antsy feet

Alexander11

My girlfriend has rediculously antsy feet. What i mean is that whenever she is laying down, as in watching a movie, sleeping or otherwise, her feet and legs get so restless and tingly that she ends up kicking endlessly. Furthermore, she is in a constant state of asking me to squeeze her legs and rub her feet. It's not SO bad because she is a fair trader, but i am getting kind of worried.

Is there anything anyone can tell me about poor blood circulation or something? I personally and leaning towards the poor blood circulation, should she see a doctor?

Magus`

Isn't there something called restless leg syndrome? I thought it was a big scam, but maybe it's not?

admanb

Magus` wrote: »

Isn't there something called restless leg syndrome? I thought it was a big scam, but maybe it's not?

Nah it seems pretty legit.

That sounds like what she's suffering from.

EggyToast

Restless leg syndrome is what causes people to fidget their leg, usually bobbing it up & down. Very common. I have it. I'm doing it right now.

However, my feet never get tingly, and I don't kick in my sleep. I also never need to rub or squeeze my feet.

I don't think it's a serious problem, but she should bring it up with her doc next time she sees him. Your feet shouldn't go numb from laying down.

X3x3non

Does she get an unpleasant sensation in her legs? I think people with restless leg just move their feet around subconciously, not because they have a tingly or painful sensation in their legs.

This is a really far away pot shot, but maybe, if she her legs start to tingle, it is a sign of her circulatory system not returning blood from her legs? Hence why it feels good when you rub her legs because it basically squeezes fresh blood into the legs and old blood out. It is really more a sign of elderly people who have peripheral vascular insufficiency and I really don't mean to scare you with anything unnecessary. Maybe she just likes the massages .

Dixon

All the guys in my family move there feet, my dad though gets the tingly legs to

BEAST!

I'd say I have restless legs, all day long I'm either bouncing them up and down or waving my feet back and forth, but never have they been tingly, mine is just all subconscious. THIS sounds like a medical issue, circulation problems or something.

AlyceInWonderland

I get EXACTLY what you're describing your girlfriend gets. My boyfriend HATES it cause I keep on moving my legs around in bed to almost "stretch" them to make them feel better. I'm so close to going to the doctor for this cause it's driving me insane. Its mostly in my ankle area and calves. uhg.

Beren39

RLS and similar symptoms are often caused by an iron deficiency, which is much more common in females then males. Her doctor can easily conduct a full blood test to determine her levels, upon which she can learn to adjust her diet and (hopefully for the short term) receive iron supplemental shots.

Golden Leg

Does your girlfriend exercise her legs much during the day? Running, biking, swimming, or even just walking does a load of good for fidgety legs.

onceling

RLS does have sensation, tingling and so on associated with it. Bobbing your leg up and down subconsciously is NOT RLS.

Do I have restless legs syndrome (RLS)?

Chances are, if you are reading this answer, it is because you are concerned that you or someone you love may have restless legs syndrome (RLS). How many of the questions below are true for you?

When you sit or lie down, do you have a strong desire to move your legs?
Does your desire to move your legs feel impossible to resist?
Have you ever used the words unpleasant, creepy crawly, creeping, itching, pulling, or tugging to describe your symptoms to others?
Does your desire to move often occur when you are resting or sitting still?
Does moving your legs make you feel better?
Do you complain of these symptoms more at night?
Do you keep your bed partner awake with the jerking movements of your legs?
Do your ever have involuntary leg movements while you are awake?
Are you tired or unable to concentrate during the day?
Do any of your family members have similar complaints?
Does a trip to the doctor only reveal that nothing is wrong and there is no physical cause for your discomfort?
If you answered "yes" to a majority of these questions, you may have RLS. If you do have RLS, you are not alone! Up to 10% of the U.S. population may have RLS. Many people have a mild form of the disorder, but RLS severely affects the lives of millions of individuals.

RUNN1NGMAN

Definitely sounds like RLS, which I've been professionally diagnosed with. At its worst, my legs would get very tingly and I would get a sensation which I can only describe as an uncontrollable need to move my leg. I would wake up several times a night and have to walk around for 5 minutes or so. Anyway, I had experienced it my whole life and had no idea what it was until those commercials popped up. Strangely enough, it hasn't bothered me in a few years, except a few isolated incidents here and there.

There are lots of treatments for it including stretching, exercise, massage, etc. The drugs work, but are less than ideal because they have lots of weird side effects. For a while I was on a Parkinson's drug that eventually gave me a weird twitch in my hand, so I stopped taking it.

She might want to try something called The Stick, which I use after runs but also use when the RLS is acting up.

capnrico

Sounds like RLS, but just in case, she might want to see a doctor, particularly to get her circulation checked.

1ddqd

What would the less "severe" sounding version be called? I do the same thing a number of other people do: bounce my leg up and down or tap my foot (usually listening to music while at work).

I don't really feel tingly or anything, it just happens. My girlfriend swears its controllable and when I start, I sometimes don't even realize it. If I concentrate and focus, I can keep from doing it, but eventually I have to switch focus and it eventually starts again.

onceling

1ddqd wrote: »

What would the less "severe" sounding version be called? I do the same thing a number of other people do: bounce my leg up and down or tap my foot (usually listening to music while at work).

I don't really feel tingly or anything, it just happens. My girlfriend swears its controllable and when I start, I sometimes don't even realize it. If I concentrate and focus, I can keep from doing it, but eventually I have to switch focus and it eventually starts again.

If there is no discomfort associated with *not* moving your leg, and it's just subconsciously jigging it - this is usually just excessive energy, nerves, habitual or muscular related to your heel and how you hold your foot. These are all "ors". There's a range of causes and no treatment is needed where there's no clear discomfort or increasing need to move your leg.

EDIT: The OP's g/f most likely has RLS itself, I completely agree with the others on that.

RUNN1NGMAN

1ddqd wrote: »

What would the less "severe" sounding version be called? I do the same thing a number of other people do: bounce my leg up and down or tap my foot (usually listening to music while at work).

I don't really feel tingly or anything, it just happens. My girlfriend swears its controllable and when I start, I sometimes don't even realize it. If I concentrate and focus, I can keep from doing it, but eventually I have to switch focus and it eventually starts again.

It's "severe" when it starts affecting quality of life. For instance, you can't sit through a movie or other place where you need to sit in one place like on a plane, or it disturbs your sleep on a regular basis. That's the point doctors are comfortable prescribing drugs.

What you sound like is someone who fidgets alot, which is completely different than RLS. Unless you're doing the sewing-machine leg while you're asleep, you just have a nervous fidget.