Restless Legs Syndrome:‌ A Dieppe Resident’s ⁤Story

DIEPPE, France (AP) — Do you know Willy-Ekbom disease? ‌Perhaps you ‌know it better as restless ‍legs syndrome? ‌It’s characterized ​by uncontrollable ‌and sometimes violent movements, primarily in the legs, but⁢ also possibly⁤ affecting the arms. These ​sensations, often described as painful and unsettling, ‍can occur⁢ day and night, seemingly without warning, disrupting ‌the lives of both men and women, ⁣though⁣ women are more frequently affected. The suffering is frequently enough invisible, masked except for the drawn expression, tired ‌eyes, and deliberate​ movements of those who spend their nights – and‍ sometimes days – trying to manage the relentless urge to move ⁣and find relief.

Early Onset at 21

Marisa, a resident of Dieppe, has firsthand experience with restless legs ​syndrome. ​She recalls the initial symptoms appearing after the birth of her first child. “I was 21,” she says.”It​ manifested as ‍tension and burning sensations in my legs,​ primarily during the day when I was sitting for⁢ more ‌than an ⁤hour, wich wasn’t ⁢often.”

Despite the discomfort, the arrival of her second child two years later, coupled with a busy personal and professional life, meant she “didn’t have time to dwell on the pain, which⁢ subsided with movement. I developed a habit of moving and‌ walking daily at a​ much higher intensity than average,” she explained.

Marisa found that keeping her mind active also helped. Over the years, ⁤she immersed herself in various activities,⁤ driven by​ a desire to understand things thoroughly. This “hyperactivity” allowed her “to collapse with fatigue and manage to sleep, at least five hours straight. This is still the case, ‌with a few adjustments!”

Limited⁢ Treatment Options

Although she had been suffering for some time, it was only ‍15 years ‍ago that Marisa finally spoke to ‍her general practitioner. She found her doctor attentive but “hesitant to prescribe​ medication that, until then, had been ⁢reserved for Parkinson’s disease,” she ⁢noted.

Marisa declined the treatment,concerned about potential side effects. Her own‍ research online revealed that there is “no specific⁢ treatment” for restless legs syndrome and that therapeutic trials are still in their early⁢ stages.

I used to ⁤move and walk every day.

For Marisa, managing the⁤ condition involves a⁣ disciplined lifestyle: minimal alcohol, coffee, and tobacco; maintaining a healthy​ weight; compensating for‌ sleep deprivation with naps; and, most importantly, “walking… walking… walking,an average of 10 kilometers per day,” she says.

She has also learned to‌ recognize situations that might trigger an episode.​ “It could be reading a relaxing ⁣book, watching a show or film when I ‍anticipate the next scene or even the ending, or a meal‍ that lingers on… boredom, in a way.”

To combat these triggers, she‌ puts down the book, leaves the cinema or theater, or gets up from the table to move around. “And⁤ at night, when I feel that sleep is impossible, I get‍ up and tidy up, sew,⁢ iron, write,” she ​says. However, ‍she admits to ⁣feeling isolated at times. Some time ago, she discovered an online association where she finally found understanding, advice, and support.

The Association France Ekbom (AFE) can be contacted at 4, allée de la Marjolaine, 93330 Neuilly-sur-Marne.The telephone number is 09 67 79 88 ⁢43. ⁣Their email address is info@france-ekbom.fr.