Restless leg syndrome...restless arm syndrome?

Question

I have had restless leg syndrome since I was a teenager, but lately I have been having similar sensations in my arms as well. Both occur simultaneously. In addition, the uncomfortable feelings are more intense in my groin area. I typically wake up shortly affter falling asleep with it, and it keeps me up for anywhere from a half hour to an hour and a half. There seems to be no correlation to caffeine, and I have tried stretching before bed. Nothing seems to work. Anyone else know this feeling? Does stress have anything to do with it? I also exercise (weights, running) regularly.

Answer 1

I don't suppose any of this could be pain from lysergic acid in your muscles, rather than all RLS? One thing to try is NOT to exercise for at least 3 hours before you go to bed as exercise gets your system revved. Also, use safe exercise techniques - i.e. 10 minutes of stretches and warm up period before you start AND 10 minutes of stretches and cool off period after you finish - don't push weight increases too fast (easier not to damage yourself than to fix damage afterwards) and practice safe techniques like lifting from leg muscles and arm muscles, NOT groin and not knees or other joints.

One of my best friends has had RLS for many years. She tried all of the major commercial drugs available, but experienced too many negative side effects (having witnessed this, I think all of these drugs are bad news). She finally got relief this past summer when she started taking vitamin supplements, specifically a multi-vitamin, an omega fatty acid 3/6/9 complex (1,000 mg. to 1,500 mg.) and an iron supplement in the morning (18mg is recommended dose for women, but she takes a lot more) and calcium/magnesium tablets and liquid glucosamine at night. We weren't sure which of these supplements was the one that was helping so we did some research after the fact and apparently iron and/or calcium/magnesium are well known to help RLS and are highly recommended (by everybody except drug companies of course). My friend started taking supplements because she was feeling run down - she also had bloodwork done and her doctor told her she was anemic, suggested iron supplements and gave her an exact iron dosage and did follow-up tests 3 months later. I would suggest doing the same as it turns out that you can get iron poisoning if you overdose iron (as the human body cannot flush excess iron). Anyway, it has been several months and she rarely experiences RLS symptoms now.

Before we found out about the vitamins, she tried doing stretches in the am and periodically during the day and in the evening as we thought all of this might be related to blood circulation - she said stretches did help to make her feel better, but after the first week I don't think she remembered to do them most of the time. She also tried mineral ice and having her husband massage her leg and she says that really helped more than the stretches when she was having an attack.

P.S. Too much caffeine did make my friends symptoms worse. It is also possible that use of zoloft is related to RLS symptoms. If you are taking zoloft, you may want to try switching to a natural anti-depressent instead like SAM-e, 5htp, St. John's Wart, ginkgo bilboa, etc.

P.P.S. - Grinnn, don't give up on supplements so fast - it is possible you were not taking them for long enough period and/or in high enough dosage and/or in right combination (omegas are apparently necessary for correct absorbtion and turns out iron cannot be taken with calcium and magnesium as they "block" one another from proper absorbtion) - anyway, it took about a month of taking supplements every day before my friend saw big improvement, but after 6 months she is doing fabulous - and she has had severe RLS her whole life.

Answer 2

I started to have RLS in my thirties which went away when I went to bed.
It started to get really bad in my late forties, legs, arms. A neurologist did various tests but there didn't appear to be anything particular which was causing it. I was prescribed Ropinerole and have been taking it for about 10 years., It is the only thing that has kept my sanity. I have tried many different vitamins, warm baths, bracelets, acupuncture etc, but only the Ropinerole works. However, I find that it takes about an hour and a half to kick in, so I need to take it around 6pm otherwise, when I am relaxing the symptoms start way before it's time to go to bed. I often divide the dose, taking half at 6pm and the rest before I go to bed as this helps during the night. The downside is that on the odd occassion I go out in the evening, I always have to come home earlier than everyone else as I always feel sleepy. Other people do not realise how debilitating this condition is and whilst I have accepted that this is a lifelong condition (that will probably worsen) there are times when I feel really down - hence this post. Perhaps a cure will be found - I do hope so

Answer 3

I have got to say that the answers I have read are a bit distressing to me. I have had RLS for about 10 years and am seeing a sleep specialist for it, I have a sleep study scheduled for next month. I was hoping that I could find a treatment that would make the RLS go completely away but it seems like it will be a life long battle to sleep (by the answers I have read here.) I am going to try and see if acupuncture will help. The drugs that I have been prescribed seem to work for a while until I build up a resistance to them and then have to switch to a different one. The last one was Mirapex but I had very severe side effects and had to stop taking it and return to the Requip and Gabapenten that I was taking. Hot baths do help, also if you have a particularly physical day it seems worse. I also have it in my arms and legs. The most upsetting thing to me is that if you tell someone that you have RLS they look at you like you are from a different planet, ( like oh big deal) The public needs to realize what a debilitating disorder this can be. If anyone has had any experience with acupuncture being effective for RLS please respond to this question . Good luck with this.

Answer 4

Restless Arms

Answer 5

In looking back, I think I have had RLS my entire life. My legs used to ache and tingle starting when I was about 14 and my mother just called it growing pains. Since then, my RLS seems to have morphed many different ways. I first started noticing one of my wrists jerking periodically (every 20 seconds or so) while watching TV; that symptom lasted a couple of years but didn't seem like a big deal. Then I started getting the tingly feeling in my legs where I felt like I just had to move them. That lasted a few years; warms baths at night helped. Now I get full leg kicks at night, and I am also starting to get tingling in my arms. The only other time I have the symptoms is when I have long periods of inactivity, such as long airplane flights -- and that is no fun! I notice that if I eat sugary snacks or carbohydrates like crackers or such at night, my symptoms are much worse. I take clonopin which is a nerve medication, but it usually takes an hour to kick in. So if I forget to take it at night, I'm up waiting for it to kick in. Sadly, there are some nights when even the clonopin doesn't work. I do take magnesium, but am thinking I might up the dose on that at night as it does seem to help also.

Answer 6

I have RLS too and also have that same sensation in my right arm. Im glad to hear that someone else is having the same thing too (sorry no offense :) I havent found a correlation to caffeine either but find that if I stand for long periods of time during the day its worse at night. I went to a sleep specialist about a year ago and he prescribed Requip and it helped for a while. I would recommend seeing a doctor about it. Hope it gets better. I know that feeling can drive you crazy some nights.

Answer 7

I too have had RLS /PLMD since childhood.
I feel its effects not only at night but during the daytime as well. It affects my arms and shoulders as well as my legs. It was not always the case it just the RLS breaking through as it progresses.
I am currently being treated with a low dose of Mirapex twice a day. By no means does it take away the symptoms it only lessens them. An opiod is used to take the edge off and to help sleep.
I have tried it all before (avoiding caffeine,stretching,calcium and magnesium supplements,sleeping with a bar of soap,iron supplementation,hot baths). I have seen specialists,homeopaths,neurologists and none of them have the answer.
Finding a doctor who understands the syndrome is difficult. Talk to your doctor.
Explain that the RLS has manifested now in your arms.
Its time to get the help you need.

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Restless leg syndrome...restless arm syndrome?
I have had restless leg syndrome since I was a teenager, but lately I have been having similar sensations in my arms as well. Both occur simultaneously. In addition, the uncomfortable feelings are more intense in my groin area. I typically wake up shortly affter falling asleep with it, and it...

Answer 9

Has restless leg also, and when it's particulary bad i notice the symptoms in my arms, mostly my upper arms. It tends to be related to medication making it worse for me though. Stress can also make it worse. General inactivity when i'm awake seems to add to the severity of the problem, but i don't think one particulary exersize seems to help. I find the shower to be a good place to rub the muscles on your arms and legs , but i have skin problems and use that has a tool to check for other problems since your skin gets to be a nice solid even color and it's about the only time i can acheive it lol. If your symptoms have recently changed for the worse you should probably see your dr for it to rule out anything eles. Also anemia is a huge factor in making rls worse, But you shouldn't take iron supplements without checking with your dr first because to much iron causes many problems on it's own.

Answer 10

I too have RLS and the arm spasms at times also. It does seem to act up more when my RLS is worse but also if I have been sitting at a computer or desk for a long time.
I have fibromyalgia also and that can also explain my problem as they arms 'flail' around more so when the nerves in my shoulder and back become compressed due to spasms.
Make sure you are giving yourself a good stretch before you do your exercising. one thing that I do know helps my RLS is if I sit in a tub of water as hot as I can stand it in a tub right before I go to bed and it relaxes my legs enough to get to sleep.