Restless Leg Syndrome

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
restlessinny
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Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 am

Restless Leg Syndrome

Post by restlessinny » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:15 am

Is anyone using the CPAP for Restless Leg Syndrome and if so does it work?

Robespierre
Posts: 168
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:36 pm
Location: S Colorado

Re: Restless Leg Syndrome

Post by Robespierre » Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:07 pm

A number of us have RLS/PLMD, and also use CPAP. I've not heard of anyone using CPAP expressly for RLS, nor have I heard of anyone getting relief from RLS by using CPAP. CPAP stents my airway open so I can breathe while I sleep. Medication, gabapentin in my case, keeps my legs from thrashing.

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JohnBFisher
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Re: Restless Leg Syndrome

Post by JohnBFisher » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:12 pm

Sometimes it appears as if our brains will move our legs and arms to cause an arousal (movement to a lighter level of sleep from a deeper level). If that is the case, then CPAP can help keep the airway open and the body no longer needs that "trick" to cause an arousal. If the leg and arm movements are connected to poor breathing (such as when you are going to sleep), then I would expect the CPAP would help.

In my case, I have problems with RLS and it is not connected to sleep apnea. So I use Ropinorle (the generic of Requip). It makes a huge difference.

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VVV
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Re: Restless Leg Syndrome

Post by VVV » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:55 pm

restlessinny wrote:Is anyone using the CPAP for Restless Leg Syndrome and if so does it work?
I use CPAP for sleep apnea. If I don't use CPAP, I don't sleep well. If I don't sleep well my RLS/PLMD is more severe.

If I do use CPAP I sleep much better. If I sleep much better my RLS/PLMD is less severe.

Sorry, but I always loved simple logic. You draw the conclusions.
.....................................V

fiberfan
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Location: UT

Re: Restless Leg Syndrome

Post by fiberfan » Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:57 am

I have both rls and period limb movement problems. About half the leg movements on my diagnostic sleep study occurred at the end of a rera (respiratory effort related arousal) and my sleep doc said they were likely part of my body's response to the arousal. I would expect using cpap for the reras would eliminate those leg movements. In my titration sleep study there were still plenty of leg movement related arousals so clearly cpap wasn't eliminating them - I slept worse during the titration study than I did in the diagnostic study so no valid leg movement comparisons can be made.

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