RLS and Rheumatism/arthritis

[Bruxelles]

Is rheumatism related to rls? I have both but my hands are. Getting increasingly painful.

[Hidden]

Hello.

Yes there is a relationship between inflammation and RLS. This includes inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

However, if your hands are getting more painful this will be due to your arthritis, it is NOT due to your RLS.

If your RLS is getting worse, this may be due to increasing inflammation which is indicated by the increasing pain.

[Bruxelles in reply to Hidden]

Hello,Thankyou for your reply. I just wondered as my hands have suddenly got much worse. Like now just tapping the iPad is very painful.

I am sure I have read something you have written as I think I recognise your name but I can’t find anything now so I don’t know if you are also a RLS sufferer and what you have tried. I am new to the site and haven’t really found my way around, there is such a lot to read. I find it very interesting and helpful, particularly when I’m up during the night. One feels less alone.

I hope if you are a fellow sufferer you are not suffering too much.

Somewhere on here is my journey through this - I hope - so I won’t repeat it but I was thinking of trying Gabapantin, however I see that isn’t without a lot of problems either.

Have a nice day and above all I hope you get some sleep tonight!

[Bruxelles in reply to Bruxelles]

Do you think circulation plays a part in RLS - I think it does.

[Hidden in reply to Bruxelles]

Poor circulation can be associated with RLS. When it does, some people find wearing compression stockings helps with the symptoms.

I have been taking gabpentin for over two years now without any serious side effect. It controls my RLS well. I hardly ever have any symptoms.

[Crazy1921 in reply to Hidden]

Your hands being painful could be due to the Carpel tunnel (not sure l've spelt that right) l have RLS but it has never affected my hands. The tunnel does and the hands are extremely painful when in bed. I take Sifrol for my legs have done for 2 years with no side effects. Works well. Hope you will be better soon.

[Bruxelles in reply to Hidden]

Hi Minerva, thanks for this. I do have compression stockings but they make my legs icy cold and cold seems to start my RLS off.I asked Neurologist for Gabapentin and he has given me a different Keppra which is used for Epilepsy so Thursday I went to my GP and asked him but he wouldn’t give me Gabapentin saying the Neurologist knows best. I think he was just afraid of upsetting the Neurologist if I said something but I have written off Neurologist anyway.

[Hidden in reply to Bruxelles]

I am sorry to hear that. There are lots of recommendatipns of gabapentin for RLS from major organisations around yhe world. I've never even heard of Keppra.

Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic but it has a specific action which makes it useful for RLS.

[Bruxelles in reply to Hidden]

HîManerva,Thanks for your reply. I did read it when I received it but don’t think I answered sorry.

Keppra is Lévétiraccétam also an anti-epileptic.

I have given up on Dr.s at the moment!!!

Hope you are well

[welschrispy in reply to Bruxelles]

Hello Bruxelles,

I am getting a lot of joint pain and an marked worsening of my arthritus as a result of Withdrawal from Prmipexole. t cold e a concdence t dot that

[WideBody in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the amazing explanation. I have correlated injury/pain with increased RLS. It would be really hard to miss in my case, it is so predominant. I never understood why.

I have a bizarre symptom along those lines. When I am twitching, suffering with RLS. Sometimes before the twitch, I will experience a very brief phantom pain. For example in my toe (where my arthritis is). That flash of pain and my toe causes an over reaction or twitch.

My toe is just an example it could be a fake pain in my ankle and the the twitch seems to be an overreaction.

Does anyone else experience that?

[Lunawildwolf in reply to WideBody]

I get odd sharp pain, either in the toe, finger, then the twitching starts. It's as if the shock of the sharp pain sets me off. It happens if I'm woken up by my alarm or any sudden noise. My whole body will go into spasms.

[Eryl]

Like Manerva says, rls and arthritis are both related to inflammation. The inflammation causing rls is probably caused by the same thing that's causing the rheumatism. I believe that the most common cause is the high level of insulin which is the result of high carb diets. The inflammation could be caused by and auto immune problem, and gluten is a common cause for that. It less likely, but could be caused by heavy metal poisoning. For autoimmune problems check out Dr Terry Wahls and The Wahls Protocol.

[Bruxelles in reply to Eryl]

Thankyou so much for your very interesting reply. I Shall look into all that. How does one get heavy métal problems - from tinned food?I am very stressed at the moment, trying to clear my house to move So am rather heavy handed on choc and sugar some days! Have a lovely day

[Eryl in reply to Bruxelles]

I'm sorry, I've no experience of heavy metal poisoning, but causes could be contaminated sea food, water, dust blown from nearby industrial or previously contamiated land.The chocolate and sugar are sources of a lot of refined carbs and could very well be a big part of your problems. For a chocolate 'hit' I stick to no more than one or two squares of Lindt 85% chocolate in a day. High carb intake can raise levels of anxiety which could be contributing to your stress.

[Bruxelles in reply to Eryl]

Thanks for that. I only eat dark chocolate but mostly 74%cacao as it is the highest in the shop I go to. I will try going somewhere else to get the Lindt one. I am having another sleepless night (like every night). Went to Doctor Thursday as I wanted to try Gabapentin but he wouldn’t give it to me as he said the Neurologist knew better than him.

However, I have no intention of returning to Neurologist as he didn’t seem interested. He gave me Sifrol 0.18 mgm which did nothing so he doubled it which made the RLS worse in the way that it started in the day and evening as well as at night instead of just at night. When I to,d him that he said to go back to initial dose so I stopped it altogether as no point taking something that doesn’t work.

I am going to start a food diary. I do eat bread at lunchtime and rice or pasta in the evening. Perhaps I should cut out the bread.If I don’t have pasta or rice I feel hungry during night. In fact I get that also if I eat rice.

How are you getting on?

[Bruxelles in reply to Eryl]

Hi Eryl,

I also have arthritis as well as RLS and both have been worse the last few days. Put leg warmers on before I came down whic h is helping but I did wonder whether the fact I had been eating badly also had something to do with it. I have been very stressed and the last few days eaten rather a lot of chocolate !

Do you follow a gluten free diet?

[Eryl in reply to Bruxelles]

Yes I do because gluten breaks down in saliva and one of the products causes a leaky gut which speeds up the absorption of the starches and causes a spike in blood sugar.