When your ill

[annakalia]

Is it just me or does your rls stop when your ill?

[Hidden]

Theoretically speaking (rather than from experience) an infection, unaccompanied by fever, should make RLS worse because the body will withhold the release of iron into the blood (from stores or even GI Tract) in an effort to kill off the viral or bacterial invader that needs, wants and loves iron. Very good defense mechanism by our bodies but very bad for our brains which also need "serum/blood" iron to modulate the release of dopamine. It's that release of dopamine that quiets our legs. No release of dopamine (because of no circulating iron - because of withholding to starve out bacteria) and you have RLS.

However...it seems that the higher your body temperature (as with a fever) the greater the release of dopamine per this article.

So were you running a fever when your RLS went into remission?

link.springer.com/article/1...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

P.S. There's a difference between "core body temperature" and "feeling hot." Even when you feel hot, or have hot flashes, it is likely that your core body temperature remains the same as when you're not having that hot flash. I know sometimes when I wake up at night I feel a flush come over me and I have RLS at that moment. I always think crap, I've got RLS. Then it passes and I fall back to sleep. There's something hormonal probably going on there that's making me feel hot and giving me RLS. But I'm sure my core body temperature remains stable at that moment. So a fever, which elevates your core body temperature, should make RLS better, according to the article (albeit temporarily) but a hot flash (for me and others on here) seems to make it worse?

[Annieapple]

If you are taking medication that has codeine in it, it may be helping you??

[jumpingvalley]

Yes! I've noticed over the years that whenever I'm running a fever (flu etc, luckily rarely) I've been completely rls-free. Interesting that the article notes higher release of dopamine with higher body temperature, which would explain this. But as you say, Terraverde, for me just feeling too hot rather than feverish has the opposite effect - i.e. always triggers rls.

[annakalia]

I had the flue i dont know if I was running a frver but I was feeling hot and had the fan blowing at me to make me feel better but no rls now for over a week and still have flu like sypmtoms. I didnt take any medication other than paracetamol ( witch has no codiene in it) and hot lemonade with honey.

[Hidden in reply to annakalia]

Anna, I'll ask the same of you, why do you think you have RLS. Did it start with pregnancy or a medication or a supplement or a surgery? Could you be iron deficient or b12 deficient?

[Eileenk]

Maybe it depends on what kind if "ill"? I''ve sore throat, wretched cough AND my jerky legs.... But i would class this as 'not being well' but still ....no sleep for me tonight!

[annakalia]

Terraverde. My rls didnt come on after pregnancy or a opperation.

A roandom month 4 years ago... I wasnt getting any sleep as my legs felt as if I had a tens mashine on them and the urge to constantly move them and kck out. I could not sleep and during the day my legs aked like i had run a marathon yet i had done no exersise, I was exausted and I was a single parent at the time and had two children 4 and 5 years old. one day i went to my mums house in tears as i was so tired and my legs hurt. SO I googled nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx and put my symptoms in and rls described them to a T. so I took what I found to my docters and told him my symptoms and he put me on ropinirole and up till a month or so ago they were working now theer dont and im now taking pramipexole. which are working crossed fingers.

[Hidden in reply to annakalia]

Ok Anna, humor me here. Are you otherwise disease free (except for RLS) and medication free (except for prami)? You mentioned that you have a 4 year old and the RLS started 4 years ago. Have you had your iron and b12 levels checked since your RLS symptoms began?

Very glad you have relief. Love those years, 4 and 5. My lips never left my son's cheeks when he was that age. Actually they still don't and he just turned 16.

[annakalia in reply to Hidden]

My children were 4 and 5 when my rls started my youngest is son is 1 years then my girl who is now 8 and my oldest son who is now 9 years. and I did have my bloods taken came back normal but I dont know if they checked the iron and b12.

Yea its a pitty now that I have an 8 year old going on 16 and a 9 year old ( which im looking in to) acts more like a 6 year old at times and my 1 year old is now walking so there keeping me on my toes. All the more reason my rls played up cause im so active and 2 I need sleep! and like I said the prami is helping thank goodness.

[Hidden]

There are two types of RLS, Primary and Secondary. Primary, is what most people have, its genetic, runs in families. Secondary, is caused by an underlying condition. Sometimes taking care of the underlying condition can give good relief or even stop RLS.

[annakalia in reply to Hidden]

Mine is primary my mum has it and my aunt had it too.

[Hidden]

Hi annakalia mine is primary too. Inherited from my father, i also have a brother who suffers too.

[annakalia in reply to Hidden]

i only found out about them having it after i told them i was suffering with it though. my mum never went to doc about it though.

[Hidden]

I knew i had RLS because of how my father acted at night. He isnt here anymore, so cant talk to him about it. But he used to sit by his bed and thump his legs in the night. I know it kept my mother awake too, and they eventually slept apart. Back then, i doubt he knew what he had and never saw a doctor or had meds, not that there was meds back then, like there is today. I am sure his doctor would have not known what it was or how to treat it. I am almost sure his was only mild, i dont think it kept him awake all night.

So, far my adult children have not shown any symptoms of RLS, i hope that continues for them..

[Hardly]

Curiously yes. Whether flu or injury I too have found RLS vanishes. A bad run of RLS leaves me feeling very ill but that doesn't stop it though. I had an allergic reaction to lidocaine in gum gel that had me whisked off to hospital. I got over that in a day or so and no RLS at all for 2 weeks.

[nikkii6902]

My husband has RLS bad and he is the same way that when he is sick he forgets his meds and his legs are fine. Crazy. I wonder what it is that does that?

[bdbengtsson]

I was just wondering the same thing.

I'm sitting here on the couch at 9pm with a fever when RLS is typically raging and I have no symptoms

I won't have to take meds tonight.