Electric Leg?

[brettnmi]

I'm 69 and I was diagnosed a year ago. Doing well on Sinomet but lately I'm experiencing something like electric shocks up and down my leg which last for hours. Has anyone else experienced this or know how to manage it?

[Hidden]

Possibly RLS ......Restless Leg Syndrome. The symptoms of RLS vary greatly as do the effects, but you need to check it out. I suffered greatly from it for a long time, years, before it was diagnosed. Mostly at nighttime (every night) and I could not stay in bed, as I had to get up and walk, around the house. I was reduced to less than 2 hrs of sleep at night and went through about 15 different drugs prescribed for anxiety, depression, you name it. The anxiety came from the lack of sleep! In 2014, a neurologist finally heard me and prescribed Mirapex; I was able to sleep as my RLS was under control BUT the side effect of the drug for me was an exorbitant amount of weight gained ....45 lbs over 7 months. I was 124 lbs when I started Mirapex.

My second neurologist agreed to me stopping Mirapex slowly and then increased my nighttime dosage of Sinemet CR. That was two years ago, and I don't look back! .......Except that I have not been able to drop the weight as it seems the Mirapex has changed my metabolism and I understand that Sinemet CR can have the same side effect. That I cannot personally confirm.

I am now 72, diagnosed with PD 5 years ago. I am female and live in BC, Canada.

[brettnmi in reply to Hidden]

You had a horrible time. I get up and march around the house at night too. After you wrote I changed one dose of Sinamet to night and it helps so thanks. Aren't you glad to be Canadian? I live in DC where Trump makes everything worse.

[BUZZ1397]

Sounds like a nerve impingement starting in your lower spine. Is it going down the inside of your thigh all the way down to your toes? If so you may have a degenerated disc or maybe you have a mild subluxation of a disc? If it doesn't clear up try asking somebody to help you flip and turn your mattress (if its the normal mattress design not one of the new ones). Could be that will help "fix" a mild disc problem, it used to help me when that would happen. You know how after a few weeks a mattress surface can form to your weight and shape and you sleep in a "hole" that doesn't rebound during the day when you are not in bed. That's why I upgraded to a layered foam model years ago. I hope some of this above is appropriate to your dilemma. Be well. If nothing else helps there are Rx meds for the condition. My wife uses one called Cymbalta (Duloxetine).

[Hidden in reply to BUZZ1397]

drugs.com/cymbalta.html

Do not use Cymbalta if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others. After you stop taking Cymbalta, you must wait at least 5 days before you start taking an MAOI.

[brettnmi in reply to BUZZ1397]

Thanks for that idea. I'll try flipping the mattress. The feeling does go all the way up and down from hip to toes.

[Penelope68 in reply to brettnmi]

Sounds like restless leg to me. I suffered with that for a long time but I had an iron deficiency and when I started taking iron and I also went on Mirapax and it hardly ever happens. But when I had iT I too couldn't sleep and I would get out of bed and wander around the house all night. Talk to your doc, it can be treated.

[brettnmi in reply to BUZZ1397]

Thanks, great idea

[Hikoi]

Sounds very like restless leg syndrome as Birdworld said. I would be checking it out . Its common in PD.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by throbbing, pulling, creeping, or other unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable, and sometimes overwhelming, urge to move them. Symptoms occur primarily at night when a person is relaxing or at rest and can increase in severity during the night. Moving the legs relieves the discomfort. Often called paresthesias (abnormal sensations) or dysesthesias (unpleasant abnormal sensations), the sensations range in severity from uncomfortable to irritating to painful.

ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Pat...

[Serenity_finaly-1]

I have a similar condition but it is my thumb on my left hand. It seems to come and go when I start to really try to work out.

I know that you are saying " Dhuaaaa" , but the workout is jogging. It is like your tendon is pulled way to tight. Something similar to being out on a hot day and you walk into a cold ice cream shop and tear into hot fudge butterscotch sundae. You have had your elbow bent the whole time so that tendon tightened up and now when you stretch out that arm it sends you through the roof. When it happens it can take months to feel better.

HAL

[Babowen898]

My husband, too, has this same thing. Dr says RLS, and prescribed Clonazepam. But he wakes to go to the bathroom and cannot stand on his own two feet and walk. The clonazepam has relaxed the leg muscles (and the bladder) and he is like a limp dishrag. We stopped it. I cannot physically get him to the bathroom, or anywhere for that matter. He does use Emergen C, which helps somewhat. I would love to help him find a solution, if anyone has any ideas.

[Hidden]

To Babowen898,

Having stopped the Clonazepam, what medication is he taking for PD? If Sinemet CR, try taking a dose before bedtime.

My bedtime dose (3 Sinemet CR 100/25) is actually double my regular dose as recommended by my Neurologist; the increase is specifically to address the RLS.

PLEASE NOTE: I would not have done this without my Neurologist's instructions.

[brettnmi]

Thanks, I'm going to ask mine.