Feeling restless
There is one aspect of ageing that drives me to the brink.
Maybe it's not the ageing thing [I’m no expert] but the older I get, the worse the restless legs become.
For those of you fortunate enough not to suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome – or RLS as they like to call it – it is an insufferable thing where your legs feel like they have walked through a bed of nettles and are full of crawly little things that squirm and twitch until you feel like ripping your legs off. Sometimes it's one one leg but more often it's both. The only relief is to move the legs and for some really fucking obscure reason it only really hits when you try to relax.
For the last three mornings I woke at the crack of dawn [not Dawn, smart arses!] and this morning was the worst in that I woke before dawn at some hour that really should be illegal. I don't know why. I just did.
So now I am bollixed. I am sleepy and craving a nap. But as soon as I close my eyes the fucking RLS kicks in. Literally.
I am sitting here. My top half is screaming for a nap and my bottom half is craving for a ten mile run. Unfortunately by brain is in my top half so that's feeling kind of sleepy too, to put it mildly.
I really fucking hate RLS.
My missus has it, trust me *I* feckin' hate RLS. I spend more nights with the dog these days (oxymoron alert)
Heh! Welcome, Poj! I confess to having kicked the bitch out of bed myself a few times [incidentally, to avoid confusion, my female dog frequently sneaks into the bedroom]
I know very well what you mean…as you well know. Funny thing is that my RLS was passed down generation to generation from my mother's side. The kicker is that it passes from male to female to male, etc. My mother's father had it, she had it (but not her brother) and I have it (but not my sister). My sister had a daughter but no son and she (my niece) does not have it. Let some so-called specialist figure that one out.
And yes, I haven't been able to take a nap for years (and years) for the same reason you can't. And taking my RLS medication during the day, Requip (ropinirole), isn't an option since it can make me quite ill as it takes affect. So I figure I'll just have to put up with going napless and getting kicked out of bed in the morning–literally.
That is one hell of a theory. My mother had a similar problem as far as I know. So that means our K8 could be in for a spot of bother later in life – poor kid.
You're not missing much with the Requip – it barely quietens things down enough to get to sleep. It gives me one chance of getting to sleep every 24 hours, so naps seem to be a thing of the past. It's a bugger!
Try Quinine for a couple of days. Or if that could exacerbate other issues, then a Magnesium supplement (get one with a low dose). Or straight good old fashioned Garlic – but lots of it.
http://www.drugs.com/npp/quinine.html
I am fairly sure I have tried all of those, though, while I like garlic in small doses I doubt Herself of the dog would be too pleased.
I decided a wile ago that RLS, like Tinnitus is one of those things you just have to live with and hope they come up with a decent cure sometime.
My other half has the same problem, poor love, but we've solved the problem, he now sleeps in the other bedroom, I really couldn't work out which was the worse, his RLS or the snoring, but my beauty sleep was more important, so hayho I won..hehehe
That is nasty! Though having said that, there are a few occasions where Herself had to resort to the shed after a particularly energetic session where I would kick her out. Why should I move? It's not my fault?
I found the solution! See my post….
https://thelastfurlong.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/restless-legs/
Wow! That bears some examination. Doesn't it mean I'll have to shave the palms of my hands afterwards?
Nevertheless maybe it's time to get a firm grip on the problem……..
Nope, tried that quite awhile back and it didn't work (no, I didn't have to shave my palms afterwards). Besides, it tended to cause a rash. But that reminded me, having sex before bed did work. The problem there is that between the old chronic pain I have to deal with day in and day out plus the various medications I have to take these days put the kibosh on any type of activity of that sort–with or without a partner.
So now I either sit quietly while the legs bobble about , usually starts around 2:30 to 3:00 PM, or end up pacing the floor or going for a walk If weather permits until it comes time where I can take that horrible Requip.
Hi Grandad
Try iron tablets, they really do stop it, worked fo both me and the missus. She found out when she was put on them for anaemia. Both of us use them now and again if we start suffering.
DB
Welcome David!
Interesting…. I'll have a chat with Doc next time I'm in the pub and see what he thinks. Overdosing on iron [I believe] can cause problems, not least when passing through security checkpoints?