Can anyone help me with e advice for my partner who suffers from RLS is there medication she can take she is 61 and suffers from Fybromalgia

[Bellvue]

Legs are really sore

[Hidden]

Unless she has any complicating health factors, fibro aside, she could take any of the currently used ones in the UK & Ireland - plus cannabis and Kratom as well:

rls-uk.org/treatment

Personally speaking I have a lot of pain with RLS and find any of the opiates much more beneficial than any of the other drugs PLUS the opiates are, imho, less dangerous than the dopamine Agonists.

For help with the fibro - Dairy and Gluten free and add in a Vit D supplement too all will help.

[Bellvue in reply to Hidden]

Thanks do you mean CBD oil when you say cannabis

[Hidden in reply to Bellvue]

Oh God no! CBD oil is one cannabinoid out of over 100 cannabinoids. If I was referring to CBD oil I would have phrased it that way.

Cannabis is a much more therapeutic and effective substance, that is why Govt and drug companies work so hard at keeping it illegal!

[Hidden]

Hi Bellvue

It sounds as if your partner hasn't previously taken medication for RLS before.

There are medications for RLS, but RLS treatment is a complex minefield and it's not a good idea to start on any before exploring other options first and then not without some understanding of the treatment options, their benefits and their risks.

First of all, RLS like symptoms can occur for many reasons and sometimes symptoms of other things cab be confused for RLS even by health professionals.

Sore legs is not a diagnostic criteria for RLS, so perhaps a good start would be to compare your partners symptoms to the recognised diagnostic criteria. If her symptoms match ALL the criteria then RLS is likely. If only one doesn't match, then she may not have RLS at all.

Here's a link to the criteria.

irlssg.org/diagnostic-criteria

If her symptoms don't match, then if she's not alteady done so, it would be a good idea to see a doctor to find out what, in fact, the problem is.

If they do match it's worth seeing a doctor for some tests. If medications are needed they will have to be prescribed.

Tests for anaemia, diabetes, thyroid function, but for RLS especially ferritin, vitamin B12 and vitamin.D

RLS is strongly associated with low ferritin i.e. less than 50mcg/L, some say less than 100.

Vitamin B12 and D deficiency, if corrected can help RLS.

Some non-RLS medications are known to cause or make RLS worse. Tricyclic antidepressants e.g. amitriptyline. (used for fibromyalgia) can make RLS worse. So can SSRI antidepressants.

There may be other medicines your partner is taking that could make RLS worse. It's worth looking at them all.

If it seems that your partner does have RLS and a medicine is needed, the two main first line treatments are either a "dopamine agonist", pramipexole, ropinirole or rotigotine or an "alpha2delta ligand" gabapentin or pregabalin.

It varies as to which is most suitable between people, but although generally speaking a dopamine agonist has immediate advantages over the others, dopamine agonists can have severe long term risks.

Additionally, gabapentin can be used to treat fibromyalgia and neuropathy, (amongst other things), whereas dopamine agonists have a limited range of efficacy.

Hopefully you will get other responses on this site. It's best not to try anything impulsively. Find as much information as you can and don't accept everything you see as being accurate.

Here's a link to a recent article about RLS treatment written by a Professor in Neurology

uptodate.com/contents/treat...

[Sazcam68 in reply to Hidden]

I can but agree here . I seemingly have RLS but I get very painful and often swollen.legs too ., Heart defects have been.ruled out however something was affecting the heart flow . After a recent MRI of my spine there is noticeable degenerative disc disease and narrowed root nerve canal with other factors too .. so seemingly what seemed like RLS is more likely pinched nerves etc .

[Hidden in reply to Sazcam68]

Neuropathy can be mistaken for RLS. I've never experienced pain from RLS. Some people do, but from their descriptions it sounds different to the pain ( and other symptoms) I experience from my nerve pain.

My nerve pain has been shown to be compressed spinal nerves due to degeneration by an MRI and more recently by a bone scan. I had RLS many years before the nerve compression, I can see the difference.

There is some association between peripheral neuropathy (outside the spine) and RLS.. Symptoms then are more "RLS like". If you have localised circulatory problems (rather than heart failure) this could cause some peripheral neuropathy.

If your legs are swollen, I hope your doctor has carried out renal and liver function tests? As well as diabetes?

You may be aware that gabapentin or pregabalin can be used for nerve pain AND RLS. I have both and find gabapentin works for me.

[CookiePooki]

My RLS is completely stopped. By the grace of God, my doctor prescribed for me 5 mg of tramadol for my back pain, and now my RLS has completely subsided ! HOORAY ! One night I must have forgotten to take it and finally at 4 a.m. I decided to go back downstairs and take one. Went back up stairs after taking my usual 4 p.m. dosage, and immediately fell asleep. Tramadol may not be for RLS BUT it has, so far now, for about 6 months, been silent, except for that one night.

[bill54321]

There are drugs but have her Doc try iron suppliments first, or test for hypothroid for brain barrier retention of magnesium. Seek a neurologist specialing in Movement diso9rders and n endocrinologist.