I have only one 'restless leg'

I have only learned tonight, after several years of being kept awake by peculiar sensations in one leg, that there is such a thing as RLS. I had a bad fall about four years ago and put these feelings down to damage done to muscles or ligaments as a result of it. I walk twice a day, every day, for about two hours with my dogs, and have absolutely no problems then, nor am I affected when I am sitting, the only time that I experience these odd feelings is at night.

I am wondering whether the fact that the sensations are only in one leg mean that it cannot be RLS?

9 Replies

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  • Hi yes it can be in just one leg!.If you look at the post by DreyaC it is discussed there .It is about 8 posts below yours .

  • My RLS is sometimes only in one leg but at worst passes to other leg then arm then other arm. 2 laps takes me thro' till 5am when I can then sleep. With Tramadol this is now very rare and for last week it has only been my right leg. Weird!

  • Thanks so much for the replies. I have now looked at other posts and I think perhaps that RLS is not what I have, as the movement is not involuntary, it is me shifting about, trying to get the leg in a comfortable position. So I think I may have Restless Person on account of Peculiar Leg Sensation Syndrome.

    I do have mild hypothyroidism ( I see there is a suggestion there might be a link) for which I take a very low dose of thyroxine, but I would not want to take any drugs such as Tramadol or pain killers, since I am not in pain, only uncomfortable.

  • Hi mrsdparis,people take the Tramadol not just as a painkiller but because it reduces/eliminates that urge to move sensation too

  • RLS does not cause involuntary movement. RLS makes you have to move your limbs to get relief, but it's your own conscious choice to move the limb or not. However, not to do so is torture - think of it like having an itch that's driving you mad - it's up to you whether or not you reach to scratch it, if you can bear the itch. With RLS the sensation is so strong that you have to give in. Anything causing involuntary movement is not RLS.

  • Why not? From what I read about chronic low grade inflammation, whose to say you are not pinching nerves more on one side than the other? Please visit (website deleted contravenes forum rules - Kaarina - volunteer). Long read, but well worth it. Hope you find some answers there.

    Cheers,

    Kelene

  • I often find that only one leg is affected or that one leg is worse than the other. As far as I know it is RLS.

  • Thank you so much for more replies/comments. It seems, from this forum, that RLS can cover a bewildering array of symptoms and affect a large number of body parts. Interesting to learn that involuntary movements are definitely not indicative of RLS.

    I am wondering whether the discomfort I feel is 'phantom' or real? The areas affected are the inner knee (medial collateral ligament? I have been looking up anatomy of leg) and all down the outside of lower leg (peroneal muscle?). I do occasionally feel slight twinges in these areas when I am upright, but they are insignificant. Is the discomfort at night because my leg is horizontal? Or is it because I am awake in the early hours of the morning, acutely conscious of everything which might be causing sleeplessness, and looking for something to blame? My leg does not feel uncomfortable when I first go to bed, when I usually listen to the radio for an hour or so. And, if I sleep right through the night, which I do two nights out of three, then there is no problem. So I am wondering if this thing is psycho-somatic?

  • I have rose mainly in the right leg but was then told this could be osteoporosis though no change of medication from tramadol which I try to forego as it gives me a terrible dry mouth in the morning. So at present sticking to aspirin but awake hence the post.

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