It’s been a rough couple of weeks

Financial issues aside, Pinto’s death aside… it’s been a difficult couple of weeks.  I’m in the process of changing some medication and it’s been difficult, stressful, and exhausting.  I’ve also had so much blood work done that the veins in both arms have conked out and today I had to have blood taken from the back of my hand (among one of my least pleasant experiences).  I’m bruised, sore, tired, jumpy, and to top it all off, a random lab test showed that my thyroid gland is deader than, well, deader than John McCain’s campaign in Michigan.  If you know about such things, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease in 1999, and I’ve been on thyroid meds ever since.  However, even with the Hashimoto’s, my TSH was never higher than about 4.  My lab work from last week showed a TSH of 77, which is a few steps away from baldness and a coma (not that a nice long rest wouldn’t be welcome).  So, it’s off to the endocrinologist—will my thyroid be so inactive that he’ll want to remove it completely?  How much will that cost, and which Presidential candidate is offering a health insurance solution for those of us who can’t get any kind of insurance, no matter how many times we apply?  I’m definitely ready for a break in this big dark cloud which has been following us around, and want a healthy new start… maybe that’s asking for too much.  In any case, I wanted to explain this new absence, and to express hope that I’ll soon feel some sort of “perky” so I can blog on a regular basis.

On a related note, if you have any home remedies for restless leg syndrome (other than copious amounts of alcohol), I’d love to hear them!  If you’ve never experienced the phenomenon, just count yourself lucky, and don’t make fun of those of us dealing with it or karma will strike you down and give you “jimmy legs”.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 10/02 at 09:05 PM

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  1. I’ve only had restless leg syndrome (or something very much like it) since I got pregnant, so I’m hoping it goes away once the baby arrives later this month. The only thing I’ve found that helps is to get up and stretch and walk around. Having anything touching my legs--the cat, a blanket, my husband--makes it worse, so I try to keep them clear.

    I hope things start to turn around for you guys soon! *hugs*

    Posted by Helena  on  10/03  at  07:01 AM

  2. Hello dear Leigh-Ann - I read your post and looked some stuff up on the Internet.  Here is what one woman wrote - hope this helps:

    I have Hashimotos hypothyroidism. However it has been a while since I looked at my TFT results (as I have a complex medical history) and that is a low priority. But I have hyper and hypo symptoms. I am slim, go to the gym and do water aerobics. My GP offered me Valium for my stiff neck and shoulder muscles related a neurological condition but I refused. I take maximum magnesium supplement daily and eat lot of magnesium food for tremor and muscle spasms with very good results.

    I hope that soon everything will start getting on track again for you guys - tough times and I can relate!!!

    Posted by Ilona  on  10/03  at  09:08 AM

  3. I have Hashi’s - or had, as my thyroid was removed to treat thyroid cancer - and find that RLS is one of my early symptoms when my replacement hormone level gets too low. Based on my experience, I’d focus on getting enough thyroid hormone on board. And I do mean enough TSH in the lowest part of the normal range. I have also found some relief from quinine (as in tonic water) and Magnesium supplements, though, alas, Mg++ worsens my hot flashes. And yes, copious amounts of alcohol!

    Posted by JimmyLegs  on  10/03  at  11:12 AM

  4. Cheapest medication for restless legs syndrome is making sure you have enough potassium in your diet and drinking a glass of tonic water in the evening. The quinine is good for the RLS.

    Hugs to you both!

    Note: Your webpage is trying to do another popup. :(

    Posted by georg  on  10/04  at  12:01 PM

  5. Interestingly, I was doing some reading today about my new “mental health” drug, Reboxetine, and I’m not supposed to mix it with quinine!  The drug has very few interactions and side-effects, so reading I should avoid tonic water was a big surprise. (This drug is almost identical to the ADD drug Strattera, so I’m sure the same warning is in order for anyone who takes it). I’m happy to say that my restless leg problem has really mellowed since I wrote this entry—it was 90% related to methadone withdrawal, I guess.  Now my legs only bother me when I’m about an hour away from my dose of my shorter-acting pain med, or in other words, my legs are jumpy when they’re in pain.  At least I understand that.

    Thanks for all the hints and tips, though.  They’re good to know, even though I hope to never go through another “rapid taper” of pain meds.  I may see about adding Mg to my other regular supplement, B-complex… I definitely don’t eat properly anymore and know that’s not good, either.

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  10/05  at  10:12 PM
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