When You Can't Move: Unrelenting RLS From Too Much Sitting

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the ER at the height of the fourth wave of the pandemic locally here. I wouldn't have chosen this; however, I had an extremely severe intestinal infection. I had no idea that's what it was at the time since I've never had food poisoning as severe as that in my life to the point of needing to go to the ER and getting re-hydrated, some abdominal pain medication, and a lot of antibiotics.

Since severe intestinal infections can cause blood loss (let's not get into those details) and you can be sick for days, well, I was pretty sick before I even decided maybe this is the sort of thing that needs some attention. Which meant I wasn't sleeping well, and I think I even pushed myself into some mild anemia. Either way, my restless legs syndrome (RLS) went a bit wild there. More so than usual, that is.

My ER adventure: 5 thumbs down

I live in a small city, so when our hospitalizations due to COVID-19 slammed our healthcare system, it didn't take long for our hospital to have problems. The whole province was maxed out. When I went in, it was really no surprise at all when they told me it would be a 4-hour wait. Every hospital had extremely serious overload happening. I had no issue waiting, given the horrible situation doctors were dealing with.

Not only that, but I wasn't even in the waiting room. I was in a secondary sort of made-up waiting room. I was put on a fold-up chair curtained off with a bunch of other people in a similar situation.

Unfortunately, this is not exactly a comfortable state for someone with fibromyalgia. So this became uncomfortable fast. Not to mention the abdominal pain and serious fatigue I had from being violently ill for 2 and a half days.

And then it happened. I started to get the first creepy-crawly sensation of the first hint of oncoming RLS.

Oh. No.

RLS sensations could not be ignored

At first, it was just that antsy pulling sensation and sort of an electrical current. Then not too much later, a real need to move my feet. So I would put one leg over the other to rapidly shake one foot. And then switch legs. And then switch. And repeat.

Then, okay, both legs down and rock then back and forth for a bit. When I get really frustrated, I do a little rapid thumping on the ground, hoping that might settle it down for a second. Nope. Nope, it does not.

Pacing was not an option

I massaged the leg, trying to soothe it, but it was way past the point of that helping. I decided at that point to get up and pace around my small space. This was decidedly not a great idea given my abdominal "situation" and pain, but I was getting to the RLS pain point.

To be honest, I was almost considering leaving to go home so I could get my medication. I had no idea how serious the intestinal infection was or even what it was. So I had a really hard time convincing myself to stay there.

Enduring painful RLS while getting treatment

By the time I actually got into the ER and had a bed, I was seriously in some RLS discomfort. I was rocking and shaking but with painful RLS, that doesn't cut it at all. I really hate it when my feet start doing that electrical pulling sensation that makes me have to arch them and pull my toes up. It's extremely uncomfortable.

So I was not a happy camper all around. I knew by then I needed to get the treatment they recommended but, man, that takes time. I was tired, my head hurt, and my legs were driving me bonkers. I would have had a nap if I had actually been capable of it, but my RLS entirely prevented that idea.

Relieved to get out of the ER

So for the worst intestinal infection I have ever experienced in my entire life, surprisingly, at that point, it was the RLS that was driving me to distraction. I have never been so relieved to get out of the ER in my life, and I'm not fond of hospitals. When the doctor came in to tell me I could go, he asked me if I had any questions. I did, but I didn't ask them because I was literally already getting up and gathering my things. I just wanted to go.

P.S. A word to the wise: If you have those mini carrots and they get slimy, but you think they are not "bad," they actually are. Even if you wash them off, it may not matter depending on your age and immune system. So, that is a thing I know now.