vilakins | Call me Rodney

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Call me Rodney

It's bad enough that I have too much in common with Rodney McKay already (being socially maladroit, nervous, not going to see 'Alien' till much later than everyone else because I knew it would terrify me--and I was right, having childhood nightmares still) but the list is getting too long. In the latest episode ('Missing'), Dr Keller and Teyla have this non-spoilery conversation:

KELLER: Ibuprofen. Helps with the pain and swelling.
TEYLA: Yes. Doctor McKay uses them frequently, along with antihistamines, antacids, motion sickness pills ...
KELLER: You forgot the prescription I just wrote him for restless leg syndrome.

Aaaaugh! Apart from the citrus allergy (I love lemons) that is just too close to home. I also bet mosquitoes home in on Rodney as soon as he puts his nose through the stargate; I have to slather repellent all over myself before I venture out in the late afternoon or evening--and then thy bite my ears or little fingers.

And there's something you can take for restless leg syndrome? Lead me to it!

Damn. I may have to make a Rodney icon. :-P

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Apparently there is in the USA
http://www.requip.com/
Bets of luck getting it.

I'll ask my doctor; I have to see him in a few weeks. The side-effects look worrying.

Requip Tablets may cause you to fall asleep or feel very sleepy during normal activities such as driving; or to faint or feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up. Tell your doctor if you experience these problems or if you drink alcohol or are taking other medicines that make you drowsy. Also tell your doctor if you experience new or increased gambling, sexual, or other intense urges while taking Requip. Side effects include nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, and dizziness. Most patients were not bothered enough to stop taking Requip.

Um, what? If I had any of those, I think I'd rather have jumpy legs. :-P

My legs are only slightly restless while I try to get to sleep, but it doesn't really bother me. Pietje, however, definitely thinks I should take something for it, as he invariably wants to sleep cuddled up tightly against my legs. Much moaning ensues when I have to move them because the cramp becomes too much. The side effects wouldn't bother him. He's already sleepy and drowsy most of the time, anyway.

With those possible side effects I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot barge pole, knowing my luck I'd have the gambling one and bankrupt myself. Stick to the jumpy legs, it's safer%P

And there's something you can take for restless leg syndrome? Lead me to it!

Thanks to Boing Boing, I now know all about what one can take for RLS. Many people have luck with extra calcium, iron, or magnesium supplements, and some use exercise... and what the drug companies are advertising for it in some fairly skewerable ads (http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/12/consumer-reports-cor.html) are drugs that are derived from Parkinson's treatment and have bizarre side effects like possible gambling-or-sex-addiction (because they're meant for Parkinson's patients, and hence try to raise neurotransmitter levels that are low in Parkinson's patients).

So, er, yes, there are loads of treatments for restless leg syndrome. :)

Yeah, I saw the bizarre side-effects (quoted in my comment above) and would rather try some supplements first. NZ is very low on minerals, completely lacking quite a few, so I already take a very good vitamin and mineral supplement but I may need more. A new-agey friend mentioned magnesium a few weeks ago. I don't get it all the time (maybe once or twice a week) but it's a pain when I'm trying to sleep or watch TV and it hits me.

It might be a good idea to get your doctor to test you before you start taking supplements to see which you might be low on. Then he/she might be able to prescribe something more effective than over the counter supplements.

I'm not sure if they test for minerals, but I'll ask. But then he'll want me to have lots of other tests too and I haven't been taking care of myself and I just don't want to be tested because I feel guilty and want to stick my head in the sand...

I suspect that a mineral test isn't a standard thing & your doctor wouldn't think of it.

Please don't let 'doctor guilt' prevent you from investigating something that might turn out to help improve your life. Maybe your mineral levels are fine- in which case that's one worry gone, but if you need minerals, then getting them will probably make you feel better in many ways you hadn't even thought about because you'd got used to not feeling your best.

*hugs*

The mineral supplement I take now is a good one and should be providing enough of everything. At least it's not that bad: it only loses me sleep a night or two a week and makes me stand up if I watch too much TV. Some people can't even go to the cinema because of it. :-P

Some people's bodies need more than even really good supplements provide. After all, they're mainly based on old studies that used only healthy young men as subjects.

True. Bastards. [stab] This is why I rarely bother with painkillers.

*nods* You have to experiment with the things that are hard to get because they're 'not effective'... not effective on men frequently means they work well on women.

I tend to use mind over matter (and chocolate) as pain relief. It usually works as well.

Sinus tablets and two strong coffees did well with a headache this week. It was all I could find; I usually only carry migraine pills.

Yes, for sinus headache I have excellent results with coffee & acetominophen (Tylenol). For other types of pain mostly OverTheCounter doesn't seem to make much difference with me. I did get good results with a muscle relaxant once when I had severe back pain, but I don't think that was OTC. Ken gave it to me from his stash & after a week of unrelenting pain I was desperate enough to take it...Xanax? Think that was it. It worked a miracle- I actually *felt* heat in the painful area, and the muscles unlocking, and I was fine in about 10 minutes.

Yeah, I think ordinary painkillers only work on me if I've hurt a muscle, and even then I forget to try them.

I tend to rely on a hot bath when I've got muscle pain.

In America, you can scarcely turn on a television set without being bombarded with ads for the restless leg syndrome products...that and the acid reflux ones seem the most relentlessly hawked. It's one of the reasons I don't watch TV, frankly. I think advertising pharmaceuticals is shameless.

Wow, that's weird. No one's even heard of it here let alone offers products for it and friends look at me funny when I explain why I'm watching TV standing up and walking on the spot.

Hello Rodney!
(sorry couldn't resist!)
I've never heard of restless leg syndrome, however watching "Rough Science" I now know what isa good natural remedy for mossies - lemongrass. If you can get the soap with the proper essential oil in the mossies are repelled and all you smell of is lemons.

Really! Greg uses lemongrass soap (it helps his feet not to smell). I prefer rose or coconut (they're all organic soaps I buy) but I shall try lemongrass. How long does it last, all day?

And ha! If I were really Rodney, I'd be accusing you of trying to poison me with my citrus allergy--I think the very word lemon would upset him--but I don't actually have any food allergies. I'm very grateful for that.

Not sure longevity. Just the rough science lot made an insect repellent - a very effective one using lemongrass they didn't test longevity but the mossies refused to bite the minute it had been applied. Try it and let me know, you can take repellent with you for when it wears off.
PS lavender oil is good for bites!

Hail

vilakins, in addition to lemongrass, citronella oil also works---it's in several organic bug repellents and they also make candles and tiki torches with citronella for use on patios, etc. I can't remember the brand names of the bug repellents, though--sorry. Good luck with the skeeters and the RLS!
Health and good cheer, Seileach

I've seen those citronella candles. The repellent I use isn't bad; I just wish I didn't always have to cover myself in it before going outside. If I don't have to put the oil all over every exposed area, I'd try it; otherwise it's really just more of the same. The only other person I know who gets bitten as badly as me is a Russian friend.

Magnesium for restless legs! Magnesium!

gerald takes it all the time and it works really quite fast.

Cheers! Does she take it all the time as a supplement or whenever it happens?

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Call me Rodney

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