulation.

This page of Google has many links to further information, http://www.google.com.sg/search?q=restless+leg+syndrome&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Answer 6

My girlfriend has this and it is a horrible thing to have and she is fine if she is walking and when she sits down then she has to move or get up and she cannot watch a tv program . The dr gave her some meds to take and hour before she goes to bed .

Answer 7

RLS isn't just made up...it's an uncontrollable urge to keep moving, it's hard to explain if you're never had the feeling, but for me it's in my knee caps and it's almost like I can imagine that if my knee cap were made of metal...someone is holding a magnet over it and moving it around so that my knees keep being pulled towards it...

Answer 8

RLS is for real. My fiance has it & it's when the legs jerk when constantly while you're alseep at night. Some people feel like needles are prickling their legs & feet as well. There is medication to take for it, per the commercials on tv.

**superior caucasoid.....you go from question to question posting your dirty & disgusting answers. I hope Yahoo gives you the boot soon.**

Answer 9

I get it after I have walked alot, like hiking and walking up hill in San Francisco(up & down) it is so darn annoying quiver and shake when trying to sleep, just give up and get up. Never have taken any drugs, its just one of those getting older things to add to the list.

Answer 10

Just like with leg cramps, it's caused from a lack of potassium. the best and easiest cure is to eat lots of bananas. (Worked for me)