Restless Legs/Zero Sleep/Anxiety Attacks

[Marqelle93]

I am posting this in the hopes that someone else has experienced this and had ANY advice on what helped them. I feel like Im going crazy.

Before pregnancy I would occasionally have restless legs at night if I drank caffeine before bed.

Now, in the third trimester (currently 33 weeks), I have itchy, twitchy, restless legs all throughout the day, anytime I sit or lay down, and at night it'd absolutely unbearable.

I can't fall asleep until 3 am or later, wake up to pee every hour as per usual, and I'm up for good at 7 or 8 am with the feeling again. My exhaustion is causing anxiety attacks multiple times a week where I hyperventilate and feel like I'm going to pass out standing up. I have no energy because I'm barely sleeping.

I bought a heating pad for my legs and feet, I bought compression socks, I bought a "restful legs cream", I get up at 2 or 3 am and go shower with the warm water on my legs for a half hour, massaging them. Nothing works.

I'm waiting on a call back from my ob/gyn, but I'm not hopeful because I haven't found any info online about a doctor solving the issue in pregnant women.

 

[aymz1983]

I have issues with restless legs as well, although they don't seem to be as bad as what you are going through
I've read that cold can help as well as heat, tonic water is another old wife's remedy and also - one I have tried after much googling during a particularly bad night is to have an orgasm! Apparently walking or mild exercise can help too but not near bedtime as that can be counterproductive.

 

[aymz1983]

I don't think it can be solved as such in pregnancy but hopefully can be eased somewhat

 

[Bevziibubble]

I have restless legs sometimes but not when pregnant. Tonic water can help as it has small amounts of quinine in it.
I also read that sleeping with a bar of soap under your blanket near your feet helps - I have no idea how this works and have never tried it!

 

[Marqelle93]

I have issues with restless legs as well, although they don't seem to be as bad as what you are going through
I've read that cold can help as well as heat, tonic water is another old wife's remedy and also - one I have tried after much googling during a particularly bad night is to have an orgasm! Apparently walking or mild exercise can help too but not near bedtime as that can be counterproductive.

Thank you for your suggestions. I've tried the cold as well and, for me, it seems to make it worse. I'm considering getting one of those stationary bikes to work my legs out a little bit and see if it helps, but it's such a fine line between exercising and exercising too close to bedtime.

I haven't tried tonic water but at this point I'll do anything.

I've tried benadryl and unisom, basically trying to force myself to sleep, but my legs overpower the pill and just make me even more exhausted.

 

[KatBar]

I've never had extreme restless legs during pregnancy, but definitely experienced it on some nights. I find taking a magnesium supplement really helps (I tend to take it to reduce getting cramps in my legs).
I had a busy couple of weeks not long ago and wasn't taking the magnesium supplement, and def noticed the my legs were more restless at night (but again, nothing so over the top I couldn't eventually get to sleep).
Either way, hopefully you find something that helps you get more rest! I get bad PP anxiety, and with my first the sleep deprivation made it so much worse, so I def sympathise

 

[Teafor2]

I’m popping over from the second trimester board to see what’s in store for me, but I’ve had issues with restless legs throughout my pregnancy. Orgasms are the only thing that I have found always works. I just need to make sure that once I’m laying down and comfortable I’m not disturbed because it can set it off again.

 

[Catmumof4]

Hey hope some of the suggestions help! I get it really bad atm! I find walking Down stairs and back up can help sometimes but other then that nothing really helps. Sorry I wasn't more.helpful but didn't want to read and run x