Restless Legs Syndrome: Coping with Your Sleepless Nights

As a sufferer of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), I was at my wit's end when I discovered this book and Drs. Buchfuhrer, Hening and Kushida. Not only is this book the last word in understanding this common disease (one in ten Americans suffer from it) but it offers real solutions/medications and treatment regimes. And, it is easy to read and fully understandable. With this information (and I gave a copy to my personal physician), I was able to really help my doctor find a treatment that has given me back a normal life (and sleep!).Causes, symptoms, diagnosis, triggers, drug and non-drug treatments and much more. This is the one must-have book on RLS and I am most grateful to the authors for making it available. Dr. Buchfuhrer also has an RLS website (Southern California RLS Support Group).

I do not recall when I purchased Restless Leg Syndrome by Mark J. Buchfuhrer, MD Wayne A. Hening, MD, PhD, and Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD. I also don't recall how many times I have purchased it and given the copies to others who were suffering with this debilitating condition so that I'd need to purchase yet another copy for myself.Up until several years ago, over my long life (I'm now pushing 78) I had been hospitalized over 23 times (that I can recall), my health had been horrible in all ways, and 11 or so of those hospitalizations resulted in surgery of this and that. For most of the surgeries, I was not expected to live. But, I'm still here, and now, I am a very vibrantly healthy and happy senior! the best years of my life remain before me.My health seriously started declining in the 1980s. I believe it was towards the end of the 1990s my legs started thrashing my bed every night, and I would not get a restorative sleep. This condition worsened as the years progressed. I went to doctor after doctor to find relief. I never did. But, their prescriptions became more heinous and more expensive; and now these drugs were killing the cells in my body with their side-effects creating free radicals, damaging my health -- which continued to decline significantly as the multiplicity of pill strengths increased.Finally, I found this book on Amazon.com, read the reviews, purchased the book, and commenced to simply devour every printed word. I highlighted so many sections of this book. I underlined paragraphs. I brought this incredible book with me when I would see local doctors for my RLS.Did any of them express any interest in this authoritative book? Absolutely not! It was as though by bringing in this book with me, they felt I was invading their trusted source of income from me to be their patient and so I'd get an even more powerful, super-expensive, and cell-damaging drug from them to "help" me.But, through everything I'd read in this book, I commenced investigating the medications I was taking, including the OTC drugs. I did these investigations 1 at a time following the educated and authoritative information, clearly detailed in this book. I would eliminate a designated offending drug from my diet for 6 weeks. Then, I would again take the drug. Wow! My legs would increase working overtime thrashing the bed each and every night! Therefore, I'd immediately know I was allergic to "x" drug (prescribed or OTC). I'd mark on the bottle of the pills with a circle with an "x" in the interior so that I'd recall that I was allergic to this "x" brand of pill. And then, I would notify my doctors I was allergic to "x" drug. The list of drugs to which I was allergic grew exponentially. But, as I eliminated these offending drugs I saw measurable improvement. I remained with 1 prescribed drug, a very nasty Ropinirole HCL 3 mg tablet.This report is not about how I turned my life around and now have super-excellent health, and consider myself a very healthy and happy senior! I am. And, I'm getting better and better each and every day. This report is about the benefit of this book. Simply buy it. It will aid you in ever so many ways. It is authoritative. These doctors really know this RLS field and this resource will greatly aid you gain restful nights, no more thrashing your beds.I finally was able to eliminate Ropinirole HCL from my body 1 1/2 years ago, and no longer thrash my bed at night at all. I sleep each and every night most peacefully. But, if I make a mistake and accidentally drink caffeinated coffee, for example, my legs will thrash. If I take acetaminophen, my legs will thrash the bed.Buy the book. By a lot and give the copies to all your friends who also suffer so. You all will greatly benefit.

Like a lot of these type of books, there is too much text when all you want are answers. But there are a lot of good suggestions so you can skim it to get the names of medications to try. A couple of the medications in the book were also ones that eventually were prescribed and worked but were buried in the book under so much talking. Kind of like diet books that go on and on for hundreds of pages when the whole premise is something as simple as cut back on carbs and processed food.

As soon as I started reading this book I knew I'd found help at last. It's a Godsend. So much useful information. It helped me talk to my doctor, and helped me realize that he didn't know enough about RLS to help me. I switched doctors to someone who understands RLS and was able to intelligently discuss my meds. I can't remember how many times I read something in the book and almost cried because it validated what I've been experiencing for years but couldn't explain. And it gave me solutions that worked. This is my new bible!

The author provides a very good description of Restless Leg Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. He describes all the current medicinal solutions to these problems and some non-traditional remedies. However, you should still see your doctor to discuss your treatment. Also, if you believe you suffer from PLMD, have sleep studies done periodically. I was prescribed Requip for my PLMD in 2005 and just assumed I would have to take it for the rest of my life. When the Requip started making me excessively sleepy during the day I consulted my general physician. I then got another sleep study done by another doctor. The results showed that I no longer had PLMD. Apparantly, PLMD can come and go throughout your lifetime. I am now off the Requip and doing much better.

Excellent book. Great info for people diagnosed with RLS - sometimes called Ekbom Syndrome. Also applicable to Periodic Leg Movement disorder/disease which most often goes along with RLS. Dr Buchfuhrer is one of very top doctors knowlefgeable on RLS & contributes to RLS Foundation articles & answers questions, etc. I purchased 2 copies to give one to a friend with RLS also- this big problem is much more common than most realize & can ruin quality of life if not treated. I travel 75 mile to see Dr B for treatment, since he is always up to date on latest info. I bought these when was written few years ago, so he may have updated. So some med changes may be more current if not updated.

I found this easy to read and very useful. I found a medication I’m taking is contraindicated and shared that with the doctor and pharmacy. It’s current, has great, and doable, lifestyle and diet recommendations. It covers everything and It will be a very useful resource for anyone with RLS.

Very informative. Drug information best and worst. Understanding the syndrome.

Excelente libro!

Being a sufferer of severe RLS all over, as another condition of my fibromyalgia, I have found this book to be very informative, and have even taken it to my GP for his information which has helped with prescribing.

they do not work on me