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Restless leg syndrome and liver disease

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Posted 5/10/2008 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there,

I just came across an article (see link below) about the correlations between RLS and liver disease. I have both RLS and AIH. IN fact, when i started thinking about when I first started having symptoms of RLS, it was about a year before I was diagnosed with AIH, exactly around the time I started to have symptoms of AIH.

http://www.aasmnet.org/JCSM/ViewAbstract.aspx?citationid=3482

Does anyone else have RLS, too? I've only met one person with RLS, and she does not have a liver disease, so I'm very interested to learn if other have RLS, too. According to the article I found, about 16% of people with liver disease have RLS. That's a high prevalence rate!

Jackie
Posted 5/11/2008 5:42 AM (GMT 0)

Welcome, Jackie!  Exactly what does a medical anthropologist do?  Study disease history or ????

I don't exactly have RLS, but lately I've been having foot/toe spasms when I'm trying to get to sleep, just dozing off.  I was diagnosed with chronic active hep C in '93 (thus the name), and am a liver cancer survivor.  Do you take any meds for the RLS?  I know there are some new ones on the market.

Connie

Posted 5/16/2008 5:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone!

It's been a really long time since I've posted. Hope all is well. I was reading of few of the posts trying to catch up. As far as Restless Leg Syndrome goes...I'll keep you posted. I'm going to the doc tomorrow as my legs have been driving me nuts this week. They have been tingly and sensitive to the touch. My right foot and left knee hurt...then both heels started hurting. It's more uncomfortable when I sit. I had been thinking maybe it was my back but reading this post I thought, hey, maybe it's RLS....who knows. Definitely not an urge to move them per se...so maybe not. In any case, I'll have it checked.

Take care!
Posted 5/16/2008 5:54 AM (GMT 0)
BTW, I was diagnosed with AIH in January 2007.....I should add that to my signature...
Posted 5/20/2008 9:15 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Jackie, I also have RLS and I have chronic cirrhosis of the liver, I can not sleep at night because of this, and I get really bad leg cramps where I wake up in the morning with bruises on my calfs, My legs hurt so much, its not the leg joints, its the long bones that hurt the most, and my legs also itch as so does the rest of my body, Whenever I do get to sleep, I wake myself up scratching,

Do you have theses same symptoms? and do you have a bunch of little red spots all over your chest?

I dont know what time this says its posted but it is at this time 2:07 am here in Oregon and I have been sitting here for a while, I have to keep stopping because I am in so much pain that I hold onto myself and try and type with 1 hand, I get sharp stabbing pains in my liver area and I just end up grabbing hold and not letting go,

I hope you are doing as well as to be expected,

You are in my prayers,

scared_in _oregon,  

Oh by the way, my name too is Jackie, but I am scared sitting here in Oregon

MedicalAnthropologist said...
Hi there,

I just came across an article (see link below) about the correlations between RLS and liver disease. I have both RLS and AIH. IN fact, when i started thinking about when I first started having symptoms of RLS, it was about a year before I was diagnosed with AIH, exactly around the time I started to have symptoms of AIH.

http://www.aasmnet.org/JCSM/ViewAbstract.aspx?citationid=3482

Does anyone else have RLS, too? I've only met one person with RLS, and she does not have a liver disease, so I'm very interested to learn if other have RLS, too. According to the article I found, about 16% of people with liver disease have RLS. That's a high prevalence rate!

Jackie

Posted 5/22/2008 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jackie,
I have RLS and severe NASH and suspected AIH and also have antibodies to HCV. I was sort of mistakenly treated with interferon (I probably test false positive to surface antigen and there was no viral test then) but anyway, my liver got worse on interferon and I became quite ill, with the overwhelming symptom being the most horrible restless leg feeling, unbearable, and it ran throughout my body to the point that that, coupled with pain from organ damage ended up going through therapy on stadol nasal spray, which is extremely strong.

I definitely think RLS has to do with liver disease and autoimmune disease as well, since I have both just from personal experience, and that it might be somehow related to interferon alpha levels in our bodies naturally being high or something. Just a layman patient's gut feeling, by no means scientific. Just a personal observation.
Posted 5/22/2008 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Jackie-I was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis 2 months ago, but have suffered with RLS since mid 2004.
The RLS has come and gone since then.

Jackie in Oregon - I, too, have just started to develop little red spots on the fronts of both of my legs. Mine looks like a fine rust spray was misted over my lower legs. I believe I read that this is called Hyperpigmentation, which is common in liver disease.
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