Restless leg Syndrome

[*Efjay*]

AGGGGGG! Does anyone else suffer with this during pg? Its driving me batty!
Anyone know of a "cure" or at least got some tips on how to relieve it?

[beastie]

yes i did!:mad:

you can do different things

~ i dont know the english word for it, in german you say: changing showers
make cold water, then hot water then cold water aso over your legs before you go to bed

~ there are medicals against it, please ask your gyn

~ acupuncture can help

~ magnesium

~ folic acid

~ zinc

~ iron

ask your doc

[beastie]

yes it has

it feels like your legs wanna go all the time when you lying in bed or sitting on sofa or calm down anyhow

[*Efjay*]

Basicallt that what it is Em, I get an uncomfortable feeeling in my legs (mostly my right this time round) between my knee & my ankle. Its like a pressure sort of in my calf but I have to move my legs to get any releif.

Symptoms
"An urge to move, usually due to uncomfortable sensations that occur primarily in the legs."
The sensations are unusual and unlike other common sensations, and those with RLS have a hard time describing them. People use words such as: uncomfortable, electrical, creeping, painful, itching, pins and needles, pulling, creepy-crawly, ants inside the legs, and many others. The sensation and the urge can occur in any body part; the most cited location is legs, followed by arms. Some people have little or no sensation, yet still have a strong urge to move.

"Motor restlessness, expressed as activity, that relieves the urge to move."
Movement will usually bring immediate – however often temporary – relief. Walking is most common; however, doing stretches, yoga, biking, or other physical activity may relieve the symptoms. Constant and fast up-and-down movement of the leg, coined "sewing machine legs" by at least one RLS sufferer, is often done to keep the sensations at bay without having to walk. Sometimes a specific type of movement will help a person more than another.

"Worsening of symptoms by relaxation."
Any type of inactivity involving sitting or lying – reading a book, a plane ride, watching TV or a movie, taking a nap - can trigger the sensations and urge to move. This depends on several factors: the severity of the person’s RLS, the degree of restfulness, the duration of the inactivity, etc.

"Variability over the course of the day-night cycle, with symptoms worse in the evening and early in the night."
While some people only experience RLS at bedtime and others experience it all day and all night, all sufferers notice that the RLS is worst in the evening and the least noticeable sometime in the early to mid morning.

[Trish]

Oh Fiona, I have no cure but I really feel for you. I suffered badly with that when pg. I used to just get up and walk around, either that or toss and turn all bloody night

[*Efjay*]

Its such a pain because I am trying to "practice" my hypnobirthing stuff, relaxing etc & I can't because I need to keep stretcing my legs.
The other thing, I don't know if its related or not. But I need to crack my knees as well. I crack my knuckles at the best of time (again I have to other wise a pressure builds up, mostly my fingers & knees) So I lie there bend & stretch over & over to get my knee to crack. My right knee has the worst crunching sound at the slightest flex of the joint its not funny.

[MantaRay]

I had this with both pgs. I think it was worse this pg, but eased a while ago. I saw an interesting show on tv which suggested that kids with cramps in their legs/feet at night (called night pains I think?) could actually be suffering a form of RLS. They said there was a possible link to iron levels. I found this interesting as I have high iron usually so don't take iron supplements during pg.

TBH FJ, I didn't find anything really helped excpet moving when I needed to, and eventually the symptom mostly disappeared. Maybe yours will too??

[*Efjay*]

I had nothing better to do at 2.30 am this morning so I got on here to google RLS to see if there was anything i could do to help it.

[Antheia]

I suffer with this even when i'm not pregnant, but it's heaps worse when i am pregnant, especially lately, so i really feel for you Only thing that i do is get up and walk around the house for a bit and it goes away.

[kristi14]

Hi,

Yes, i get it and it is so annoying.

I give my legs a rub, shake and stretch and flex my legs. A hot shower can help too.

[Cricket]

I got this with both my babies too, but only in the car! I would sit in the passenger seat and just be bouncing! It drove me crazy. (We've got a little car - no room to stretch, really, so long trips when I was pregnant were pretty awful.) Sorry, I also have no suggestions for relief, except to move the legs and stretch when you need to. You definitely have my sympathy. At least you know it will end, eventually....
All the best!

[Mother Goose]

Oh I have this too! It drives me batty! The only thing I have found that even remotley helps is to get in a hot shower and scrub my legs in circular motions with a rough exfoliation brush. Other than that - I can't get rid of it! Magnesium is suppose to help but I'm reluctant to use it without talking to m Ob first....

MG

[*Efjay*]

The problem with it is just being pg can be a cause so taking things like magnesium or iron etc isn't going to help if the only cause is being PG.
Now If I could buy a NON pregnant women in a capsule form, I might be ok! LOL

[lovemybubs]

I had this too while pregnant, tho it was only in one leg mainly at the ankel. Use to drive me batty. I found no way of getting rid of it. Just had to move my foot around and around till i fell asleep.

I really feel for anyone that gets this. Its really frustrating!!