Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Question: i'm trying to figure out if i have restless leg syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder? I have always thought I had RLS. I've had symptoms since I was 14. I have been taking Provigil for 6 to 9 months which is used to treat Narcolepsy, among other things. I'm now wondering if I might indeed have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder as I also have issues with my arms and hands and what I thought was RLS has gotten much worse.

Answer: What are your symptoms? What other health problems and symptoms do you have that aren't related to this? What health problems do your parents have?

Question: What do you do for restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder. Also have Fibromyalgia.? I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 11 years ago. Prior to that I was diagnosed with Hashmotos hypothyroidism, an auto-immune disease attacking the thyroid. 3 years ago, when trying to DC a med for Fibromyalgia, I learned that I had developed Essential Tremors. Now I've moved on to Restless Leg and Periodic Limb movement disorder. I'm dealing with the central nervous system here, and wonder if I don't have Chronic Lyme, although all tests have been negative. I grew up in the woods of a lyme infested area of PA. I'm dealing with it all, but the lack of sleep associated with Fibromyalgia and the waking from periodic limb movement disorder and minor Sleep Apnea are reaking havoc with my life. Anybody out there dealing with the same mess??? I'm all ears.

Answer: Hi. I'm sorry to hear that you have had such a difficult road. I thought that your question was interesting because I have a good friend that has dealt with the Hashmotos hypothyroidism disease and related issues. She has been taking a product called Reliv and her thyroid is now functioning normally and she just does not deal with all the annoying little problems anymore. It truely is a miracle! I am sure she would be willing to share her story with you. Let me know if you are interesting in hearing more. Take care and God bless, Sherri worknman73@yahoo.com

Question: Periodic Limb Movement Disorder in children? Does anyone know how I could find out if my son suffers from PLMD?

Answer: I would have him tested for sleep apnea first. It is very overlooked and can be a giant cause of PLMD. I suffer from it too, and it is caused by my sleep apnea. I currently take neurontin to help ease it. Im waiting on my appt with the sleep clinic. Good Luck Im responding to the idiot below me who called me pathetic, my son did have sleep apnea, and it is very real in children and adults!!

Question: Anyone taking mirapex for periodic limb movement disorder? If taking something else...what and does it work?

Answer: Well, I was taking it but its been a while since i could lift the pill to my mouth, so.... Hehe- just kidding. Mirapex doesnt have a periodic limb movement disorder as a prescribing indication, so your doctor is using it "off label". The usual therapies are benzodiazepines, gaba pentin, tiagabine, baclofen, levodopa. Go over the pros and cons with a neurologist who knows you well.

Question: does anyone know any alternative health cures/treatment for periodic limb movement disorder? I was just diagnosed and afraid to take the drug they recommended due to it influencing dopamine levels and potential for hallucinations and severe obsessions with gambling, sex, overeating, and shopping. there are lawsuits against the company for these life wrecking side effects. I have been sleep deprived nearly 25 years and on bipap/cpap for 15 with little abatement of the many health effects. I am finanlly starting to get some of the errors made in treating sleep apnea corrected but it will be in vain if I can't get the PLMD under control. I think they said I did it 175 times in less than 6 hours and weach time disrupts your sleep. I have not been able to find much alternatively since my diagnosis three days ago. I was considering dopamine raising herbs..anything else? )it is sometimes treated similarly to restless leg syndrome although it is a different thing..involuntary and under sleep unlike restless leg which is when awake and asleep. Dopamine also is related to Parkinson, another involuntary movement disorder. I am so scared of the medical drugs but also hanging on by a thread from severe sleep deprivation for so long.

Answer: drink 3 litres of water a day take ginko biloba mornings when you wake and have a hot bath at night before bed get other bits of your life sorted too (fear of movement?)

Question: Restless legs syndrom and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD)? I think I have one or the other. For the longest time I thought I had insomnia so I finally did some research and found RLS and PLMD. The symptoms matched up to me so well. They included discomfort in the legs while falling asleep, moving my legs a lot, complaints of insomnia, and in servere cases depression and thoughts of suicide. I was wondering if anyone had any cures, or advice on this. I wish I could sleep more and better. I don't want to tell my mother about this because of the depression factor and I don't want to see a doctor. My email is missjoannasloan@hotmail.com for anyone that has a lot of information and is willing to have a back and fourth and conversation on this. I really would enjoy the advice/help so please do not ignore my question! Thanks so much, God bless! :]

Answer: You are not alone!! There are medications that can help, although the majority of them can cause more side effects that what you already have. I also have this and what works for me is Stretching before bed, esp calves and ham strings. Tylenol also helps. I feel your pain as I've had soooo many sleepless nights feelings utterly helpless. RLS tends to flare up when you are run down and very tired. Try to stay on a steady sleep schedule....ya I know, it's not easy....

Question: best treatment for restless leg disorder and periodic limb movement? I get creepy crawlys in my legs at night and my spouse says that i twitch or move my legs it keeps him awake.

Answer: Treatment of restless leg syndrome is first directed toward any underlying illness, if known. For example, a search for iron deficiency by blood testing to reveal underlying iron deficiency anemia. Reduction or elimination of caffeine and alcohol can be very helpful. Stopping smoking can also diminish symptoms. Getting better sleep and exercise can help some persons affected by restless legs. Medications used to treat restless leg syndrome include carbidopa- levodopa, opioids (such as propoxyphene) or tramadol (Ultram) for intermittent symptoms, carbamazepine, clonazepam, diazepam, triazolam, temazepam, baclofen, bromocriptine and clonidine. Also, recently, gabapentin (Neurontin) has been found helpful. The FDA has now approved ropinirole (Requip) for the treatment of restless leg syndrome. Other treatments that have been helpful for some patients include avoiding caffeine, warm/cold baths, electric nerve stimulation, oral magnesium, and acupuncture.

Question: Anyone know what type of illness I have? Hi. I am trying to figure what kind of illness that I am having and the doctors doesn't seem to help. I've done many test and haven't gotten to the point of what it is. So far the symptoms I am having is really low energy and not able to do things that I normally do, and always sleeping more than 8 hours sometimes it can be 13 hours straight. When I spoke to my doctors they thought I had problems with my thyroid and when I took the test it proved negative. Then I saw a sleep specialist and did 2 type of test a multiple latency test and a test where u have to sleep overnight all they found was sleep apnea one is obtrusive and the other is central and also periodic limb movement disorder. I also had to do the cpap test and that didnt help either. Nonetheless even with the medication they gave hasn't worked...Someone tell me if they know what type of illness I have. Then I thought I had the chornica fatique syndrome or the Epstein-Barr virus , but I am unsure of it. What should I do? I also did an Iron level test, and found that I am not anemic, but rather have too much Iron in my blood so far I've seen a total of 3 doctors. Also did a blood test for my blood sugar and saw that I was still in the safe zone and am not diabetic. I've tried to do many things even changing my diet. I once weighed 180lbs and now weigh at 150lbs took me long enough I even did exercise but it was so hard to do them because I would give out too quick. I would feel so weak that I can't even do a 10 min exercise. It's like my muscles dont have any strength in them to lift something up . No I dont get any arm pains when I comb my hair, but I just feel weak when I lift it its like my arm feels very weak I dont know any other way to explain it. You know that is an interesting disease that is possible that I may have it cause all the symptoms do match for the muscle weakness. I dont know if it had anything to do with creatine I once took creatine to get bulkier. These are all wonderful responses I will keep them in mind and make sure to do them. Also yes I have seen a psychologist and psychiatrist regarding depression and anxiety disorders just wanted to add this to my details to get a better idea of the situation.

Answer: Get your liver checked. The doctor can do a cbc and see if your liver enzymes are elevated. However, 40% of the people with hepatitis C have liver enzymes in the normal range, so you should have a hepatitis panel done. The first complaint people have with hepatitis C is they are fatigued. Next comes joint pain, headaches, etc. Best wishes, hope the doctors figure out what it is.

Question: what would cause a person to need twelve hours of sleep or more per night? i had a sleep study which reveals severe periodic limb movement disorder but have been prescribed mirapex. it hasn't changed my need to sleep

Answer: There are many reasons...the first to come to mind is anxiety and depression. Hypersomnia (prolonged sleeping) can also be caused by fibromyalgia (which is another possibility considering your limb movement disorder), sleep apnea (which would have shown up in the sleep study), and genetics. If things keep up, you may want to ask your doctor to prescribe you a mild antidepressant. Best of luck!

Question: Can Requip cause increased appetite? I've been taking Requip for the past couple of months for Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. It's helped tremendously with my quality of sleep and energy level during the day. But I've noticed that I've also been experiencing a ravenous appetite. Could the Requip be contributing to this? Have any of you had similar experiences?

Answer: http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:g7v… Yes... Most meds in the muscle relaxant/neurological catagory do, Plus I remember them saying it on the commercial.