Restless Legs during pregnancy~~as a early preg symptom??

[mamaharrison]

I had RLS (restless leg syndrome) prior to my pregnancy with DD, but it got to be horrible during the pregnancy--I don't really remember the details of it though--just that I had to take a hot bath/soak in epsom salts nightly and take a ton of cal/mag vitamins otherwise I would never have slept.

I haven't had my first period yet (DD is 15 months old), but I do feel fertile and DH and I have been DTD unprotected so it is possible that I may be preg (2 tests say negative). However, my RLS is back all the sudden and I am tired, tired, tired. I am wondering of you mamas who deal with RLS when did yours start during preg? Early? thrid trimester?

Also, as an aside, does anyone know why it seems to get worse during pregnancy? Is it the increases blood volume exerting more pressure?

I am not so secretly hoping that I actually am pregnant (so is hubs) but I believe the 2 negative tests and don't think I am. Still, my body is giving me more than a few symptoms.

rambling.....

[samstress]

i don't normally have rls, but have during pregnancy.

with my first pregnancy i had it, but not until late (maybe end of 2nd trimester and all through the third).

with second pregnancy, i had it pretty early (maybe starting at five or six weeks). not sure how it would have progressed (we lost it at eight weeks).

with my third (and current) pregnancy, i haven't had it at all yet. i'm 14 weeks.

to answer your question, i have no idea why it gets worse with pregnancy, but it seems that it can start at any time (so i suppose it could be an early pregnancy symptom), but if two tests say no, i'd assume you're not.

[pregnant@40]

Just my experience w/ RLS here, in case you are pregnant...

I normally have RLS, and yes, it has become worse for me during pregnancy. It started in the first trimester, and I still have it. There are no safe medications for it during pregnancy. It is theorized that RLS is due to a dysfunction in the dopamine circuitry; Welbutrin brought some relief for me pre-pregnancy, but I'm not taking it now during pregnancy. Withdrawing from Welbutrin may have exacerbated RLS for me during the first trimester, for I feel that it's not now as bad in the 3rd trimester (for the most part -- sometimes I have a few horrible nights).

The only things that bring to me partial relief are medical compression stockings worn at night, minimizing coffee consumption (and definitely none after the early morning), and perhaps my magnesium supplement (ie. it's a mag + vit d + zinc + calcium preparation); I don't think iron supplementation helped me at all, but I took it anyway (now in the 3rd trimester I can't due to constipation/heartburn). I also take hot baths at night before bed, with the water level covering my legs but not my abdomen, and sleep w/ lots of pillows at night b/twn my legs, knees, and ankles. A weird thing I've found that helps is putting a yoga cushion under my lower buttocks/upper thighs while laying on my back -- not sure why it works, but I can't stay in this position very long, anyway.

If you're not pregnant, you do have medication options in case your RLS is getting worse. Good luck to you!

[mamaharrison]

Thanks for the info. I should have mentioned that I don't take pharmaceuticals and think psychotropic drugs are quite dangerous--so--no worries here about being preggo on drugs

Just would like to figure out if there is something to try that i am not already trying that doesn't include drugs.

[kawa kamuri]

Last time 2nd or 3rd trimester. This time early 1st trimester.

[babygrey]

oh, this is on my top 5 most annoying pg symptoms.

I've had it BAD during all of my pregnancies, and, TBH, after my last pg, I was still experiencing it sometimes non pg

You asked about it as a pg symptoms? Well, I know the typical wisdom is that it usually starts later- but, seriously, I got my BFP and went "oh! that's why my legs have been so annoying this week!"

I can't find any good info on why it is worse in pg. I've heard hormonal theories, increased nutrient demands, and, for me, there's a huge ironic tie to it being more severe when I'm not sleeping deeply, so more tired (and then RLS gets worse and I can't sleep deeply ). I wonder if, since pg women have more sleep interruptions, if that is a part of it?
You mentioned being unusually tired- have you noticed a correlation for yourself between being over-tired and having bad RLS? (tho maybe you are tired as a pg symptom.)

Anyway, hope you can find good ways to deal with it- annoying problem whether pg or not. Calf stretching before bed, epsom salts and cal/mag do wonders for me.