How do I know if I have RLS

[RoisinW]

Hi everyone,

Can you help - I don’t know if the following symptoms will help determine whether I have RLS or not and would appreciate any advice?

Pain, ache in ankles and calves predominantly.

Most severe at night, can’t sleep and whilst I don’t get electric shock like effect, I can’t settle and feel I have to move and stretch my legs the entire time.

No pain when walking about only when I am at rest. Constant dull ache

Any advice much appreciated

Thank you

[Kaarina Administrator]

Hi RoisinW

You may find this link helpful in deciding whether you are suffering from RLS.

rls-uk.org/diagnosis

[RoisinW in reply to Kaarina]

Thank you 🙏

[Hidden in reply to RoisinW]

There are five criteria for a diagnosis of RLS. The link Kaarina gives lists them all. You have to fit ALL 5.

You appear to have 4.

It would be a good idea to discuss this with a doctor to see if there is any other explanation for your symptoms to see if you also fit the 5th criteria .

[BromazepamBrother]

The way the way I discovered I had restless leg syndrome was that I could not sleep and had an uncontrollable urge to keep stretching and kicking my legs and standing up pacing around laying down getting to minutes relief and then doing it all over again. I did not have any aches but it was a feeling id describes like hearing & watching somebody scratching their fingernails along a chalkboard if you know what's that like or if that bothers you. restless leg syndrome feels like your legs need to constantly be moving and the muscles need to be flexed and relaxed and you can't make this feeling or urge go away or hours or days or weeks unless you are up and about moving around. mine usually was the most intolerable at bedtime & worse at night time when I would try to sleep. In the day it doesn't really bother me. It's a terrible feeling and makes me feel like I'd do anything or pay anyone every penny I had to stop it, just for 1 night but I'm sure severity differs from person to person. It's sort of like a constant tingling or electric shock being applied along with the fingernails across a chalkboard feeling & uncontrollable urge to kick or flex or Stan and walk or jump or squat over and over & nothing relieves it for more than a few minutes. After many nights I felt I was going to go crazy and lose my mind.