Restless leg - The problem could be more serious than you think

Audrey Howard of Sioux City has a similar phenomenon in her legs. Both are experiencing restless leg syndrome, a condition that afflicts tens of thousands of Americans.

Howard, 89, said she knows others who speak of restless leg syndrome bothering them in the night, preventing sleep. She doesn't have that, and only feels it when not flat-footed on the ground, when her legs are dangling while seated in a chair.

"It doesn't hurt. There really is no pain really connected with it, it is just annoying. I can't keep them still when they are hanging down. You can't keep 'em still, I don't care what (she tries)," Howard said. So she often pulls up the footrest on her recliner to get away from the shaking lower legs via elevation.

Axlund's version of restless legs hews closer to the traditional definition of the syndrome, since hers occurs overnight. Typically, according to WebMD.com, restless leg syndrome is a sleep disorder that causes tingling, creeping or painful sensations at night. Lying down on a bed or sitting for prolonged periods frequently will bring on RLS. Many a restful night for Axlund has been undermined by the syndrome.

Beth Owoski, spokeswoman for the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation in Rochester, Minn., said the affliction has a host of other nicknames beyond the spooks, including the creepy crawlies and heebie jeebies. Owoski said the foundation has found that up to 10 percent of the adult U.S. population has RLS.

Axlund has had restless legs for well over half her 97-year life, and Howard has had restless leg for about four years. Howard said it occurs equally in both legs, and while there is no pain, she feels self-conscious when sharing meals with fellow NorthPark residents. No one's ever voiced it, but Howard thinks it annoys her dining friends.

The man who had the most advanced restless leg syndrome of anyone she's known, Howard said, "couldn't sit still, he couldn't lay down, and he was up most of the night."

Howard said she couldn't recall another relative who has restless leg syndrome. She said a doctor told her the restless legs condition is caused by poor blood circulation in her extremities following two open heart surgeries. "I only have 25 percent circulation in my legs," Howard said. "It is the circulation - you are not getting the blood flow you are supposed to have."

She took Requip for restless leg syndrome for awhile, but quit since she was taking so many medications. But, Howard said, "I've been thinking of trying to start something again, because it is starting to bother me."

Dr. Charles Keenan, a Le Mars, Iowa, podiatrist, said many people visiting his office think they have restless leg syndrome, but often miss their self-diagnosis.

Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation executive Georgianna Bell said conditions people sometimes mistake for RLS include varicose veins, peripheral neuropathy or very bothersome leg cramps. But what differentiates RLS, Bell said, is "the urge to move" the legs and the overnight occurrence.

She said there are two types of RLS, one that "seems to progress fairly slowly over life," and another which appears later in life, often after age 45, seemingly almost overnight. "Lots of people can have moderate RLS and not know what is wrong with them," Bell said.

In fact, once Bell was having a phone conversation with a family member who described her symptoms, and after Bell surmised the leg pains she heard about might be restless leg syndrome, the relative yelled to her husband, "Barry, I am not crazy."

Beyond Requip, the other popular FDA-approved medication is Mirapex. Both drugs trigger dopamine leg activity to ease RLS pain. Some people with restless leg syndrome also turn to painkillers or sedatives, Bell said.

For complimentary treatment, RLS sufferers also turn to both hot and cold baths, massage or undertake stretching exercises. "The amazing thing we also see with RLS is that what works for one person may not work for another person with RLS, and what works for you today may not work next week or next month or next year," Bell said.

Additionally, she said "very engrossing mental activity," like working crossword puzzles or needlepointing, "seems to alleviate" restless leg syndrome.

Bell threw out one more option - "even loud arguments" seem to disburse the tingling RLS sensation.