Vinyards story

[Vinyard]

Hi everyone. I've had a difficult complicated old life. Ive always had what i call jiggly legs. My nan always said i had St Vitus dance. And that I should sit still. Even now at 48 i dont sit still, or sleep still. My brain never stops thinking and I almost always feel anxious or depressed. I am now chronically fatigued and in chronic pain. The only relief I have ever had is when I've been training, but afterwards i have suffered. Ive tried antidepressants, but found physical side effects with them all. Cannabis used to help but imbtoounhealthy to smoke the amount necessary to write me off enough to stop jiggling. There's a lot more I could say, but I'm really looking to share others knowledge and find support and understanding. I've not really had it to be honest. Mostly criticism and ostrasization from people not willing to give a damn enough to help. HELP !!

[Pippins2]

Hi welcome have you seen your GP about your restless legs? Do you take any medications for anything else as many can make RLS much worse?

[Vinyard in reply to Pippins2]

No I havent as yet. Mainly because I did not know the condition existed. I will do now. My g.p is and my 2 former g.p s were, very reticent to refer me to anyone for examination. (Budgets and funding I think). I have in the recent past, taken meds that exacerbated the jiggling. Im not taking them now. I will endeavour to have my g.p test me for RLS. Thanks

[Vinyard in reply to Vinyard]

And they still jiggle. I do mindfulness with headspace app. It has helped to help me pause and be still more often. Not at all easy, but I try.

[Allyp69]

So sorry to hear that you have suffered so long without any real support. This group will help you and understands what you are going through with RLS. Don't give up. There are ways of alleviating RLS but not convinced drugs are the answer. I am trying folic acid daily and will see if that helps.

[Vinyard in reply to Allyp69]

Cheers for your comment. I'm going to try a course of iron supplements for the fatigue, due to lack of sleep/relaxation. Hope it helps ! My doctor picked up on me being defficient in folic acid and vitamin d3 earlier this year. So i took course of those. I felt a little better, but recently I've been worse again. I think the cold isn't helping.

[nightdancer in reply to Vinyard]

Make sure your iron is tested to be sure. Your ferritin level is the must have test. Shows how your body stores the iron. So you need an iron serum test and a ferritin test. No one should ever take extra iron unless tested first, If you do not need it, then it can be dangerous.

[Eryl]

The combination of rls, anxiety, depression and chronic pain all point to the same cause, i.e. raised blood sugar. this can be caused by eating sugar and sweetened foods like biscuits and cakes or by eating a diet containing too much carbohydrate, especially refined carbs. Look on youtube.com for talks by Dr Terry Wahls who has cured herself of MS with a low carb diet, and has found that a low carb diet helps Alzheimer's sufferers. Also look for Dr Georgia Ede, who is a psychiatrist, and has found that low carb diets help people with mental health issues. Before I had heard of these people I had found that by sticking rigorously to a low carb diet and avoiding one artificial preservative, and supplementing Vitamin B12 (which has anti inflammatory properties) that I could avoid rls without medication.

[Vinyard in reply to Eryl]

Hi Eryl. Almost 2 years ago. I radically altered my diet. I cut out most carbs. Pasta, potatoes, white bread, high sugar foods. Not improved. In fact my condition has worsened. I smoked cigarettes, which of course didn't help, but I've been so down that it's all I did. I've cut them out now. I'm hoping for some improvement. It's not showed as yet, but im hopeful ill notice some soon !

[Vinyard in reply to Vinyard]

Its so hard to stay motivated when i have to get out of bed tired and in pain every day. No get up and go. I would so love just one relaxing full nights sleep for a change. It's been so long now I can't remember when I last relaxed without pain or heavy painkillers. (Boo hoo) !

[Eryl in reply to Vinyard]

Well done, I did the same about 12 months ago and although I felt an improvement after a couple of weeks, I have been noticing improvements in my health 9 months later, things I hadn't expected, like ease of breathing, and flatter stomach although I haven't lost weight. Even if the diet hasn't seemed to help yet, at least it's taken one thing out of the equation so that you may pinpoint the actual cause. It's a process of elimination. It may be something like my problem, and artificial food additive. Mine is sorbate food preservative (E202 specifically, but all E20* have a bad reputation).

[nightdancer]

Sorry you are having such a hard time! You only mentioned cannabis and antidepressants for meds. have you tried anything else? Anti-d's, except for a VERY FEW, will make 99% of us worse with RLS symptoms. A little more history would help us help you. I do not want to suggest all kinds of things you may have already tried. Cheers! It is hard when someone says "help!" to know exactly what you want or need. But, we are here!

[Vinyard in reply to nightdancer]

Cheers nightdancer ! I am currently taking paracetamol 2-4x a day plus naproxen on a night. I was just prescribed gabapentin/neurontin, but reacted badly, so g.p said discontinue it. I have a medicine review on 31st December. More drug options probably. I eat a lot more anti inflammatory foods nowadays and no white sugar. There have been so many alterations that my brain struggles to adapt and adjust. Mindfulness is of some help, but more of a distraction from feeling bad all the time.

[Eryl in reply to Vinyard]

Well done on the dietary changes, but I think you'll find that the problem is not jut with whit sugar, but all forms of sugar and even large amounts of refined carbs. Sugar has no nutritional value so you won't come to any harm cutting it out completely. Only a few bodily processes need carbs, and we get more than enough out of a regular diet. I have been completely sugar free for almost a year now and have been largely free of rls, but had mild symptoms yesterday after my mum gave me a small slice of 'Bara brith' (traditional Welsh currant loaf). I expect that I'll get it again soon after a small portion of Christmas pudding.

[Vinyard]

Cheers Eryl and Merry Christmas. I will follow your advice. Bad pain day for me today. Had a couple of shots of jagermeister last night. Forgot about the sugar content. Durr ! I'll be cutting that out now