When I read your post, I felt as though you wrote my situation almost verbatim. So tired that I'm not functioning normally (clumsy, etc.), being treated for hypothyroid but still feeling exhausted, low iron for a while, but still tired after treatment, neg diabetes, neg RA factor however positive for MCTD, neg celiac, gained weight despite good diet & supplements, Epworth scale = 20, had RLS my whole life with no snoring or sleep apnea and suddenly at age 42 I feel like someone is drugging me. I also took Provigil and was OK for a couple hours then back to complete exhaustion. After ditching Provigil, my doctor gave me amphetamines, and I took naps right through them.
I had a sleep study test done and got results yesterday. Before the test I thought this is just another test that we can get out of the way and move on to the real deal because I think I sleep OK, but turns out that I have severe PLMD. My PCP wants to send me to a pulmonologist??? Don't have sleep apnea... Anyway, if I take a medication for this I'll keep you posted. I heard Requip has a LOT of side effects, such as...dizziness, faintness, nausea, vomiting, unusual fatigue or drowsiness, indigestion, sweating, increased susceptibility to viral infection, headache. So I probably won't be experimenting with that one although it's supposed to be the first-line of treatment for RLS. The other most promising drug seems to be gabapentin
(Neurontin), but I am already taking Lyrica for Fibromyalgia and Lyrica is like gabapentin as an anti-seizure drug. And since I''m already taking it, it clearly isn't working for the PLMD. Shoot! Is anyone taking something (even alternative) that actually works?! Thanks!
I have RLS/PLMD. Took Mirapex for several years, now on Requip. The meds have not cured me, but they do give me significant periods of time where I can get decent sleep and feel more rested. I also have sleep apnea, but the sleep studies didn't pick it up for several years because my legs moved so often I rarely slept enough for it to show up.
The meds do have side effects in some, so do your homework.
I think the sleep study is a good idea. It will tell you how many movements you have and how often they disturb your sleep stages.