Does RLS affect other parts of your body?

hi, may i know what meds you are taking? I am 35 years old and was just diagnosed with PLMD. I am afraid of taking meds because of the long term side effects. Are there any meds you recommend that has minimal long term side effects? Thanks in advance

Hi . Your concern is understandable. If you are looking for some alternative treatments, here is an article about devices that can help with RLS that might interest you: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/treatment/devices. Here is another article about lifestyle changes and home remedies: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/lifestyle-changes. I hope this helps. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)

Hi there, I realize this is an old post but I just joined this group today and when I saw the subject I had to comment to see if I could revive the conversation. I've had RLS my entire life (I am 56) and the only times it was what I would call unbearable was when I was pregnant with each of my 2 children. The rest of the time it was difficult to varying degrees but in the last few months it has been an absolute nightmare. Most nights I've been able to sleep with the help of transdermal magnesium foam, but sitting on the couch in the evening and trying to relax in front of the TV for more than 10 minutes at a time is impossible. I've been on .25mg Ropinorole for several years and recently had the dosage increased to .50 which has so far not helped. The reason I am hoping to reopen this conversation is I have had the most bizarre sensation in my left breast since September that doctors have not been able to diagnose and don't seem to have any interest in. I am ready to lose my mind between this and my magnified RLS symptoms. It feels like internal sizzling or crawling most of the time, but other times like a painful itch where I just want to claw at myself. This has been torture 24/7 for the past 6 months. I had dx mammogram and u/s done and cysts were found, biopsied and benign, thank God. The breast surgeon did not believe they were related to what I was feeling, though, so I was discharged from his care until my next screening to monitor those biopsy sites, since I am high risk for cancer. I spoke to my primary care dr about it and she, too, was dismissive of it since I had extensive scans done with the breast surgeon and nothing showed up. During all this I've also developed numbness in all 8 of my smaller toes. Went to the podiatrist and he said it could be some pressure on a nerve in my lower back and there was really nothing to be done about it. So I am basically left to diagnose all this on my own. I never thought for a second that the feelings in my breast could in any way be related to the RLS, until I read your post. My primary care dr is the one who prescribes my meds for the RLS and is aware that my symptoms have increased, yet never mentioned the possibility of anything being related. I am trying to figure out which direction I am supposed to go in at this point to possibly get a diagnosis (neurologist? rheumatologist?) but I have a feeling I'm just going to continue hitting dead ends and this might wind up being another "RLS" type of thing that I have to live with indefinitely.

Sorry to hear about your impossible symptoms. Mine also occasionally creep into my chest. My sleep doc is "the" RLS person in the Boston area (a neurologist and psychiatrist), and excellent IMHO. While I'm not always symptom-free, I'm doing quite well on a regimen of Gabapentin (Neurontin) and a small dose of oxycodone. Also, for traditional insomnia -- as if we need that, too -- I sometimes take one of a new class of sleep meds called oxexin antagonists. Remarkable med.