Willis-Ekbom

Why do we keep trying to sneak up here?

Willis-Ekbom Disease: a neurological disorder that causes neurons to misfire in the brain. Sounds impressive. What else is it called? Restless Leg Syndrome. *rolls eyes*

Sometime in the past I’d been told that Restless Leg Syndrome was one of those made up things like “Chronic Fatigue” that lazy people use as an excuse for their lack of accomplishments. (Ha! They’re both real.) I was surprised when I found out it is an actual medical condition with a respectable-sounding name. Anywhere from 5-15% of people have it, but largely it is an old Caucasian lady problem. (Of course.)

I have closer to the whole body type. Yes, it can affect not only the legs but the arms, torso and head as well. For me this stupid condition likes to show up at the same time every night and hang around for about 90 minutes. My choice is to stay awake until after it passes or let it wake me up after about 2 hours sleep. While some articles say that it won’t shorten your lifespan, others say that consistent lack of sleep can cause a host of other problems and THEY can shorten your lifespan.

What causes it? No one is really sure, but they suspect low iron levels in the brain (even if the blood tests normal), low dopamine levels or inadequate blood flow. The good news is that it gets worse as you age!

Hey, wait a minute….

Kick all you want. I like sleeping in my own bed better.

17 Comments

  5. doesitevenmatter3's avatar

    Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry you have to deal with this! Also, a bummer to hear that like so many health issues…it get worse with age. Darn!

    Aw! Murphy looks very comfy and content in his own bed! That photo contains so much cuteness! How is it that doggies know how to pose cutely even while they are sleeping! 🙂

    (((HUGS))) and ❤️❤️❤️❤️ for you and each of your beloved pups!

  7. martywal's avatar

    Bummer. I use the Hyland Leg Cramp tabs at need. They work great. Is the Calms formula specifically for restless legs? Cuz I get that, too. I just figure it’s because I sit too much. 😏

    • Bitey Dog's avatar

      I can’t take most things because of my allergies. Vit E helps, but you have to be careful about taking too much. My mom likes the Hyland products . 👍

      The symptoms come when you relax – it could be sitting on an airplane or getting ready to go to sleep. Sometimes applying heat will cause the muscles to relax. Sometimes massage will help.

      I tried something recently. They say that your brain believes what you tell it. For instance, if you think of yourself as being asleep, you will go to sleep. Next time you have restless legs, try thinking about calmness. I had to do it over and over, but it did work for a while. 😊

  8. Unknown's avatar

    I’m so sorry you have to deal with all of this! It’s as though when it was time to draw straws that you definitely got the short one in the lot!

    Just imagine Willis and Ekbom. They probably had to duke it out to decide whose name got to be come first for this disease/disorder/syndrome. I’ll bet anything that Willis was a dirty fighter, scratching, head butting, hitting below the belt to get his name first.

    Perhaps you can get some kind of SSI Disability for all your suffering. This can open the door to everything from food and household provision, transportation and housing. Surely you have enough medical evidence to qualify.

    For what it’s worth, I’ve always slept with animals that twitch and kick me in the night, and even force me over to the edge of the bed with the only option that I have to flip over them to get the bigger side of the bed again… then it’s rinse and repeat… All. Night. Long. [sigh], but we do what we gotta do for the least among us. I do always love my dogs. And they have always known that they have the upper hand. Ha!

    Anony-mouse and The Terrier

Leave a reply to martywal Cancel reply