Monday, February 23, 2015

One Woman’s Struggle With Restless Legs Syndrome

I went to a different doctor [from the one who diagnosed the fibromyalgia]. And I said, "My legs just kill me. It feels like a tightening up inside. You wouldn't think so, but when I walk, it relieves it."

What did your physician do for you? Did he give you an official diagnosis?
He thought I had arthritis ^[1] so he put me on an arthritis medication. Evidently, one of its rare side effects was insomnia, so it did just the opposite of what it was supposed to do!

So I went in again and the doctor who had prescribed me the medication wasn't there, so I saw a certified nurse practitioner instead. She said it sounds like you have restless legs syndrome and prescribed a new medication, explaining that it was a nerve condition, not a muscle condition.

The new drug she gave me is supposed to be used for Parkinson's. The only side effect is that it makes you sleepy – so it's the best of all worlds. I also take magnesium supplements, which help me a lot.

They don't cure it, but it helps. Since I've been diagnosed with restless legs syndrome, if I run out of the magnesium, my legs hurt me twice as badly. I don't think there's any documented proof, it's just how it works for me.