Hello, ever since being pregnant with my 2nd child i have suffered with RLS. The symptoms are now becoming worse over time. It occurs more frequently and i now have the leg spasms at night too. My arms are also affected some evenings.
I am looking for some advice please on how i can gain sleep and rest as i have 2 children to look after and a job to keep.
Thank you so much in advance
If your RLS started in pregnancy, there's a good chance that it's the result of iron deficiency. And a good chance that it can be remedied through iron supplementation.
Iron supplements should only be commenced after having iron levels tested and under medical guidance.
A small number of people on this site swear by iron supplements (50 to 60mg of ferrous bisglycinate) taken at night on an empty stomach an hour before bedtime.
Otherwise, just take your iron supplement half an hour before food, and two hours after food.
Some people have gut issues which mean that they don't benefit from oral iron supplements and need to have iron administered intravenously (bypassing the gut). This is also called an iron infusion. Not all doctors will refer patients however.
Search this forum for posts and replies about iron – both oral supplements and transfusions - you'll find loads of information.
As a starting point, below is a recent reply from Sue Johnson (a member on this forum) to another member:
"Have you had your ferritin tested? Improving your ferritin to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS and in some cases completely eliminates their symptoms. When you see your doctor ask for a full iron panel. Stop taking any iron supplements 48 hours before the test, fast after midnight and have your test in the morning when your ferritin is lowest. When you get the results, ask for your ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) numbers. You want your transferrin saturation to be over 20% but less than 45%. If your TSAT is OK but your ferritin is less than 100, post back here and I can give you some advice on how to improve it."
Thank you so much !! I am going to get straight onto my doctor and see if i can get an iron deficiency. I really appreciate your response to my post.
another thing I haven’t seen anyone mention yet is that when you get your bloodwork done, there is a chance your iron numbers will be “normal,” and your doctor may tell you as much. But what is normal for others is not what we RLS sufferers need. So regardless of whether or not your readings fall within what is traditionally “normal,” you will want to focus solely on the numbers and how they compare to the info given by Sue, shared in Amrob’s post.
thank you ! I will make sure i do this 😊
If your problem isn't your ferritin, then you will need medicine to control your RLS. Above all don't let your doctor prescribe a dopamine agonist like ropinirole (requip) or pramipexole (Mirapex). The medicine you want is gabapentin. Check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know including about its treatment and refer your doctor to it if needed as many doctors do not know much about RLS or are not uptodate on it at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a... And yes, post your results when you get them of your full panel iron test.
im seeing the doctor on friday for blood tests so i will write this down for my apappointment. Thank you 😊
It’s also worth looking at things which might trigger your RLS. Sue has previously listed many times some of the things which people find triggers symptoms or makes them worse including things like eating a lot of sugar or carbs, alcohol, coffee, over processed food, glutamate and things like flavour enhancers hydrolysed vegetable fat etc, no exercise or very intense exercise … there’s a long list but those are some of the more common. If you do eat them then try to eat earlier during the day. I’ve been cutting back on these recently to lose a bit of weight and trying not to eat after 6 and I’ve found I’m sleeping better, longer spells without waking and less twitchy when I do. Not everyone reacts the same way, e.g. quite a few people find coffee ok including me but if I drink it late it has the normal effect of keeping me awake which is the last thing I need! It’s often difficult to be certain whether things are having an effect but after a few weeks the above changes do seem to have helped me and they have other obvious health benefits as well! Good luck.
The growth demands of the fetus have a tendency to deplete iron stores in the mother. This can affect up to 30% of pregnancies. More on iron tests here...
bloodtestsresults.com/iron-...
wow that does make perfect sense actually. I did feefeel super drained at times during pregnancy etc. I didnt have this durong my 1st however it has hit with a vengance with my 2nd. I have been reading the posts you suggested too. Thank you
hi moondust8!! Well that’s when mine started to, with each birth it got worse then shortly after I had two surgeries on cervical spine. With each, it came out with a vengeance!!! I was told trauma to your body can bring it out. I believe mines been dormant since I was a child bc when I slept I was all over the place kicking n flailing my arms. But never felt the demon!!!!Hard to believe it’s been 20 years! Hence the “Ridiculous Leg Demon” is born and has made my life a living hell!! Ok I digress to give you advice… if you haven’t already find a RLS Neurologist Specialist. Or Sleep Medicine Dr. In my journey The first thing they do is check your iron levels. Sometimes if low etc supplements might help for a bit. The 2nd I did sleep studies.)slept overnight after they hook up lol and then they record your sleep patterns while you sleep!! I think I did at least 4. Anyway hope this helps!! I feel for you especially bc you have children. To this day I do not know how I functioned after a real bad night! Hot showers and baths are a big help to. Keep us posted!! 🤞
I am so sorry you are going through it too lovely. Its bloody hard work. You've had such a hard time with it ! Now you mention it when i was younger i had a real hard time with my legs, pains and cramping which i think was growing pains.
My RLS came on during my last pregnancy and i hoped it would go as i hardly got any sleep then lol. Ive booked in for the doctor on friday to have bloods done and that from everyones advise on here so i am so grateful 🙏 .
I think possibly the amount of sugar i was eating too to keep me going through the day didnt help either ! So from reading on here i have now cut down on that.
I love the name 'Ridiculous Leg Demon' may i use that too please ?!?! Lol bloody brilliant.
Anyway thank you again and i will keep you posted x
Getting Worse
restless leg gets worse
Feels as it is getting worse
RLS getting worse
