My restless legs (My Experience of Restless Legs Syndrome / Ekbom Syndrome)

Member Name: David Garrett

Product:	My Experience of Restless Legs Syndrome / Ekbom Syndrome
Date:	17/07/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Plenty

I am male, aged 70, and have suffered from RLS for probably thirty years. My doctor does not seem to believe that the condition exists. My symptoms generally appear in the late afternoon and continue into the night although by morning the problem is much better. I am such a restless sleeper that in the morning my duvet is on the floor; my wife now sleeps in another room. I do not smoke although I used to when I had the problem first, but I do find that caffeine worsenes the RLS, I now drink reduced-caffeine tea and coffee; I now think I shall try and give them both up completely. I understand that alcohol can worsen the symptoms and although I only have about one pint a week I am going to stop that too. Ropinirole and Tegretol are drugs used in the USA to treat RLS but I do not know if they are available here; I am not a great pill-popper anyway so I would be reluctant to go down that path as an experiment. I believe codeine can relieve the symptoms. I have no known family-related sufferers. My general health is good although I had a heart bypass a couple of years ago, I have a sensitive skin and suffered eczema and asthma as a child. I am overweight and probably do not get enough exercise. One odd thing to end on is that I get very hot feet in the evenings! I will often sit with my feet in a bowl of very cold water and then find that the restless legs are not so uncomfortable. But that might be because my feet are so bloody cold! Good luck to all sufferers and lets hope for a cure soon.

Summary: Don't get them!