Meeting at work in a circle, I need h... - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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Meeting at work in a circle, I need help with this please.

Jaynielynne profile image
25 Replies

Did you ever have to sit through a long meeting at work with your legs acting

up? We had to sit in circles and my legs were bad the whole time. I ended up

saying that I wasn't feeling well and went to the bathroom a few times just to

walk around. I told some co workers about RLS and they think I have allergies

or it's lack of exercise. I do work out. What do you do during meetings?

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Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne
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25 Replies

I used to stand up

Brett85 profile image
Brett85

Get up and leave ;p

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply toBrett85

You're getting pretty cocky there Brett. lol

Sue777 profile image
Sue777

Hi Jaynielynne, this has happened to me in the past. I am always open about my RLS some people laugh until I tell them how horrible it is and how it affects me. I would have a word with the chair person of your meeting prior to the start and explain the problem and that you may have to leave the room several times if your RLS starts up.

Tell your colleagues that it is nothing to do with an allergy or lack of exercise. What medication are you taking for it? Perhaps you need a change of meds. I was on clonazepam for years until they stopped working, I am now taking Ropinrole I find this works much better for me.

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply toSue777

I'm new to this division of working with these people. I don't have

a single person that I can call a close friend. I told my two neighbors

that I have been sitting next to that I have rls. They are the ones

that thought that it's an allergy. I took pramipexole and it made me

so sick the first and second dose that I couldn't take it. My mom gave

me a couple of Vanquish to try. It's working but starting to wear off.

I take 4 Aspirin a day. That's down by half of what I was using. I get

headaches from stress.

in reply toJaynielynne

Do you know that taking Aspirin could be having a rebound affect on your headaches.

in reply toJaynielynne

Jaynielynne this is info on rebound headaches...please read it.... :)

webmd.com/migraines-headach...

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply to

Thank you. You are so very helpful Elisse. You went out of your way to help with another problem besides RLS.

Lilmo1 profile image
Lilmo1 in reply toJaynielynne

I take 4 Pramiprozole have been put on it not tgat long ago as Ropinrole wasnt helping much. I have to take it late afternoon to prevent it coming on which it does do.

I too have been in situations in a church circle group meeting and have had to leave it because of rls getting up walking around I'd all ok but when you return and sit down sure its back to square 1 again.

If your on med for it take it a few hours before your meeting.

If not you would have to excuse yourself say your not feeling to good its not lying as when it starts we don't feel good.

Lilmo1 profile image
Lilmo1 in reply toLilmo1

Didn't realize that was 4 years ago..meeting well over.

Annieapple profile image
Annieapple

This is a difficult one. I usually try doing a few stretches of the calf muscles before the meeting & like you, take a bathroom break when I am desperate & do more stretches.

Wear flat shoes. While you are sitting in the meeting keeping your toes firmly on the ground, raise & lower your heels.

Drink plenty of water!!

If your colleagues don't understand your RLS don't discuss it with them. It will make you feel discouraged. (I think we deserve medals for bravery & resourcefulness!! ) If you have a general notice board at work pin up an article about it sometime to educate them.

Do let us know if you discover anything else that helps you.

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply toAnnieapple

As I said, my mom gave me a couple of Vanquish pills. They worked

for most of the morning. Now I have the afternoon to get through. I

have another big headache so it's either Vanquish or Aspirin. I

made an appointment to see a neuro about them. I get one every

single day from stress. I hate my body today. Thanks for your help.

I have a long bus journey home in the evenings and I can mostly stop the RLS from coming on by tensing and un-tensing my thigh muscles quite quickly - it would look like I'm jiggling in my seat except that I do it so gently that it is not even visible to the person in the next seat. I've got into the habit of starting this whenever I have to sit still - it gets to be automatic.

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply to

Good idea.

MrsPeanut profile image
MrsPeanut

See if you are sensitive to foods in the nightshade family. I AM! And when I eat even a little it drives my legs nuts! I have to read labels on foods and order carefully at restaurants. No tomato, potato, any types of red or green pepper, eggplant , paprika, nutmeg. If my hubby gets nacho chips or any type of chips at all I stay away from them not even a bite. Don't eat anything that has even been cooked in the same oils or water with any of these. I can't drink apple juice or beets either. They contain the same chemical, solanine. so read labels. Try and elimination diet and cut all of them out then introduce them one at a time by eating a regular serving or more to see what happens. The reaction for me may start right off or it may not happen for a couple of hours. Not every one with RLS is sensitive to them but it is worth a try.Oh, sweet potato if ok. They are not in the nightshade family. I do fine with just pramipexole now but if I eat any of these foods I am in trouble.

I also took marinol for a while. It is THC, yes, maijuana in a pill form. You can't take this during the day obviously but I would take it at night about an hour before bed, sleep well and be fine for work in the morning.Some states here in the USA have it legal to smoke it. Good luck and hope my suggestions are helpful.

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply toMrsPeanut

Got rid of nightshade vegetables. How about just eating marijuana? I could

bake potatoes with garlic butter and marijuana, rosemary. =) I am thinking very seriously about that. I don't know if they have the pills here.

Gwenlou profile image
Gwenlou in reply toMrsPeanut

Yes MrsPeanut, I agree with your suggestion; however it is the gas that these nightshade Vegs and other foods cause, that give me my RLS. Twisting at the waist, drinking water, walking up stairs help me to relieve the gas, and empty my bladder and colon....then all is fine. Cheers!

MrsPeanut profile image
MrsPeanut in reply toGwenlou

Interesting how things affect us each differently! All three of my brothers have RLS and each of us has a different way of dealing with it. One of them takes the mirapex like I do but can eat the nightshades. One does nothing and jiggles his legs all day. One doesn't have it very bad and just deals with occasional nights of problems. I don't have the gas problem from the nightshades as you do though. All I have to eat is a very little bit of them and -----yikes ----a little while later I truly regret eating any of them. So now I just stay completely away from them big time! Makes it troublesome going out to a restaurant to find anything on a menu I can eat that doesn't have tomato, potato or any type of peppers!

KellyDBrille profile image
KellyDBrille in reply toMrsPeanut

Excellent points about nightshades -- they give me RLS, muscle twitching, spasms, and PAIN.

But I just wanted to clarify that there is no solanine in apples or beets. I was worried about this too, but found the following information on the 'paleomom' website. Quoting:

"I did however find a handful of scientific articles that listed apples and sugar beets as sources of solanine. These articles all reference back to a single paper published in the magazine Food Technology in 1991. My wonderful husband was able to track down this original article for me (yay for university libraries). The original article has nothing to do with apples, sugar beets, OR solanine (although it does measure amylase inhibitors in beans, which is interesting). "

So it could be that if you are getting a reaction to apple or beets, it's from another compound in them?

cumoneileen profile image
cumoneileen

I would explain the situation and just stand up. You can move your legs or walking on the spot. Without drawing to much attention. Once people know you have RLS they will understand.

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne in reply tocumoneileen

The 2 people in my group already are talking about me because of my rls. I did stand up just saying that I can't stand sitting so long.. I was too tired to

stand very long. No sleep hardly at all. I feel really angry today that I can't sleep like a normal person.

Jaynielynne profile image
Jaynielynne

Thanks everyone for good suggestions. I appreciate the time and thought that you put into my problems.

Pete-1 profile image
Pete-1

People don't notice other people as much as you think or feel that they do. So although you can't hide the movements and people will notice, they will not notice as much as you do yourself.

Maybe you could find some authoritative text to give to people who don't seem to be able to grasp the essentials of RLS. At least you may get past the rubbish about allergies etc.

Brett85 profile image
Brett85 in reply toPete-1

I agree with this theory Jaynielynne. Tell people that you can't sit

long or stand long because your legs hurt or back hurts. People

understand that theory or use it for a chance to educate people.

Ask them if they heard of RLS before the meeting starts. You

can tell the chair person and just not say anything to the employees.

I feel for you, I have the same

Pete-1 profile image
Pete-1

Perhaps you could have a word with whoever is calling the meeting to let people organise themselves regarding chair placement.Anyway generally people prefer to choose their own place rather than being herded into a circle. Then hopefully you may find a place where you feel less "on show".

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