Restless legs and arms syndrome
Some nights I cannot sleep because my arms and legs feel like its pulsating and it drives me nuts. I cannot describe the feeling to be honest, but pulsating is probably the closest to it. I guess another way to describe it is the feeling of being tied in a knot, or as if there were ants crawling up and down my arms. Regardless of what it feels like, the point is, it drives me nuts. I can not sleep and I have to get up and do jumping jacks or sits up in the middle of the night. Or sometimes I just twitch back and forth to make it go away.
It normally keeps me up for like 30 minutes then I can go back to sleep. In those thirty minutes it feels like hell. It almost feels like I want to just rip my arm or my leg off and toss it against the wall. I am having it right now, thats why I stopped sleeping and went to write in my blog.
I know there is a condition known as RLS and there is a drug for it, but I am not a doctor so I am not going to diagnose myself. If I was rich, or had good health insurance, I could go get it checked out. But even then its hard to figure out because it happens erratically. And drives me nuts!! 
RLS DOES drive you nuts. Totally. You don’t have to be rich to diagnose it, though. Simple criteria:
1. Do you have weird, uncomfortable, and or painful sensations in legs, arms, or even another body part?
2. Does it occur when at rest?
3. Does it go away with movement?
4. Is it worse in the evening?
If yes to all, bingo. Check out sites like rls.org or rlshelp.org or wemove.org. rls.org has a pretty good forum where you can read about what other people do – incuding a section on dealing with it without using pharmaceuticals.
Oh, I’ve got it. Had it since I was a teenager. I can commiserate with you. . .
I never knew I had RLS until I saw the commercial. I went to see a neurologist, but he was very hesitant to diagnose me with RLS. I know that’s what I have. I have all the symptons. Does anyone know of alternative medicine, besides Requip? I find Requip is too strong for me and makes me feel weird
hey I thought i was the only one in this world with this problem. So im lucky to see alot of people that have the same problem. I was wondering if anyone could help me with curing this thing and what should i call this if i were to ask a doctor. I never had this until a year ago, i might have some reasons why i have this but i dont think it caused it. i just want to figure a way to get rid of it because im sick of not sleeping for days. Please if someone could help me that would make things a little better. thanks
Some people say its just in my head and a doctor said it was tets, which isnt even close to right. I have these weird feelings in my arms and legs,it feels like it right where my arms bend and my legs bend, so behind my elbows and knee caps. But the only way i knew how to explain the feeling was my nerves were hurting, which i think was the wrong way to try and explain to other people. But its not really pain. Its a constant thing but it increases when im upset or angry and its driving me crazy. I tap or shake my foot all the time cause i have to keep my legs going, its worse now in my legs than in my arms but when these feelings first started it was worse in my arms…Any ideas on what to do or what this may be???
Thanks….
I do not have RLS, to the best of my own knowledge, but every once and a while I get this feeling in my shoulder shockets and it is very hard to describe. It starts as a small "entity" in my shoulder and tingly as a son of a B***H, as it grows in intensity. Then it moves down my arm to my elbow and then goes back to a small tingle begging to be moved, just to biuld up to a crecendo moving to my elbow again until I move it, my arm that is, but as soon as I get comfy again, in any position, it starts up again. I have found, and this may help others with this, that at the first signs of it to stretch the crap out of your arms and a few push-ups never hurt, but this is only a small relief sense the last few times I have had symtems it has not work like before like your body learns the trick. Now I am a 28 year old male, so this next part may only work for males, but I have found that ejaculating, whether self enduced or w/a partner, has never failed me, at least. I am still searching for better remidies, so let me know if you have one.
I have restless arms at night and have felt like cutting them off at times I have found that instead of trying to fight off the feeling just a little thoughtfulness has made It go away. The second I feel it come on I wrap my arms in these ice packs I bought at walgeeens which I think are ankle ice wraps but they work perfect , and then I type on the computer for a few minutes and I’m all set to go to bed . Don’t try to fight it because you will lose every time. Just look at it as some alone time and don’t get stressed about it because that will make it worse. Also playing a little playstation helps if typing isn’t your thing
I was driven crazy by restless leg – and later, restless arm movement.(I have other neurologicl/spinal problems) The only thing that helped was taking (over the counter)iron tablets – which I stopped taking when it solved the problem. Since it is now the middle of the night as I write this and I am ready to chop my arm off, I guess it is time to start back on the iron! Hope this helps some of you!
I also have these problems legs and arms. And it’s the reason im up rite now. I’m fed up with not getting any sleep. I used to be able to get rid of it by doing isometric muscle contractions while I lay in bed that helped for a bit now it doesn’t. I been Getting up in the middle of the night to do jumping jacks and push-ups and it’s keeping my wife up now. It gets so bad I wish I didn’t need arms or legs I’d hack them off. I am awaiting a doctors appointment to to get med’s to deal with this crap. I’ll keep you posted on how it works for now I’m waiting on a percocet to do it’s magic so I can go back to sleep.
I have this, it kicks in in my right legs and right arm just as I’m about to go to sleep. It comes in interval of about a minute, them I have to jerk my arm and legs and the cycle begins again, no chance of sleep.
Last night I tried rubbing tiger balm over my leg and lower arm and it seemed to dull the sensation enough to get off to sleep
i also experience these sensations in my arms and legs to the point where i cant sleep at night! my dr put me on mirapex.25mg 1 in the morning and 2 about 2hours before bed and it has worked great! i also tried requip but could not take it because it made me sick!
I have just had spinal surgery( vert/disc, compression of a nerve root,pain down arm )surgery has been a huge relief, but can’t lye still enough in bed at night for more than a minute without wanting to constantly move arms & legs around.very frustrating & debilatating.I wonder if it is neurological based? If I come across a resolution I will post it.
i had the creepy feeling in my legs, but now mainly the arms. same symptoms usually before i go to bed. i feel like cutting them off!!! i have my girl friend massege my arms and that helps a little. i’ve noticed when i am stressed out is when it is the worst. whe i feel stress free i tend not to get the creepy feelings in my arms. is there an over the couter drug for this?
I have found that Benadryl, warm baths or ice, and some muscle cremes do help if you want over the counter or home remedies. Also some docs prescribe sleep aids or there are OTC sleep aids, but personally these just make me drowsy and allow the tingling to continue. I have found that I’m Iron deficient but not low enough to be anemic. My doctors have disagreed on whether someone must be anemic before Iron deficiency can cause symptoms, but I’m trying Iron supplements anyway to see what happens.
My Doc had me on Requip, which seemed to work for a couple of weeks. It made me feel sick a lot, but I still continued to take it anyway. After a few weeks I noticed rate was faster than normal and that the restlessness in my arms and legs lasted ALL DAY LONG. Now I have very little strength in my hands and I can feel my arms, legs, hands, and feet pulsate all day long. My fingers feel like they are twitching, but it doesn’t look like they are. My feet are the same way. THIS IS HELL!!! I’m going to try and take some iron pills, but as for right now I’m taking Tylenol #3 with codeine that I have left over from my last E.R. visit, to get some sleep. It’ doesn’t seem like I can get any creams or rubs to take the edge off long enough to get to sleep. Ice or cold packs work. . . until they start to warm back up or melt. I’m also worried about the connection between RLS and Parkinson’s.
I meant to say: "After a few weeks I noticed that my heart rate had become faster than normal and that the restlessness in my arms and legs lasted ALL DAY LONG."
I recently began having restless arm syndrome and looked in our "Nutrition For
Natural Healing" book written by Dr. Balch who is also a nutritionist. He said magnesium is a very important mineral because it relaxes the muscles and suggests taking 1,000 MG magnesium per day along with your calcium. He stresses that Calcium makes the muscles work, and magnesium makes them relax. Try it.
I just experienced this for the first time in my life tonight, which like a lot of posters is the reason I am up right now writing this. Like most people it starts for me as a weak little tickle and builds up to this unbearable sensation behind the elbow. I truly thought I was going insane, and really wanted to break my elbows to make it go away.I have a past history of other sleep disorders associated with narcolepsy like Hypnagogic Hallucinations and Sleep Paralysis, and as awful and terrifying as they are, I’ll take them any day over this b.s. This is absolutely terrible and I can’t take it anymore, and it’s only my first night! I’m going to browse remedies till it passes, and then i’m seeing a sleep doctor.
Yes it’s 4:21 am and here I am looking up about this over whelming feeling to put pressure on my arms and legs so this horrible feeling goes away and lets me sleep. Lately it is really bad , every night.I just had a quadruple by-pass in 2006 and then had 2 seperate cervical discectomies and fusions done this year, so I feel like even though I have survived these big hits on my health I can’t get back to being healthy without quality sleep. The one comment above mentioned magnesium and calcium and after my heart surgery my Dr. put me on it for awhile but then stopped it. Wish I could remember if I had this nerve feeling then?? So I think I will try that and I will let you know in a few weeks if it helps or not.
another sleepless night! I can:t stand this much more. I can;t controll my arms there is no pain i can not describe how it feels, only to say it wakes me up and keeps me up. I don;t know what to do about it. Help!!!!
I am so glad that I am not alone out there. I have the same problem as everyone on here. I think I am going to get some iron supplements tomorrow and see if that will help.
hey,I have suffered with this for over 25 years,and I can tell you that doctors really don’t know what to do.Most times we seem to explain ourselves to doctors in ways that they do not understand therefore suffering there misunderstanding and diagnosis so we go on suffering and desperate to find a way to stop this crazy feeling that invades us.I can tell you that trough out my life I have smoked weed to help with this and it worked.10 years a go I had an accident that left me on morphine and some other pills.While I was on the pain medication I did not have the sensations in my arms and legs,but a month ago I stopped taking all of my meds and what would you know here I am again with this crazy muscle feeling in my arms and legs.I always wondered if others suffered like me and it is a relief to find out that there is.I don’t think that smoking weed is right and I won’t go and do it but it did work.I’m hopping that my doctor can help me without having to go trough hell with meds but in all honesty narcotic was the only thing that has ever worked for me to stop this.good luck to all of you and if I find a remedie I will share with you.
I have the same feeling that starts in my chest and moves down my left arm. It is very frustrating when you are trying to go to sleep and you feel like you have to just shake your arm. I am getting it more frequently now and more during the day. Are there foods that are high in magnesium?
I have the same feeling that starts in my chest and moves down my left arm. It is very frustrating when you are trying to go to sleep and you feel like you have to just shake your arm. I am getting it more frequently now and more during the day. Are there foods that are high in magnesium?
This just started happening to me, and I suspected it might have something to do with the calcium supplement I take an hour before going to bed. I suffer from TMD (temporomandibular disorder) and wear a mouth splint, but I was still waking up with sinus pain because of the jaw clenching. My TMJ doctor suggested I take calcium before bed, but now I wake up in the middle of the night with my left arm feeling creepy crawly. I usually have to put it in a weird position or squish it with my body to get the creepy sensation to abate. I’m going to stop taking the calcium at night or else load up on magnesium!
Man I know how all you guys feel. I’m up right now because of it and cant even fall asleep with my poor girlfriend…being only 18 i remeber this happenein briefly in my youth but within the past couple of months it has gotten worse. I’m into meditation and spiritualtiy and while they arent 100 percent effective practing meditations before bed do seem to help somewhat. My meditation guru also has suggested that fried foods and fatty acids are abid role considered they block blood flow and artieries. Also I will say this the mind is very powerful there has been a time or two where Ive willed myself to not experience it as crazy as it sounds, the more you dwell on it the worse it gets..but like i said I still suffer from it both in my legs and arms and its ridiculous…Vicodins do help them infact since i havent been able to see a doctor i have been self medicating myself..dangerous and very bad i know but the vicodins and any kind of pain reliver actually do pretty much make you sleepy and totally rid yourself of the feeling.Perhaps that isnt the saftest route but losing sleep isnt health either…also for any of you who are willing to try anything to help..which im sure you all are do yourselfs all a favor and practice alittle meditation and find a teacher or someone who knows of the practice called "raiki" like the word rake but with and "e" sound at the end..supposedly according to my guru this may greatly relieft the body of the indescriable feeling..if anyone else has any more ideas on how to help keep posting em
have "rls" since I was a kid. It went away for a long time. I had a baby no to long ago and it came back, recently with full force. I am going to try the iron pills change m diet to more green veggies and drink about 10x more water that I have been drinking. I will get back to you, hopefully with positive results. As for the drugs, save them til you have, with full throttle, done everything else possible, like eating more greens, iron, magnisium…etc, to your diet. Sure pills might solve this problem, but they will create another.
reading skyler’s comments. have you had your vitamin d level tested, blood test is for vitamin d level. had weakness in arms and legs and they buzzed and jumped all day long. vitamin d level was seriously low. dr. put me on 50000 iu vitamin d is helping greatly.
i too am suffering!! ive suffered with restless legs for years and never knew what it was until my mom mentioned she had it. recently ive had a back operation on a slipped disc and was prescribed strong painkillers but over the last 3-4 weeks ive started getting restless arms!! some nights im awake at 3am crying on the side of the bed wanting to cut my arms off for causing me such misery!! im so tired, i was just going to try and get 40 winks on the sofa but that creepy feeling showed up so ive decided against it. creepy is a good description but also it feels like little rat feet running up my tendons. i wake sometimes with my hands in claws, this cant go on, am going to try magnesium and have just orders some sleepy time tea.
Hi. I am so pleased I found this site, I thought I was imagining all my symptons, I think I need to go see my doctor now, enough is enough. It affects my whole body from my neck to my toes! Its hard to describe, it’s like an itchy sensation but from the inside, I need to stretch and then that’s not enough and my muscles feel alive all the time! This is only affecting me when I get into bed, it’s not everynight, I would say about 4 times a week, enough tho eh? My head/brain is tired, my body isn’t! Help!!!!!!!
im in the same boat, my mother has always had it too . i only had it in my legs since i was a teenager but now that im 42 i just started having it in my arms and chest and i thought to myself surel y this isnt the same problem as my legs but the internet confirms it. im miserable, i took iron in the past for my legs and that helped but nothing seems to help my arms and chest including magnesium . abenadrl and calicium both cause my symptoms. i just rock myself on the couch until i fall asleep sitting up. sometimes its for 3 hours. and then i get to sleep 3 hours before i get up.
I’m 33 and RLS (and arms) has started to afflict me on a daily basis at night. I have not as of yet done anything about it, but I sense it is getting worse. Right now I can still go to the couch, twitch for a couple minutes, and get a good night’s sleep…but staying still in bed all night with my girlfriend? Good luck…it’s 4:53 am and I’m up for the day. Good thing I’m a lawyer and I actually can use the extra time at work lol. I haven’t tried any remedies yet but I know the feeling like you have to twitch.
Hi
Im 51 and have (RLS) and arms and this effects me every night. It has got to the stage that I no longer go to bed with hubby because he works and is not getting the sleep with me jerking about all over the place. So I stay up all nite until he has gone to work and then i try and sleep.
I was given requip by my dr which worked for a while and then made me violently sick, so I no longer take them. Been referred to a nero surgeon who has done an eeg and Im now awaiting results.
Hi I am 34 I have been having restless leg for a while now and it has gotten worse. the only way I can explain it, is that it starts out like a small ball of energy and continues to get bigger the more i try to contain the twicthing it moves up into my arms and chest. i can’t sleep and i toss and turn until i can’t take it anymore, then i get out of bed and try to do some stretches that never helps I cry until I pass out from exhaustion. i went to the doctor and he says that i have an enlarged thyroid but it is functioning properly. I have been having palpatations very frequently and I am very scared. they want to do an ultra sound of my heart and give me a halter monitor. i was have the palpatations so much but they are slowing down now. I am scared and don’t feel very good. I have been sleeping alot with the meds they gave me but am in fear that if i stop the meds it will go back to the same thing and i hate that feeling. i feel like the lone ranger and was wondering if anyone else is having the same problem and if they can give me some solution the doctors maybe missing
When this starts up at night I take trazdone and stay up about 1/2 an hour then go to bed and I can make it through the rest of the night.
i ws just lettin everyone know that if your doctor ever tries to put you on butalb don’t ever accept it it gives you restless legs and arms so bad you just want to cut off you legs and arms.you really don’t know what to do it really sucks.
I am a first time sufferer and feeling it terribly behind the elbow. I feel like I need to keep snapping my arms straight to get any relief, but I also realize I am under a great deal of stress. We are currently closing our business due to the awesome economy and the planets being aligned. As weird as it sounds, among the hustle of closing our shop and wrapping up loose ends we have neglected our routine life and its leaving me feeling out of sorts. Does anyone think that stress and lack of coitus have anything to do with it? Or just being in limbo emotionally could be a big factor?
so I have been up reading all of these post trying to figure out what is wrong with me and I am having the same problems as the rest of you in my left arm. I have been trying to sleep for like past 2 hours and cannot and more than likely my arm will wake me up at 9 in the morning again. I cant take it!!.
I get the light tingling feeling and my arm begins to pulsate and it feels heavy and restless. This is really a pain in the butt to deal with when you are trying to sleep.
Another thing is that my mom has been diagnosed with RLS so im pretty sure its hereditary and I need some kinda of medicine.
lease help. does any one out there get the feelings described but in their tummy?I just can’t sit or lay still when I’m tired because of it, laying on the sofa at the end of the day is a thing of the past and its this awful ‘butterflies’ in my tummy sensation thats the problem. was prescribed a very low dose of anti-depressant ,it solved it for a while but think my body has become ‘used’ to it now and doesnt have as much effect. No one else mentions the butterfly, itchty tummy but I have to move my legs or whole body to alleviate it.
I have had restless leg since I had lower back surgery in 1978, after I had 4 neck surgeries, along came restless arm!! I find that when it attacks, and it does quite often, I have ice packs in the freezer, I apply directly to the area that is itching so badly, it freezes, and it goes to sleep for a few hours. I take Mirapex 1.5mg twice a day, that helps with the restless leg, however, everything they have tried for restless arm has not worked, until I found that ice does work!!
I have the same all these people have, what should i do? My doctor told me that is the nerve caused me because i have problems in one of my disc. I do not know really what is the cause of these weird feeling in my legs and arms.
Please i need help.
i am going to go crazy…..actually, i thought i was going crazy, wanting to shove a knife in my arm. i have been trying to sleep for about 4 hours, but i cant because my arm is being all creepy crawly. i have tried everything short of meds to stop it but it wont go away. i have a 2 year old that i cant even play with anymore because im so sleepy from the mere 3 hours of sleep i get per night. please help!!!!!
Wow! I didn’t know there were so many people with the same problem I have. I have heard people say they have rls, but not the kind that we all have where your arms, legs, body cannot keep still. If I try to stay as still as possible, it is even worse, the jerking is much more severe. One doctor prescribed lorazapan, but it doesn’t help.. I was given another medicine which I had to take three times a day, every day. First of all, I didn’t sleep the entire night for the two nights I did take it and, secondly, I don’t want to have to take meds for it everyday. I would like to find something that would ease them when it is happening. If anyone finds something that helps, I wish you would e-mail me. I am 72 years old and have enough other aches and pains. I can deal with them, but not with this. Tonight is about the third time this week and it is getting more often. Someone told me that it is caused by a lack of potassium. I don’t know. Good luck to all of us
Caffeine had that effect on me. I would wake up at 1 or 3 AM. It would take an hour for the effect to wear off. Forget the drugs — and lay off caffeine after 12:00 Noon.
i moved from vancouver bc to waterloo ontario and now i get this same feeling i used to sleep like a rock it is a lot more humid here also the water is badly chlorinated so i have a water softner which uses salt and also a brita arg cant sleep
I have the same thing where if I do too much of anything… too much sleep, too much of not enough sleep, too much activities… anything that would stress me out physically or even mentally, I would have the problem of wanting to jerk my arms and legs. I would also get real shakey and feel like a spaz. It use to get so bad that I had trouble standing, walking, and driving. If I tried to igore the urges, it would become very painfuI. So due to the pain, I was forced to move my limbs. It felt like I was lossing control and my limbs had a mind of their own. I thought I was going nuts. I even had thoughts of wanting to cut off my limbs because of the pain. Then I took some vitamin pills and it helped with the pain and the urges. And then after learning of RLS and what can trigger it, I stopped drinking anything that has caffeine. Now I hardly notice the urges.
Liz, I have RLS (not diagnosed by a doctor yet, as I’ve never talked to them about it…but my dad has it and I have ALL the symptoms), and I get the butterflies, itchy feeling in my stomach. I had it last night in fact, along with the legs. So you are not the only one!
i drove a semi for a living until a few months ago .i would drive until i was fighting sleep then id hit a rest area an crawl back in my bunk knowing id fall right to sleep about ten minuites later id start getting these weird feelings in my arms an legs thats hard to explain . its like a tingling ball of energy running up an down my arms an into my chest .or ants crawling in your veins iwould toss an turn till it was time i had to roll or i would be late then 15 minuitesdown the road id be fighting sleep again im 48 yrs old and ive got back problems and arthiritis my doctor blames everything on pinched nerves in my back he prescribed me a pill called gabepentin theres times i think it helps but theres times it dont i was up till 4 am last night thats how i found this im not glad that others have this because it truly is miserable but it is a relief to know that my minds not going bad ha ha good luck guys if i get a answer ill be back with it
It is a little after 9pm and I am worried about going to bed soon. Worried about sleep? Yes. I am worried because I know that sometime in the night I will be awakened with severe sensations in my right arm that will stress me out. I was in a hot bath @ 4am last night as a last ditch effort to get the suffering to end. The docs have diagnosed me with RLS and gave me a couple of different meds but they did not work or if they did I was not aware because I could not sleep while taking them. they kept me awake, that makes no sense. The sensations start in my hand so I shake and shake it….. them it moves upward to my arm,,,,, It is so severe that I would cry if I thought it would make it better, I actually feel like screaming, but that would just make me more miserable. I walked up and down the stairs last night swinging my arms over my head hoping that getting some better circulation would help. I will try the magnesium approach.
I too have this horrible condition. it is so hard to explain to people. My arms and legs get the sensation and it almost pushes me to the point of suicide. last December the condition got so severe one night i ended up in the hospital screaming and uncontrollable movements until the doctor put me in a sleep induced coma on a ventilator. the ER staff thought I was crazy. It getting worse and from research i find there is no cure.
I have this and use carbidopa-levodopa (SINEMET®) Tablets.
I started using one in the evening, then 2, now 3 and sometimes an extra during the night. They make me drowsy so I have to take a caffien pill when driving. This is the only way I can stand flying on a plane. I take one 1/2 hour before boarding and one as soon as I board and usually am fine for the entire flight. They take about 1/2 to take effect but I don’t think I could live without them. On my insurance plan it doesn’t matter if I get 30, 60, 90 or 120 it’s the same price of $15 for the generic carbidopa-levodopa.
I had all the strange sensations in my legs that everyone is talking about . It started about 3 years ago every so often with the crawling feeling in my legs where you try and message it away. Always late in the evening when I was getting tired and ready to go to sleep. Then it became more frequent till it was every night. Next it started waking me up and it was full blown pain up and down both legs. The only relief was to hit my legs all over. It would keep me up sometimes like an hour and a half. One night was so bad I went on the computer and goggled severe restless leg syndrome. I got onto some website that was a lot like this one but I came up with a remedy that works for me. It’s a crazy thing but for me it really works. I thought it was an insane idea but thought what do I have to lose by giving it a shot. So I went to bed with a small bar of soap between the mattress and the sheet down by my legs. I woke up in the morning and couldn’t believe that I had fallen asleep that quickly. Actually I had to check for the soap because I thought I had dreamed up the whole idea. There was even a doctor on the site who said he had patients that told him they used the soap and for some strange reason it works, he had no idea why it does. I’ve been doing this for about a year and about 3 times I’ve had to change it. If suddenly the pain returns change the soap even if it’s in the middle of the night. No particular soap is needed, I use the small hotel size bar. My son works with a young lady who told him she was tired all the time because of RLS and he shared the soap secret with her. She couldn’t thank him enough, it’s worked for her for the past 6 months. You can google RLS and soap, it does come up. Just give it a try, maybe you’ll be surprised. Pleasant Dreams! I don’t know if it will work for arms.
I have this periodically, and I really think for me it’s stress related. I’ve read online that Hawthorn Berry has worked for some people. I picked some up from the vitamin section at our local store but haven’t tried it yet. Just thought I’d let you know though as some of you may want to give it a go.
I was diagnosed with RLS last summer for my legs, put on 1.0mg Mirapex. All was well, ended up having 2 surgeries in August for ruptured discs in lower back. Now my legs are doing great with the Mirapex but now my arms are driving me INSANE. I am going in for another back surgery tomorrow, so hopefully the restless arms will go away. If it doesn’t I truly believe they will have to put me in a white coat. There is no other horrible feeling than dreading going to bed at night because you know what is going to happen within 30 minutes.
It happened to me again last night! In my arms, Sometimes it happens in my legs but mostly my arms these days. I can’t sleep and sometimes have go to work without any sleep. It SUCKS! I went to a concert in MLPS last night and was so tired all the way home, I figured I would fall right to sleep, but nope, was up all night, tossing and turning. I squeeze it, pinch it lay on it, try not to think of it. NOTHING works! I could just cry when this happens, I am going to try iron, which no one ever came back and said it works. I don’t want no crazy drugs from the doctor quite yet. I Feel bad for my boyfriend too…I kept him up a few times. Maybe the doc will give out percocet…now that’d be nice.
THIS SUCKS. This is the most uncomfortable thing I’ve felt in a long time. This it what your body feels like when you’re going through opiate withdrawal. I’ve done it a few times. It came out of nowhere (no drug withadrawal), and is keeping me awake well into the morning. I decided to have a couple hits of pot, and all of the horrible restless feelings went away. I highly recommend it.
Two hits of hits of pot. That’s all it takes.
And Michigan just legalized medicinal marijuana. Hmmm…
Its so good to find out Im not the only person in the world with this problem. I have the RLS with my arms, so I guess you call it RAS!! the only thing that helps me is push-ups untill my arms go weak. I find its best to just get straight up once the feeling starts and just do push-ups, and keep doing them untill I cant hold my own body weight, then get back into bed and lie on my back and relax. I usually fall back asleep and its all good. I would love to be able to just take a pill and that would be that, I think I’ll take a trip to the doctors now I have a name for what is happening to my arms!!! thank you people!
It’s 1 a.m & here I am…This is the most horroble feeling ever..not being able to control the feeling in your own body I cant smoke the pot, wish i could just quit though Noone has come back with the reaults on the iron deficiency eiher it works and they arent waking up at night or its not working. I dont drink caffeine except for coffee in the morning so it cant be that. Ive tried to take hot showers and put on sweats after that, (its for my legs) seems to help but it could be my imagination though. The arm thing is new it used too be just in my legs.Cant take this feeling anymore Im off to the shower!!! Wish me luck.
ok so Im back, I took the iron pill (since I had 1) and less than an hour later it seems to b working, I dont know if its just worn off on its own but the feeling has subsided
I am reading this and finding some comfort to know that i am not the only one with this. I am having the creepy feeling in my left arm and leg. Its not tingily rather it is like just strange not sure how to describe it. But does any one get it only on one side?its only my left side and sometimes i get a headache also that kinda feels creepy and tingly. anyone have this/ could rls affect only one side(left leg and left arm)??? it also seems to be worse if i had a coffee in the morning? sound familiar??
i only have it on my left side too i have been going to doctors after doctorsand nnone of them can tell me nothing its been like this for two years already its driving me nuts so bad i just want to cut it off i dont sleep at all im just so tired all the time
it now has starting involving the creepy feeling in my chest…i am so frusterated…went to a chiropractor and he said maybe nerve related….its not everyday i dont know whats going on does urs last all day
I’ve had RLS for awhile and now It is starting in my arms. Has anyone ever noticed that when they eat the symptoms go away temporarily.[ only while you are eating] I have also found that Tramadol helps too.
I have found one thing that eoes seem to aggravate RLS symptoms, which is sugar. I would highly recommend cutting it out or way back in your diet and see if that helps. At the very least, try not eating any in the evening before bed. Things like Neurontin and Clonozapm or Diazapam do work for alot of folks, but you cannot take any of the “pams” on a regular basis, because they are addictive narcotics.
I have had RLS (self diagnosed) for years. It runs in my family. I have found one thing that does seem to aggravate RLS symptoms, which is sugar. I would highly recommend cutting it out or way back in your diet and see if that helps. At the very least, try not eating any in the evening before bed. Things like Neurontin and Clonozapm or Diazapam do work for alot of folks, but you cannot take any of the “pams” on a regular basis, because they are addictive narcotics.
For about 6 months now I have been dealing (and not very well) with restlessness in my right arm, at first I thought I was having a stroke! Does the iron really help because if it does I will start taking it right now. I can’t describe the feeling other than I can’t get it to relax, it is like my arm has a mind of its own and does not want to go to sleep! Any helpful advise other than the iron would be great, I can’t miss another day of work because I was up all night:(
I m so thankful to read this entire page as I, like the rest of you, are doing it as I am suffering from it right now. Mine is only my arms, never had the issue with my legs. Please continue to blog what has helped you. I know I m gonna start trying the iron and magnesium bits immediately. As for me, I had some tramodol leftover from an old incident and it helps me greatly, but if I am without it,it seems that i have at least some degree of difficulty with this EVERY NIGHT!!! Showers, push ups and jumpin jacks do not seem to work for me…….i simply have to suck it up for an hour or so and occupy myself somewhere else and then get back to sleep. But it is killing my sleep almost nightly now:( Any other solutions out there????
so glad i am not crazy. just left the doctor after 3 nights of no sleep! Been on requip for 2 years and worked great but all of the sudden stopped working! I specifically asked the doctor if being anemic had any anything to do with it and he said no. I went to my OB doctor last week and he had said I was severly anemic so thats why I asked. Doctors never know the answer so I am so glad to see there might be the simple solution of taking iron!!! Going to try it right now!!!!
I had RLS for years and got relief from Requip but all of a sudden it isn’t working, plus now my arms are bothering me as well as my legs. This is a first. I’m so frustrated that after about 5 years of relief, I seem to be back to “Page one” with my symptoms. At first my legs just bothered me at night, now it can come on any time during the day. The only relief I get is walking, which is fine unless it’s 2:00 in the morning. I know if I double up on the Requip, it will help, but I’m not sure this is the best thing to do. It really is a curse.
Help i dont know whats wrong with me i feel so loopy like i just need something or someone to stretch me in half my arms feel like spaghetti noodles and my legs i hve to keep stretching for relief it started about two weeks ago getting worse. I was diagnosed with synivitis (buildup of my synovial fluid in left hand) work related, but now my body is doing this. I thought at first i wasnt getting enough exercise since ive been off work, but i cant describe the feeling i have to wiggle and stretch for about an hour before i can fall asleep, and my wrists feel like they have needles in them does anyone else hve shp pangs once in a while in their wrists. I had hardly any sleep last night and i feel like beating on my arms and legs. I dont know how to get any relief from it
i dont know how to live a normal life because when this happens i cant sleep and then im tired all day. I feel like i could walk to texas and back for relief but that would be a very long walk. My husband says to let go and just go with it, but I cant, its such a frustrating feeling. I literally lay on the floor smacking my arms and legs up and down for relief, but it never really goes away. I feel like im going crazy. Im so thankful I found this site.
I just got up tonight because of this same problem, only it doesn’t seem to be in my legs at all just my arms. I have to twist and contort them while over-flexing the muscles for them to feel normal, then after I stop doing it the sensation returns. It’s true there’s really no way to describe it. From what I’ve read everyone has their own way of putting it. Best description I can come up with is it feels like when you stand in a door way and press your hands hard against the frame for a few minutes and then relax, and your arms feel like they’re floating up in the air. I had to get up and punch the air and do push-ups. I find though the feeling is not only in my arms but moving into my chest; as well, I have heartburn. Could be related or I might just have heartburn, who knows. Anyways, I feel your pain. This is the first time I’ve experienced it and it scared me so I got up and researched it. Most articles I read said the sensations start between 10 P.M. and 4 A.M., with the worst sensations being felt just shortly after midnight, and I woke up from it just before 1 A.M. Thank goodness for the internet, or I’d be driving myself nuts trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with me.
I have had restless arms/neck/back for the past three nights and on other nights few and far between. Not sure why I get it but if I just sleep on the floor I go right to sleep. I don’t even bother twitching around in bed anymore I just move my pillow and a blanket onto the floor and I can sleep fine. Strange!
I’ve experienced the “tingling and reselessness” in my arms, and other areas of my body for years. I’m 32 years old and for a while, in my late 20′s, I took asprin. Not Tylenol or Motrin, only asprin would work. My doctor said that I could take two regular strength , but I had started taking four! It doesn’t work anymore and this terrible feeling will destroy me if I don’t find some relief! Vicodin and other narcotics, of course, take it away, but the doctors don’t want to write ongoing prescriptions for these…not to mention, they treat me like I’m an addict. I’ve never had a drug addiction, I’m a non smoker, and I don’t drink. I would not ask for these if I didn’t need it to sleep! I have a full time job and three small children…I have to rest! It has put strains on my job, my marriage, and my sanity! I’m sorry that other people are suffering with this, but I’m relieved to know that I’m not the only one! I’m healthy otherwise and have tried many different “remedies”. Nothing works except for the strong pain meds and I can’t get a doctor to recognize this as a “pain” situation. I would rather HURT! I could manage pain, but that crawling feeling and static feeling is going to make me hurt myself!!! All I can say to everyone else going through this is that muscle relaxers, excercise, cutting out caffine, lorazepam, neurontin, amitriptaline, and trazadone did not work for me at all…among a few other things. If someone has this every night and has truly found relief from something else, please respond! Thanks!
the first time i had this wierd extremely uncomfortable feeling in my arms i had taken tylenol pm so i figured thats what had made me feel this way. i said to myself i will never take that again.the other night i had a huge headache and took some advil which ive taken many times before and it happened again i thought it was the med but its now been happening for the last 3 nights. this feeling happens only when i lay down to sleep it hadnt happen for a while but for the last 3 nights its gotten to a point where i cannot sleep and crying becuase its very frustrating. could this be rls? its not tingleling nor its painful its just very wierd i cant get comfortable i have to sit up and stretch and shake my arms. is this rls? does anyone else out there feel the same ?
Ive had the same problem, but I have found if I take over the counter potassium every day the problem goes away. But if I quit taking the potassium the problem will come back. If you try this ideal make sure you take the potassium for a few weeks before you judge weather it is working or not. Good luck.
thank you :0)
Thank God for this site! I have been having this same problem for about 3 years. I am a 28 year old female. It’s crazy to hear everyone describing my symptoms. I too thought I was going crazy. My family and ER doctors thought the same thing. It’s so hard to explain the terrible feeling I get in my arms and legs. I try to take my mind off of it but to no avail. I too have felt like cutting my arms and legs off and wondered if I would be able to handle the pain if it happened again. During the pain I take whatever I can get my hands on to try to make it stop. Last night I think I took to much, but it feels like it’s coming back. I am on a fentnyl (strong opiod) pain patch for disc problems in back and neck. My doctor seems to think it may have something to do with that, but I’m not so sure. I just want it to stop. Whatever it takes. This is the worst feeling imaginable.
My mother has RLS and has been keeping it under control with medicine. I have, on occasion, had symptoms but recently it has gotten worse and happens more frequently (it’s 2 in the morning, can you guess why I’m up??). For me it feels like my arm is about to go to sleep but it’s constant. I’ve taken some advil, will let everyone know how that fares!
good luck to all of you, as well.
This is a great site. I thought it was only me feeling this way. Thanks for the advice: ice pack, iron vitamins
and potassium. I picked them up today.But here I sit with an ice pack on my right shoulder trying to get some sleep.
I’ve taken another half ambient. Hopes it kicks in soon.
Omgosh I am so glad I am not alone, I have been to the doctors every month for a year. They have sent me to nuro. surgeons(sorry for the misspell, I am exhausted from no sleep 2:30 am), and more. I do have nerve damage and torn disk in my back but this arm crap only started a year or so ago. My doctor finally put me on Zanaflex 8mg a night at bedtime, it seemed to help for a few months now I am right back where I started. I too like most of you want to just cut my arm off, I cant stand it. Tonight its only in my left arm, but most nights its in both arms, I sit and rock, throw my arms up and down, thrash them on the couch or bed, pinch my arms, rub them, you name it nothing makes it go away. The only relief I get is sitting up and getting on the computer for a few but as soon as I lay down it starts all over again. Its been so bad lately I have almost went to the hospital because I couldnt take it anymore. I think my doctor thinks I am nuts because he has never once mentioned RLS, now that I have read this, my next appointment on the 18th I am going tell him this. Why is it we can come on the internet and someone what figure out what we may have and we can go to a doctor and they have the first clue. Oh well, just glad to hear I am not alone and not crazy, cause when I tell people they look at me as if I am nuts. best of luck to all of you
this really SUCKS i cannot sleap my right arm is driving me nuts this started a few months ago off and on but lately its almost every night i thought this was only in the legs but after reading yalls comments i gots the rls in my arm and thats why im up at 3:15 am writing this i want to break my arm but that will prolly make it worse cause then forsure i wont be able to move it ima see a doc about this cause its BS i am tired but my arm isnt and i feel wierd during the day cause i didnt sleap and in the morning ill take this diet pill to get energy and get me through the day then i feel paranoid like people can tell i not been asleap and i must be on drugs cause i feel like i look like a zombie lol from all the lack of sleap and when i tell someone about this rls crap in my arm they look at me like i am nutts
i am only 16 and i think i have restless arm syndrome. is that normal? it keeps me up at night and i want to cut off my left arm! i tried ice packs but that doesnt help.
I had surgery on my ankle a month ago, and I was positioned on my left side for 3 hours under anesthesia. Since then, my ankle is fine, but my left arm (which I was lying on during anesthesia) becomes restless at night to the point that I want to cut it off- just like so many of the other posts say! I thought I was alone with this arm thing, but I guess not. It’s effecting my sleep now, and I’m not sure how to talk to my doctor about it.
I recently got off 9 years of Paxil, and that’s when mine started. Legs, arms (mostly left one), and in my shoulder blade area on the left. Definitely worse with more caffeine. I had 2 cups instead of 1 this morning and I feel it today. Definitely seems worse with stress, too. There is something in vitamin stores called GABA that helps me. Tylenol also helps, but I think that’s cuz it always makes me drowsy. Potassium has helped at times, when I was at my worst. Magnesium is good for relaxing before bed, too. Interesting about the iron cuz I just had Aunt Flo and I am feeling worse. Thanks. I’ll try some!
i stretch my arms constantly under the pillows and under my partners head. i move all over the bed and have even woken up under the mattress. what the hell is wrong with me? any ideas, please help. ive been doing this all my life when im awake or asleep.
Thank goodness for internet blogs! I had heard of RLS before but was under the impression that it was involuntary movements of the legs while asleep. I only started getting this in my arm about two years ago. It has been fortunately infrequent and has only happened a few times. But if you have ever had it happen, you will never forget. What I feel is not an involuntary movement but an overwhelming need to move the arm. It is never comfortable in any position so I have to keep readjusting it, desperately TRYING to get it comfortable enough to allow me to fall asleep. Impossible!
The last time I had it happen was a few weeks ago. It really scares me because it usually occurs in my left arm and shoulder. So, always in the back of my mind, was the thought that I was having a heart attack. I truly believe that stress makes it worse but when it happens you cannot help but be stressed. I worry about keeping my boyfriend awake with it and I think that he was wondering if it was heart related also. It makes you feel like you are going crazy, anxious, restless and for me I am on the verge of tears because I cannot make it go away, cannot sleep and worry about some unknown heart issue. Maybe knowing that it is a condition that others are afflicted with also and knowing I am NOT having a heart attack will take some of the fear out of it.
I wonder about the iron deficiency as I was borderline anemic most of my life (never experienced it) and my doctor recently told me that I had too much iron in my blood now and not to take suppliments anymore. She put me on Magnesium for sleep, but I had stopped taking it a week or two before I had my last episode.
It is the middle of the afternoon and my arm feels crawly now. I took some Magnesium and hopefully it will subside soon. It is much worse when trying to fall asleep. I think the blogger that called it “Creepy Crawly” was the best description. It can be a little painful and very uncomfortable. Unsettling is a decent description because of the fear it instills, not knowing what you are experiencing.
Question: Does anyone else have muscle pain in joint areas when this happens? Could it be not only stress induced but activity related? Possibly overdoing it the day before it happens? Thank you to all the bloggers as now I know I am not the only “crazy” one.
I have had restless hands (and now arms) at night for a couple of years now. Yes it is a very annoying creepy crawly feeling. My worst episode was just last night. I shake my hands and arms or try to flatten them under the pillow but nothing helps. This episode lasted longer than usual (at least 3 1/2 hours) so I had to finally take a valium to get to sleep. It never happens during the day. I wake up every morning with trigger finger in some of my fingers and a couple are even locked up at the knuckles. I know I clench my hands and teeth at night. When I awake in the morning my fingers on one hand are double the size of the other hand and very painful. It looks like I went a few rounds with Mohammad Ali. I have been taking Paxil for 10 years and have currently weened from 80mgs to 60mgs to 40mgs in a period of 6 months. I stopped taking calcium at night a couple of years ago and after reading all the blogs I think my problem is related to lack of calcium. I read we should take magnesium separate from calcium. Mag during the day and cal at night because it relaxes the entire body. I cannot believe how many of you suffer from the same problem. I felt so alone because none of my friends or coworkers ever heard of this. They think I am crazy. Thank you all for all the information. Sometimes you learn more from people who go through the same problem than from any doctor. Any more advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks
I have the same thing and it is now in my arms. I am losing my mind! So far the only thing that definitely takes it away for me is percocet. Otherwise I just walk or beat on my legs and arms. I read the part about eating relieving it but only while you are eating. I find this is true. The thing that totally destroys me is it will start on one side and once I get it settled down by pounding on arm or leg, the other side starts up and sometimes it ends up on both sides at the same time. I also feel a nervous panic in my stomach and some nausea. Tramadol does nothing except take thedge off my pain frombmy fibromyalgia. I too wish I could just cut off my arms and legs or just end it all. I am trying to convince my Dr. To give me a regular script for percocet but he is very hesitant because of the addiction thing. But aren’t all drugs addictive in their own way since you can’t stop taking them without getting withdrawals and sometimes you have to increase the dose and some of the new drugs have side affects much worse than any narcotic. Anyway, I wish all of you luck in your search for the answer. It’s almost 1am and I am still trying to get rid of my RLS/RAS for the night. Thanks for all of the ideas!
I have had restless arm syndrome for many years now
and believe me there is no common cure.
Everything is fine until I go to bed and within 30 minutes I get the nasty sensations that keep me awake.
I have found that the hot weather does not help and causes more attacks.
Ok so what do I do to stop the attacks when they happen.
Firstly I rinse my arms with cold water for about 5 minutes.
This sometimes works great and I can get to sleep almost immediately.
If not I rinse my arms again.
If after the second application of cold water does not work I take 2 paracetamol and rinse my arms again.
I know rinsing your arms in cold water sounds uncomfortable but the sensation in your arms is worse.
Good luck!
I’m really frustrated right now. Lastnight, like everynight this week, I attempted to go to bed at 10, and almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, the weird tightening, aching, tingling feeling started in my arms. For the life of me I could not get it to go away. I squished them under my body, i massaged them. Then, it got so bad I was just jerking them out straight and swinging them around like a crazy person lol. I was up until 2:30am, then all of a sudden it stopped just long enough to go to sleep. I’m a 20 year old single mom with a very active 1 year old. I can’t afford to do this anymore. I’ve been having nerve issues from a 10 ft fall in December, but nothing like this. I’ve been anemic in the past and I have some iron pills left over from having my daughter,so I’m going to try that. I’m still having the weird sensation right now and its 10:30am. I’m so glad I decided to look up this problem, and find this site. Thanks for all the advice!
Well i was told that my resltlessness and irritabile feeling is caused by my pulse.Sometimes your puslse is slow and fast this causes an imbalance between your organs and you heartbeat which causes the restlessness.Im busy seeing a holistic healer who specialises in Tibb (Prophetic medication) he is busy treating me.You need medication to sooth the nerves and something to help your body work systematically again.
E-mail me if you want more info masee.rajah@absa.co.za
Benadryl has always caused me to have RLS. Ativan relieves the RLS. Since suffering a stroke in July, I am now experiencing RAS on the affected side.
I have had RLS for over 10 years. I take REquip every night about 30 minutes before I go to bed and it usually works. The infrequent side affects of sweating and slight nausia are easier to deal with then the RLS. I suggest to anyone to try taking REQuip in small amoutns (25-50 mg) and slowly increase until you find your amount to help. I take 100 mg which works about 90% of time…Good Luck to all..
For those of you talking about chest pain too and high blood pressure and anxiety, etc., have your calcium and thyroid levels checked. Hyperparathyroidism and hypothyroidism can cause restless arms particularly (at least for me more than legs). I got the hyperparathyroidism taken care of, which made the problem go away, but the surgery caused hypothryoidism, and my restless arms are back. Sigh.
so relieved to realise that i am not the only one with this horrible creepy crawly feeling that started in my legs only then my arms and now my chest palpitations and slight breathlessness was beginning to worry about m y chest until i read that someone has a restless chest does anyone have palpitations and shortness of breath
As all of you I have been dealing with this restless feeling in my right arm and both legs. I do take magnesium which helps but I still get it. Bio-freeze seems to alleviate it for me so I can go back to sleep.