In Dread of Night; Exercise and RLS

[Guest guest]

To the group:

I bought Dr. Meadow's book and have read it pretty thoroughly by now. I

have a hard time swallowing that RLS is strictly a vascular affliction, and I

was somewhat disappointed that gives no reference to having tried his

recommendations and exercises on anyone other than himself. Nevertheless, I

highly recommend that anyone concerned or afflicted with RLS buy the book,

and give it a thorough reading.

I found it extremely interesting, and even offers the possibility of getting

off of RLS medications!

In chapter 16, gives clear instructions with pictures on how to do six

different exercises, to be done near bedtime. Last night I tried this,

jumping right in and doing all six. Perhaps I did them too vigorously, or I

failed to keep my legs and feet warm enough, or else my body was just not

ready for this. Anyway, instead of relieving RLS symptoms, it wired me up

into a full blown RLS attack. I fought it with sinemet, klonopin, walking,

playing computer games, etc for over three hours before I was able to get to

sleep! And even after that I apparently jumped around in bed in my sleep.

About that time my wife got up and stalked off to the guest bedroom so she

could get some sleep. Some time along the way she remarked that " wasn't I

sorry to have spent 20 bucks on the book " ?

No, I'm not sorry - I still think it's a great book. But my advice to people

trying out the bedtime exercises is go into them gradually - it seems as if

they can do more harm than good if they are overdone or if you're not used to

doing them. This evening, right after dinner, I laid down on the bed and did

just exercise no.6, the foot flexion-extension exercise. This one involves

movement of just the feet rather than the legs, which, according to the book

produces a pumping type of action on the calf muscle, and may be the safest

one to start with for newbies. Anyway, I did this rather than take my usual 7

p.m. sinemet, and so far, as of 9:06 p.m., I have had no problem with my feet

or legs. I just hope that this contiues. If it does, I will probably get up

enough nerve to try it at bedtime one of these nights soon!

Enough said for now.

Don, 74, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

[Guest guest]

At 11:15 PM 4/12/99 EDT, you wrote:

>From: Detryk@...

>

[snip]

>was somewhat disappointed that gives no reference to having tried his

>recommendations and exercises on anyone other than himself.

Don,

Thanks for the report. One of the main things I've learned from RLSSUPPORT

list is how widely we vary in what works or doesnt work. I also got that

concept from Virginia 's book " Sleep Thief " .

Both our group and Virginia's book draw on the direct experiences of a lot

of different people with RLS, a factor that I think is very important for

anybody studying this disease.

[Guest guest]

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From: Ann Cianflone[sMTP:ann@...]

Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 1999 9:30 AM

To: Detryk@...'

Subject: RE: " In Dread of Night " ; Exercise and RLS

Don: Thanks for the book review. I ordered it too. Since there is so little

out there regarding the restless legs affliction, why not? He's on the right

track if he is recommending getting off the medications for rls. I made a

valiant effort to get off Ultram and find that my rls now is not nearly as bad

as it was WHILE I was on Ultram! Those medications are pretty sneaky; in the

beginning it is heaven on earth to get some relief from the rls

sensations...until you realize there is a payoff for every one of them or find

out that in the end the medication to get relief is making your condition worse.

I have opted to dump Ultram and after reading about the " side " effects of the

other medications on the rls support group e-mail I will not under any

circumstances start in on something else. I have found that sooner or later the

human body will demand its sleep if only from exhaustion.

Regards, Ann Cianflone

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