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My husband suffers from RLS, Is there any thing else besides Quinine tablets?

Posted , 8 users are following.

mena55050
mena55050

I know it very disturbing for him,  but it also affects me to as sometimes his arms seem to be affected too and they flail about as well.  he doesn't even know when this happens.

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • RobertT
    RobertT mena55050

    Posted

    This sounds more like periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) than RLS. The same medications are available, I believe.
    • mena55050
      mena55050 RobertT

      Posted

      thank you.  I never heard of this disorder.

       

    • mena55050
      mena55050

      Posted

      He never sleeps when this is happening.   He is aware of RLS as he rubs his legs and paces about etc.   He is awake also when he jerks about but when I ask him could he lie at peace he doesn't realise he has been moving.  

  • beagle
    beagle mena55050

    Posted

    Generally if it happens during sleep it will be PLMD, if it is RLS he won't get to sleep!

    • mena55050
      mena55050 beagle

      Posted

      He os not asleep during either.  Thank you for your help.  Mind you perhaps I wake him when I speak to him.  Just another thought. 
  • ron65035
    ron65035 mena55050

    Posted

    Yup, not RLS for sure.
    • mena55050
      mena55050 ron65035

      Posted

      He definitely has RLS.   Seems like he is afflicted with both.  He doesn't sleep when his legs are bad.  I simply thought all this was part of the same thing.  

  • martin45332
    martin45332 mena55050

    Posted

    My limited understanding is that quinine tablets are not at all helpful in treating RLS. Please go to the RLS U K web site for more info. I hope this is helpful
    • mena55050
      mena55050 martin45332

      Posted

      Thank you Martin I think this is my best bet.  The quinine is not all that great but it was prescribed by doctor and for so long there seemed to be nothing else.
  • RobertT
    RobertT mena55050

    Posted

    Quinine is sometimes used for leg cramps, but quite rarely nowadays, I believe, because of risks with it:

    https://patient.info/health/cramps-in-the-leg

    Make sure he is getting enough iron (Ferrochel or haem iron supplements), have him get blood tests to check his stored iron levels. If iron supplementation doesn't stop it, have him ask his doctor about dopamine agonists.

    • Udon
      Udon RobertT

      Posted

      Robert, what's new with you?  Is the RLS behaving itself?  What about the tremors?

    • RobertT
      RobertT Udon

      Posted

      Well, I reduced my iron supplementation down to about 36 mg a day because of my eye problem. The tremors came back, and I needed to take ropinirole early in the afternoon again. However, I've now determined, come to the decision anyway, that my iron intake was not related to my eye problem, resumed taking 90 mg, sometimes 180 mg, of Ferrochel a day. The tremors have more or less gone away again, and it's sometimes back well into the evening that I take ropinirole, often then only as a precautionary measure.

    • Udon
      Udon RobertT

      Posted

      A little ropinirole never hurt anyone, but with that said, you would probably need less iron.  The DAs are a drag on our receptors making them worse in the long run.  So I never asked you where your iron levels are at...did I?  Are they low, low to normal, normal, normal to high?
    • RobertT
      RobertT Udon

      Posted

      My serum ferritin level was 180 µg/L, which is quite high enough for most, though not over the top. However, I just had another look at the results and spotted that my red blood count only just scrapes in within the no action range at 4.51x10¹²/L. I might need to look into that – my mum died suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome.

    • RobertT
      RobertT

      Posted

      Oh, I remember now the red blood count was lowish, but the size of the cells was on the larger side.
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