Re: Job with RLS - exhaustion

[Guest guest]

Hi Cybermembers,

>Do any of you think that a person with RLS would qualify for

>disability? And if so go through vocational rehabilitation?

Last year, many mails were dealing this subject, with a specialist. I did

not keep these mails, but you may probably get them from one of the

Cybermember outthere!

>but you know what? I bet they wouldn't even recognize RLS,

>they'd label it depression or something like that.

In Switzerland, apart " You are too nervous! " , we have already heard

" HYPOCONDRIAC " ,

does it not sound greater than depression ?!

>It bothers me that the professionals out there are so blind to sleep

>disorders, not just physicians, but everybody. Just think if this was

>as well known as alcoholism!

>

>Cindy

>36 WA

I agree and would like to add two comments:

First, people/professionals are may be not blind for all sleep disorders.

Insomnia for example is very spread. But this is very true for RLS/PLMS.

Second, a part of the problem is that many sufferers did not recognize their

own symptoms and are not able to describe them with precision. This fact

does not help the diagnostic nor the spreading of knowledge.

>Keeping a job with RLS.

Still possible with mild RLS, this is more and more difficult according to

the severity of the case due to lack of sleep and exhaustion/fatigue. This

is an evidence as sounds evident that the fatigue has its origin in the lack

of sleep.

Well, after the new RLS research hot spot that I posted a few days ago:

" R.'s group (Baltimore) reported that RLS patients showed abnormally

low CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) ferritin , despite having normal serum

ferritin. It is then probable that RLS pathophysiology involves abnormal

regulation of brain iron. " (ferritin is the stock of iron)

and some reflection, I would suggest various possible causes for

fatigue/exhaustion:

- sleep deficit

- iron deficit (a principal symtom of the lack of iron is fatigue/exhaustion)

- not adapted medicaments, in too high doses, or in mixtures

- PLMS are described to disturb the sleep more than RLS alone.

This last statement is probably too academic because before her codeine

intake, my wife (41) which has pure RLS was totally sleep depleted, day and

night, continuous RLS With codeine she is now free of RLS at day, but

has to walk 1-2 x per night and is always exhausted.

In other words, even with codeine she could not possibly work on a job since

now almost 10 years.

We'll have to find something better!

A better sleep wish you

Bernard, from Switzerland (rainy today)