• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

keyboard010 - restless leg syndrome?

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
K

keyboard 010

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello I seem to have lost my message I am writing to see if anyone can help I have had Diabetes for years it has not been a problem but I have started to get weird sensations in my legs feet and head it is like water moving about. It is really horrible I went to see my dr and he said it was restless legs. Can you tell me if it is anything to do with the Diabetes
 
Hello @keyboard 010 🙂

Did your doctor check for signs of neuropathy? That’s a complication of diabetes that can cause tingling hands and feet. Just ruling it out would seem sensible.

I don’t know about the feeling in your head, but I had something vaguely similar when I had a trapped nerve in my neck/shoulder area. It made me feel faint and kind of seasick.

How are your blood sugars? Are you on any medication?
 
Welcome to the forum @keyboard 010

This NHS page on Restless Leg Syndrome doesn’t mention diabetes, so I am not sure they are commonly related.

www.nhs.uk

Restless legs syndrome

Find out what restless legs syndrome (RLS) is, what causes it, and how it can be treated.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

I have altered the title of your post so that any members with restless leg will be prompted to reply.

How is your diabetes management generally? Do you know what your last HbA1c was?
 
Nowt to do with Diabetes if it is RL syndrome, shedloads of ladies of a certain age have always suffered from it ever since I was old enough to remember hearing them telling my mother they had it. No idea if Diabetes makes it more likely or worse either as the people I've known with it haven't, to my knowledge anyway, had diabetes.

Always described to me as more like your legs 'twitching' though, rather than having water sloshing about - I can imagine the twitching (I've had an eye twitch from time to time in the past and having one leg suddenly shoot out very occasionally waking both me and my husband up when I kicked him) but can't imagine sloshing.
 
Hi keyboard 010, and welcome to the forum.

I'm a little surprised that you say you 've had diabetes for years but it has not been a problem,

How do you know that it hasn't been damaging blood vessels and nerves and setting you toward sight problems or neuropathy? Have you been testing your Blood Glucose before and after meals?

If your doctor's diagnosis is correct then restless leg syndrome has nothing to do with diabetes.
 
Hi
Thank you for answering my question I was on Metformin for the Diabetes but had to come off of that because it made me feel ill. The dr then gave me some more pills and had to come off of them so he gave me some more pills that made all my eyes swell up so had to come off them and he put me on insulin that seemed to work. Yes my dr did test me for Neuropathy but he still said it was restless legs. He gave me some pills that made it worse. I am afraid I am not very good with pills they just seem to make things worse. At the moment I am not taking anything for the weird sensations in my legs, feet or head it is quite horrible the sensations. My husband died on the 10 December 2018 and that is when the weird sensations started. keyboard010
 
At least neuropathy has been ruled out. Is there any kind of specialist you could be referred to? I have heard of people having restless legs but not the ‘head’ thing.

Have you had tests for vitamin deficiencies eg B12 and Folate? I ask because a non-diabetic family member had symptoms of neuropathy and eventually found out they were due to a deficiency of folate and another B vitamin (I don’t remember which one).
 
Just read your last post - sorry to hear about your husband. X
 
Could the death of my husband be what triggred be what started the weird sensations off. My dr has sent me for loads of blood tests and they come back no action so goodness knows what is doing it but I must admit it is pretty horrible. I have read up about restless legs and it seems there are people on there forum that are having similar feelings but I have been told there is no cure for it. Hope you can help I must admit I gave up with the drs they look at you as if to say not her again. Not very helpful. keyboard010
 
Hello @keyboard 010 and welcome

Sorry to hear you are having problems with RLS.

I've got peripheral neuropathy and RLS, the sensation is a sort of crawling, fidgety feeling of something moving over my feet and legs, I've not heard of it affecting the head though. Peripheral nerve damage from higher glucose over time can contribute to restless leg, the peripheral nerves become damaged and cause twitching and the need to keep repositioning the legs.

I've tried various drugs for neuropathy and didn't continue with any of them. I know this is going to sound ridiculous and I did laugh out loud when I was told to try it - the one thing that has worked well for my RLS and leg cramps is a bar of ordinary soap in the bed down by my calves. I have debated whether to actually write this as it sounds like snake oil - but it has worked and calmed my badly damaged legs down. It's on the net if you search restless leg syndrome and soap, it is an Old Wives Tale with maybe a slight explanation about the soap warming and altering leg/nerve chemistry. I am a cynic at heart but was desperate and willing to try for the price of a bar of soap.

I really hope you manage to get some relief from RLS.
 
Hello thank you for getting in touch with me I will try the bar of soap you get so desperate you will try anything. I just wish it would go away so I could get on with my life what with Diabetes and Restless legs and the Virus I can do without this.it was getting so bad that I bought my self a mobility scooter to get me out. I just wish everything would get back to normal. I am type 2 but must admit not very nice I can only take injections and I hate them.
keyboard 010
 
I’ve heard about that bar of soap trick too. But I thought it was for cramp. Maybe it fixes everything?! 😛
 
Hi tried the bar of soap but it did not work for me my feet are going mad this morning.
keyboard010
 
If it is restless legs then magnesium is supposed to help - either as a good quality tablet or added to a warm bath.

Another thing to try?
 
I’d also ask your GP to confirm the blood tests included looking for folate and B12 deficiencies amongst others.
 
Hi!

I have been suffering from restless legs throughout lockdown even though I take regular exercise. A blood test showed up mild anaemia which can cause rls. Maybe try getting your iron levels checked? I have been taking iron tabs for 4 days and rls symptoms have more or less gone.

Hope you feel better soon x
 
keyboard 010
Hi thank you for sending me a message about iron tablets have tried them but they did nothing for me so had to stop them. I hope I soon will feel better it just seems to get worse though.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top