Still very angry about the so called Chanel 5 documentary.
I sat down with my husband full of expectation that it would explore this debilitating condition and help those trying to support those affected by it to understand it better.
What a load of rubbish it was, what were we presented with,
A woman who couldn't sit still to have her toes painted, a man who shut his feet in the door and self harmed, a lady who annoyed her husband and a man who broke bones whilst flailing around (still apparently asleep)? And who was suffering from memory loss.
My husband gave up half way through watching this debacle saying it was all for the camera and didn't help or inform at all.
I agree, it made people with RLS look like fruit loops.
No mention of the possible causes, no mention of medication, prescribed or other forms.
No mention of iron, magnesium or dopamine, no talk of research, just pure silly sensationalism.
I know some got in touch with their Gp's and asked them to watch it, l hope mine didn't as it told the layman or professional absolutely nothing worth knowing.
Quite frankly l was embarrassed by it all and can only reflect on an opportunity missed for all those who have to live with this condition.
So thank you C5 for trivialising something that should have been presented as the serious neurological issue it is.
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Legsandmore
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I agree fully. I'm embarrassed to ask any of my family if they watched it -hopefully not- and I'll be deleting the recording.
I was slow to comment on the programme as I didn't want to be accused of influencing the conversation.
I understand completely that TV producers want and need to sensationalise everything - but the first 10 minutes achieved that. The rest of the time could well have been spent on the issues you mention. And would have been most helpful in educating doctors and fellow sufferers.
Hopefully there can be a series , which could be more informative.
At least it has got a conversation going and maybe energise a few people to get active in their respective organisations.
I'm not happy with it and they couldn't really have gotten much worse people for it, HOWEVER - the old guy I've walked the garden in snow at 4am contemplating killing myself and looking at my house and knowing the damage it would cause. I've hurt my feet, toes and arms from flailing in bed. My memory and ability to function is quite impaired. So there were things that rang true., although how the two of them couldn't work out how to write a f**king list is beyond me!
The woman with a pedicure, Jesus man, just Jesus what warped rationale is fulling her story - I am sorry if you are on here but the pedicure thing is not an attempt to beat RLS it is reinforcing your inability to have a normal life.
The woman that kept sticking her feet on her thick and unsupportive partner!! Why would she do that? Move to another fucking chair or like in the last scenes lie up against him and put your feet in the other direction! Then they go to a restaurant sit at a SMALL table so to make sure she has no room to move her legs. Then she starts necking wine! I'm not an aggressive person but I'd have tossed that table on them if I could have. Mind you when the hubby got half cut he came around :roll:
No one with full body RLS or from birth, no mentions of the drugs and how damaging they are, (seen on face book they couldn't due to adversing restrictions - opioids, DA's, etc could be named but not brands like Mirapex or Tramadol how could the documentary makers not work that out?)
What about diet, no Gentle Iron, no avoid alcohol no word on exercise, antihistamines antidepressants.
I appreciate they need it to look bad and sensational but that would not have been difficult to do with a better selected group.
Oh Raffs you've said it all. Expressed everything I, and I am sure most of us felt, as we sat through SUCH a disappointing hour. Of course I wanted to cry for their suffering as so many of us are going through similar examples. BUT are we trying to help ourselves? YES WE ARE. How dare we be portrayed like this. They better do a follow up programme quick, with sensible advice, from professional experts calling for more research. We need help not degrading pity.
Couldn't have put it better Raffs. My hubby actually thought it was a spoof with the weird, scary background music. Pipps made me laugh saying she'd have buried that awful hubby in the garden where she was digging away all day. Think we'll have to make our own programme in the future!!!
I consider myself fortunate at the moment as my legs are the best they have been in 40 yrs, although l now seem to have the symptoms in my arms and hands.
I don't take any prescribed meds, they just turned me into a zombie, sorry a very fat zombie.
I self medicate with iron and mag/phos, it works to take the edge off the legs and keep the discomfort manageable, sadly doesn't seem to help with the arms or hands though.
Every RLS group i am on were all complaining about the documentary last night. All more or less saying whats been said on here about it. Its s shame they didnt give any info about RLS, only showed the impact it can have on people's lives. They could have said that RLS was a neurological condition that alone would have better than nothing at all. The Chair of RLS-UK i think is letting the production team know of the feedback from last night. The RLS-UK facebook page was hot last night with comments from many many people. I guess one good thing was that those who suffer with RLS and didnt know if they did or how to deal with it or should they see their doctor about it. have joined this forum to ask questions. Well not maybe ALL that watched it, but some did. So, some good to come from the documentary.
I absolutely agree with every word you have written.
I watched it with some family members and friends who, luckily for me are very supportive. I had hoped it would give them a better insight to what RLS is.
I had such high hopes for the programme but was gutted after it finished.
No real mention of the foremost symptom of RLS, the debilitating and completely overwhelming urge to move your legs (and sometimes arms etc) that takes you over. Causing severe disruption of normal life.
My wonderful husband who took early retirement to help look after me, was I think even more upset by it than I was. He said there's no information or explanations about the possible causes of RLS, no helpful advice given or treatments available to help cope with this awful illness.
He couldn't believe they showed a woman having a pedicure and thus apparently 'beating' RLS for an hour or two. WHAT ?!
Then the woman whose husband sadly appeared to show a seemingly indifferent and uncaring attitude towards her suffering. I'm sorry, but that's how it came across to us. The common consent however after his indifference was, why not sit in separate chairs ??
My husband said "why didn't they show someone like you, when at its worst you walked around and around the house and the garden at night for hours upon hours, with little or no sleep sometimes for days, suffering from sleep deprivation and complete exhaustion".
The repetitive showing of the poor older guy self-harming, I mean how many times did they need to show that to get the message across. It felt like voyeurism at its worst.
Watching the younger man with severe PLMD and memory loss was heartbreaking to see. (Though writing a list of jobs for him to do would have helped enormously with his memory problems !), but at least his partner came over as supportive :).
(Mind you, could he not have had a worse bed to sleep in - with a metal frame top and bottom, no wonder he had hurt himself so many times. A low divan with a very padded headboard would surely have been better).
Were none of these 4 people getting any help, any treatments, any medications ??
I'm glad that at least the programme has helped sufferers out there find out about this forum and hopefully they can gain some much needed help and advice from our members.
But as a way to educate the general population of non sufferers I think it completely failed in its objective.
Totally with you on this. Have you given any feedback on the Facebook page for the producers? Look on the RLS uk fb page. There are lots of messages such as yours expressing disappointment and anger at the so called documentary
I am still very angry with this programme; the woman having the pedicure made me spit nails - there is NO WAY I could have anyone messing with my feet like that. I tried a TENS machine on my left foot once - the thing got kicked across the room.
I have whole-body RLS, which wasn't even mentioned. I used to punch my upper arms viciously and throw myself against the wall - anything to get a few seconds of release. I was covered with bruises, and I used to get my perplexed husband to pull hard on my limbs, I wanted to pull them from their sockets, I didn't care, just make it stop!
Thankfully, I've had meds for around 14 years (opiates) and they have enabled me to go on living. In my opinon Channel 5 presented this appalling condition more like 'a bit of a problem' rather than the devastating neurological disease it is. It was shallow and merely scratched the surface.
I wrote to our medical practice telling them it was on....now I'm scared the doctors saw it and will think I don't really need the meds because the sufferers featured seemed to be managing.
I agree. It was a waste of time. I, too, was hoping to find out about any new research on RLS. Not once did the programme mention why they think RLS happens, the cause, etc. Such a good opportunity missed. It was a cheap, not even well made programme. Very disappointed.
Thanks for your well stated post. That has been my experience also including visits to top neurologist, top hospitals and several "Hail Marys" from my own GP. While most of us need to take some drugs for now, I like to say, "for now," you mentioned my main concerned which is NOT being address....The cause. Research nerd to dive into that while we are barely surviving, makinging our body's toxic, augmenting and then left dangling, corrupting relationships and so call normal existence While I am taking minimal doses of requip and colonazepam, I feel like my body is once again falling out of favor with me and a mutiny on the rise again. I have worked on so many angels, following so many leads and they all made sense in the moment. Now what makes sense is body over all inflammation. That is my latest path, staying off all sugars, grains and gluten. It actually makes sense but in the middle of the night or should I say all night, I grab for food, just about anything with modified restraint. Keep posting, keep looking and keep being your own best doctor. Blessing to us all, Auntie Sioux
Inflammation is one of my latest theories as well. That and something concerning our pelvic floor. There’s been talk on here before about temporary relief of symptoms upon emptying the bladder, which I now think is a very plausible theory.
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So, some good to come from the documentary. 
Buprenorphine Thank-you 
UPDATE. Nothing good. 
still nothing working 
Thank you!
