Henry Waxman says restless legs syndrome doesn't exist, but then...

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), looking hale and hearty after a recent hospitalization, was on C-SPAN this week describing his groggy arrival at the medical institution when someone noticed his leg jerking and asked if he had restless legs syndrome.

The obstreperous Waxman said he knew that such an ailment is yet another example of America's greedy pharmaceutical companies creating a new disease to market new medicines for Americans to buy and swallow and pump into themselves.

The phone-in program then took the next call from the Independent Line and Waxman was surprised to learn something he didn't know. Watch his reaction.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Video courtesy of C-SPAN.

Comments

[Fred Powledge]

Waxman is one of my heroes, but on this one he was full of beans. My legs have twitched every night for 40 years, long before the pharma people realized they could invent and market diseases. Not long ago researchers discovered that a drug used for Parkinson's might help with RLS (yes, Henry, it's a real condition). I tried it two weeks ago and have been free of restless legs ever since. I sought to tell Henry this in an e-mail, but his Web site determined that my Zip code isn't in his district, so pffft--no e-mail to Henry Waxman, who now is a bit less of a hero to me. --Fred Powledge.

[Via]

I also admire most of what Henry Waxman does. In Congress, he's a huge improvement over the Neanderthal screw-ups that preceded him. He's changing our country for the better.

But he should clam up about things he doesn't know anything about.

It's dangerous to believe things just because they fit your pre-conceived notions.

There's no doubt that drug companies often push pills for the wrong reasons.

But in the case of Restless Legs Syndrome, the condition is real. RLS exits, and it's really, really horrible and life-changing if you have a severe case.

[DBCooper]

Waxman has restless brain syndrome.
Why do people keep voting for this communist idiot?

[Donna]

I would like to comment on this story. It first came to my attention the other day on another web site. I moderate and own several online support groups for RLS. I am sure my more than 3,000 members would strongly disagree with the congressman. In fact, there is a letter writing campaign going on within the RLS community right now. It is off and running. I am amazed that a man who is chairman of the Health Reform committee can have no compassion. His attitude was not acceptable. RLS is no joke. It ruins careers, lives, and relationships in severe cases. I would hope that the next time the congressman opens his mouth, he should know what he is talking about instead of making jokes. His rep just went down a couple of notches for me.
He is in need of a little education. The RLS FOndation has a story posted on their web site.

[Donna]

I forgot to address the drug issue. I have to say that most of the people in my groups KNEW they had RLS before the commercials were ever on the air. We did not need drug commercial to tell us what we were suffering from. There is info going back to the 1600's about RLS.
Dr. Ekbom coined the "Restless Legs Syndrome" name in 1942. And, I suppose that the Mayo Clinic has no idea what they are talking about; or Johns Hopkins, UMASS, the Sleep Center in Atlanta, the national sleep Foundation, The RLS Foundation, etc, etc. yes, they know nothing. All Mr. Waxman has to do is spend 10 mins on the internet, and he will see how bad RLS can be, and that it IS REAL.

[irene petworth]

I have watched this video and was very angry at Henry
Waxman's comment about Restless legs Syndrome.
I live in the UK, i have rls, it is sooooo real all right.
I have written a letter to this man, who needs to be told
that he has upset alot of people. I think he will be receiving
more post than usual.

[Maryann Merrick]

To say the least, I am disappointed with Representative Waxman's apparent insensitivity to a wide range of population in the United States and elsewhere that suffer from this crippling disease. I am one of those individuals that has suffered with RLS long before most physicians or pharmecutical companies knew RLS existed.

It is my hope that Waxman would consider a fair and balanced discussion with individuals from the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation, physicians who treat people with RLS and laymen that suffer from this disease to set the record straight.

[Joe Y]

Does it bother anyone that this guy is one of the chief architects of the creation of the new medical insurance regime, because it bothers the hell out of me.

[linda]

Oh come on, people! He was laughing at the irony that the very next caller claimed to have RLS, and he *just said* he'd be hearing from them. Have you no sense of irony, or sense of humor?

LIGHTEN UP.

[JonA]

Waxmans knowledge on healthcare (and RLS) is even less than his knowledge of science/climate/sound energy policy, which is to say less than nothing.

[steve]

Well, anyone who suffers from RlS knows that it exists. And actually, I found a terrific product for restless legs Syndrome. It is an herbal lotion in a roll-on type bottle. It has herbs to quell over-active nerves and also ones to relax muscles. My Mom uses it for leg cramps and I tried it on my restless legs. It worked great. I was really surprised because it worked in like, 5 minutes. I’ve tried lots of supplements and stuff and nothing has worked before. The stuff is called Leg Relaxer and I bought it from a company called Nature’s Rite. You should probably try it for your restless legs. … No sense dancing when you should be sleeping.