What is restless leg syndrome, and is it common in pregnancy?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at
10:01 am
benandjerryluvr asked:
Are there any danger signs related to this?
Tagged with: Danger Signs • Pregnancy • What Is Restless Leg Syndrome
Filed under: Restless Leg Syndrome
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Are you bed ridden. Could be RLS. Talk to you Dr about it
Check out for good info.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition that is characterized by the irresistible urge to move the legs. In order for you to be officially diagnosed with RLS, you must meet the criteria described in the four bullets below:
You have a strong urge to move your legs which you may not be able to resist. The need to move is often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations. Some words used to describe these sensations include: creeping, itching, pulling, creepy-crawly, tugging, or gnawing.
Your RLS symptoms start or become worse when you are resting. The longer you are resting, the greater the chance the symptoms will occur and the more severe they are likely to be.
Your RLS symptoms get better when you move your legs. The relief can be complete or only partial but generally starts very soon after starting an activity. Relief persists as long as the motor activity continues.
Your RLS symptoms are worse in the evening especially when you are lying down. Activities that bother you at night do not bother you during the day.
RLS can also cause difficulty in falling or staying asleep which can be one of the chief complaints of the syndrome. A substantial number of people who have RLS also have periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS). These are jerks that occur every 20 to 30 seconds on and off throughout the night. This can cause partial awakenings that disrupt sleep. Sleep deprivation can seriously impact your work, relationships, and health.
It is a creepy crawly feeling in your legs, like you have to move them. It is commond during pregnancy and is related to low iron. Some dr’s recommend taking an iron supplement if you start to feel this or if there is a history of it during pregnancy in your family.
I’m not sure if it’s common in pregnancy, but I do know what it is. It is a tingly, twitchy, weird feeling in your legs. Sometimes one, sometimes both legs. Usually in the evening. It is often times a sensation of I just have to get up and move my legs, but even that doesn’t make it go away. I find the best way to alleviate it is to lie on my back with a pillow under my knees, relax, and go to sleep. You’ll know if you have it, you will nearly be crazy with that weird feeling in your legs! There is medication for it but I’ve never tried it and I don’t know if it would even be safe for you if you are pregnant. Good luck!
relax you are watching too much tv….
Symptoms
The main symptom of restless legs syndrome is an irresistible urge to move your legs because of uncomfortable and sometimes painful sensations deep within your legs. Some people describe the sensations as aching, creeping, crawling, or prickling. Symptoms usually begin about 15 minutes after you lie down to sleep or to relax, or when you have not moved for long periods, such as when traveling in a car or airplane. Symptoms that occur frequently can result in significant sleep loss, fatigue, and problems with daytime functioning.
Once they are asleep, most people also have involuntary or jerking leg movements called periodic limb movements. These movements can interrupt your sleep, which adds to problems with fatigue. Periodic limb movements may also occur during the day, although most people move around once their legs begin to bother them. As a result, the periodic limb movements that people have when they are awake may not be noticed except under unusual circumstances.
Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements also often disturb the sleep of a bed partner. This can cause fatigue for both people and strain the relationship.
Symptoms may start during infancy or any time during your life. At first, your symptoms may be mild and occur only once in awhile. Typically, symptoms get worse with age. After age 50, many people with this condition have daily symptoms and suffer from significant sleep loss. Severe insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and lack of social activity can become a problem and cause a decline in quality of life.
Restless legs syndrome may develop or become worse during pregnancy, especially after week 20. Symptoms usually disappear soon after the baby is born, unless the mother had this condition before she became pregnant.
Other conditions—such as leg cramps, certain nerve disorders, or arthritis—can produce symptoms that are similar to those of restless legs syndrome. However, most of those other conditions do not occur primarily at night and when a person is at rest. Leg cramps that are not caused by restless legs syndrome often do occur at night, but they usually involve intense pain in certain muscles, unlike leg cramps caused by restless legs syndrome.
The kind of nervous leg seen in some people during the day is not restless legs syndrome in most cases. People who have nervous legs are not moving their legs because they feel the need to. In fact, they are often unaware that they are moving their legs.
a condition in which the legs feel very uncomfortable unless moved; commonly occurs shortly after bedtime; may affect as many as ten percent of Americans. I dont think it would be common in pregnancy, if you think you have it you should definitely see a doctor
This is my MySpace blog. You can read more on common illnesses and natural cures. I know how it feels! I take a good whole food multivitamin. After a few days my symptoms went away. You don’t need a prescription that could potentially harm you baby! Check out some more natural things that you could do during pregnancy. Don’t put anything artificial inside of you while you are carrying a baby. This includes prescription medications.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) / Don’t suffer anymore!
Millions of people have trouble getting to sleep due to a condition commonly known as Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). For reasons unknown, when these people are in bed, their legs jerk, twitch, and kick involuntarily. RLS has also been linked to the painful nighttime leg muscle cramps that afflict so many people. A deficiency of magnesium may be involved in RLS, and some research strongly suggests that anemia may play a major role in this annoying disorder.
Women’s Health Advisor reports that an estimated 10 percent of all Americans suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Various treatments have been attempted for RLS, but nothing seems to work consistently for everyone. Taking the proper vitamin and mineral supplements is the best approach to this problem. The supplements that help this condition more than anything are:
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium
Zinc
The following nutrients may prevent restless leg syndrome and leg cramps (taken daily):
400 mg. B complex
1,000 mg. Magnesium
400 IU Vitamin E
Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2000, Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
Another source links a magnesium deficiency to RLS and recommends the following course of treatment:
Avoid alcohol and caffeine (as well as over-the-counter cold and sinus remedies). Unless you are of African or Mediterranean descent, add fava beans to your diet.
Folic acid: 800 mcg. daily. Although vitamin B12 deficiency is only a problem when folic acid is taken in a dosage greater than 1 mg.. Never take folic acid supplements without also taking vitamin B12 to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency.
Magnesium: up to 350 mg. daily.
Vitamin B12: 800 mcg. daily.
Vitamin C: 500-1,000 mg. 3 times daily.
See your healthcare provider about a blood test for ferritin, which measures iron deficiency. Do not take supplemental iron unless a blood test confirms iron deficiency. Take iron and magnesium supplements at different times of the day, since magnesium supplements slow the absorption of iron.
Source: Healing Without Medication, 2003, Robert S. Rister
Sublingual B12, B6 and Folic acid… You put it under your tongue and it goes directly into your bloodstream. You get more B12 than from a shot at the doctor’s office. And you take it every day!
Are you sure it is RLS? There are a number of nerves that run from the legs to the obliques or spinal column. Are you sure it is RLS? If so, here is a link to a site that might give you some information.
But, to answer your question. Yes it is possible and common.
Good luck and take care of that precious baby of your.