Question posted by Debbie Acklin ( d_acklin@hotmail.com) on 18:9:11 9/13/97
Question: I have had RLS since I was a child. I can remember as far back as eleven or twelve years old not being able to sleep because of the need to move my legs around. This has gradually progressed as I have gotten older. I am now 45. At this point I have the sensation in both my legs, both my arms (to a lesser degree) and sometimes in my shoulders. I find that when I sit to watch TV, I am constantly shaking my legs. I have to get up and leave long meetings and have not been able to sit comfortably through movies or long drives (as a passenger). I never knew until a few weeks ago, when I saw something on the news, that this was a disorder. It has been a constant embarrassment to me over the years because people have never taken me seriously when I have talked about the sensations in my body and the irresistable need to move. I have been scoffed at and made fun of for falling asleep at odd times, such as sitting at my computer at work, doctors' waiting rooms, I have even fallen asleep with my feet in stirrups during visits to my OB-GYN. Lately, sleeping is becoming more and more impossible as I have to get up frequently during the night to move around. I have taken Tylenol with limited success. I also seem to be worse when I am hot. In addition to this, I feel fairly sure that I have sleep apnea since I snore terribly and my husband tells me I gasp for breath or sometimes seem to stop breathing during the night. At this point, we are thinking about separate beds if not separate bedrooms so at least one of us can rest. I have talked with my mother who is 63 and was surprised to discover she suffers similarly although not as severly. My daughter who is 21 is also having problems to a milder degree. She also seems to have night terrors. I have allergies which seem to get worse along with my RLS. Now I find I have very little recourse. If anyone has any advice, please help. I have scheduled an interview with a sleep clinic for November 5.