Hi everyone!

[Pinsandneedle]

Hi everyone, been looking up information about RLS and stumbled across this.

I only recently discovered RLS. When reading about it, it instantly connected to a feeling I'd get as a child.

From about the ages of 7-14, I'd get an increasingly strong itch to move my legs whilst trying to sleep at night. It'd start like an itch, that, over about 20 seconds would increase exponentially into a "pins and needles" type feeling that'd grow more intense and painful until I'd move it. That'd reduce the urge for another 20 seconds, then it'd start up again.

I had a lot of insomnia from it growing up, but somehow "grew out of it".

In a seemingly unrelated note, I was on anxiety medication (Citalopram) for a good number of years, and came off two years ago. However, since then, my partner has commented that I seem to move around a lot more at night. I don't feel that this is necessarily related, as it hasn't reached the "unbearable itch" feeling, but he seems to think it is related.

Anyone else ever heard of it occurring in children and going away?

I am not in regular contact with my parents, but will ask if they experience anything similar; I know they've both had issues with sleep, although my dad has a somewhat successful meditation technique of "turning off" all the limbs in his body (This has never worked for me).

[Hidden]

Hi, I have heard that RLS can occur when you're young and is often dismissed as "growing pains". What you describe does sound like RLS as it does seems to fit the criteria, i.e. unpleasant sensation, urge to move, occurs at night or when trying to sleep, relieved by moving.

As you got it so young and suspect your father had it, then it also sounds like primary idiopathic RLS, i.e. a genetic predisposition. As with other genetic predispositions, it can be affected by other things, e.g. some medications.

Those medications include Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. These antidepressants are now also used to treat anxiety and Citalopram is an SSRI. SSRIs can make RLS worse and would have some effect on you.

About 80% of RLS sufferers also suffer Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, (PLMD). This usually occurs as PLM. whilst sleeping, i.e. PLMS. I had PLMS at least 35 years ago, and possibly longer. Shortly after getting married my wife told me I was kicking her. I wasn't aware of it!

This is typical of PLMS. I guess then that you have PLMS which is closely related to RLS.

My PLMS over time seemed to resolve itself, unfortunately it turned into full blown severe RLS in my 50s.

PLMS is problematic in a few ways so I'd advise you to explore ways of relieving it. It is disturbing your partner and even though it might not be fully waking you up, you may not he getting enough deep sleep which can lead to serious problems.. Some people kick so much they can injure themselves.

There are quite a lot of things that can be done to relieve mild RLS without medical treatment. Medical treatment for PLMS is more or less the same as for RLS, so you could try the non medical RLS remedies, but I'm not sure they'd work for PLMS, the brain dysfunction associated with PLMS is related to, but a bit different to the dysfunction found in RLS.

The best thing to do may be to see a doctor and get referred to a neurologist. The neurologist could confirm the PLMS diagnosis.

I also suggest you read up on the condition and about its treatment. The treatment can be a minefield and doctors can't be 100% relied on to get you through it!

[Alex2308]

Hi! Curiously you think you were on an anxiolytic, though Citalopram is SSRI. Maybe you were on another drug but don't remember? I use a real anxiolytic (Alimemazine) for years and it largely reduces my RLS. The rest of it I fight with a vibro plate machine (standing with knees bent) and Thera Cane (deeply massaging trigger points mainly at upper outer part of thighs).

[Pinsandneedle in reply to Alex2308]

I'm quite aware of the medications i've been on, as a person who works in medical research I can be the worst patient for looking up papers on whatever I've been prescribed!

Low dose Citalopram can be used as an anxiolytic; considering I also had low level depression (mainly, for me, due to the panic attacks) it was quite a successful medication for me. It's great your medication works for you, too, so there are likely very different mechanisms which have caused our anxieties.

[Hidden in reply to Pinsandneedle]

Alimemazine I read is usually prescribed for itching!

I have read however that it is a pheenothiazine derivative. These were originally used as an antiemetic. Then they were found to help with psychoses, so came to be known as major tranquilizers. Unfortunately, they cause Parkinsonism, due to lowering Dopamine.

Dopamine, as you have probably read is associated with RLS and PLMS.

Some treatment for RLS then is aimed at increasing the effect of dopamine, not reducing it! E.g. dopamine agonists.

I imagine if someone has RLS, anything which reduces dopamine will make the RLS worse.

Alpha2felta ligands are also used for RLS effectively.

[Hidden in reply to Alex2308]

Citaloprom IS used for anxiety.

Curious that you say you take Alimemazine since it is an antihistamine and antihistamines are renowned for making RLS worse.

Additionally you write of "trigger points". I'm not aware that there are such things associated with RLS, this sounds more like Fibromyalgia.

Have you had an RLS diagnosis confirmed?

I wouldn't advise an antihistamine for PLMS, even if it isn't quite the same as RLS.

[DicCarlson]

The growing pains in children could well be caused by iron deficiency. I recall having it and being treated for anemia. It is a consequence of growth with an added need for iron. Most kids grow out of it, as did I - but it roared back in my 60s. Low ferretin levels contributed to it and I took Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, raised my serum Ferretin and RLS went away.