Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Restless legs syndrome

more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Gastroesophageal reflux...
Rabies
Radiophobia
Rasmussen's encephalitis
Raynaud's phenomenon
Reactive arthritis
Reactive hypoglycemia
Reflex sympathetic...
Regional enteritis
Reiter's Syndrome
Renal agenesis
Renal artery stenosis
Renal calculi
Renal cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Renal failure
Renal osteodystrophy
Renal tubular acidosis
Repetitive strain injury
Respiratory acidosis
Restless legs syndrome
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinoblastoma
Retinoschisis
Retrolental fibroplasia
Retroperitoneal fibrosis
Rett syndrome
Reye's syndrome
Rh disease
Rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatism
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rickets
Rift Valley fever
Ringworm
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Romano-Ward syndrome
Roseola infantum
Rubella
Rubeola
Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome
Rumination disorder
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Restless legs syndrome (RLS, or Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome, which is not to be confused with Ekbom's syndrome) is a poorly understood and often misdiagnosed neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant or painful sensations in the body's extremities and an overwhelming urge to move them. Moving the limbs provides temporary relief for this chronic condition. Symptoms are often discernable in early childhood, and may become disabling in later life, particularly due to sleep deprivation.

Symptoms

The key symptoms of RLS are:

  • an urge to move the legs and sometimes arms, which can be irresistible when severe; this is usually associated with an abnormal sensation such as a "creepy" or "crawly" feeling, a tickle, an ache, or a discomfort that may be very difficult to put into words. These sensations generally occur inside the legs or arms (along the axis) in the calf or forearm area.
  • involuntary muscle movements (spasms or 'twitching')
  • excessive movement of the legs or arms when at rest,
  • aggravation of the discomfort during rest and at least temporary relief by movement,
  • a circadian rhythm of severity with symptoms being worse at the patient's usual bedtime.

Prevalence

Most sufferers think they are the only ones to be afflicted by this peculiar condition. Many people only have this problem when they try to sleep, but some people show symptoms during the day and pace or 'bounce' their legs. Some people get the symptoms on long car rides or during any long period of inactivity (like watching movies, attending dinners, etc.) The limbs may also start to twitch involuntarily, sometimes causing large limb excursions (flailing) especially during sleep. This is sometimes defined as a related syndrome, called Periodic limb movement disorder. It is not unknown for some people to be thrown out of bed by violent leg movements.

About 10 percent of adults in North America and Europe may experience RLS symptoms, according to the National Sleep Foundation, which reports that "lower prevalence has been found in India, Japan and Singapore," indicating that ethnic factors, including diet, may play a role in the prevalence of this syndrome.

Causes

There is a high incidence of familial cases, suggesting a genetic tendency. Secondary causes of RLS include antipsychotics, antidepressants, antihistamines (particularly those that cause drowsiness), serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and antinausea agents. As there seems to be a link between dopamine and RLS, drugs that interact with dopamine may also cause secondary RLS.

Treatment

Common medications include dopamine agonists (dopaminergic agents) such as levodopa, ropinirole, sinemet or pergolide, opioids such as propoxyphene or oxycodone, benzodiazepines (which improve quality of sleep), or anticonvulsants (patients who report pain may benefit most) such as gabapentin. In 2005, The Food and Drug Administration approved Requip (ropinirole) to treat moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). The drug was first approved for Parkinson’s disease in 1997.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]



Restless legs syndrome in patients with chronic renal failure is not related to serum ferritin or serum iron levels
PURPOSE: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder thought to be related to iron stores and dopamine receptors of basal ganglia of brain. It occurs more commonly in patients with chronic ren
Restless legs syndrome in lung transplant recipients
PURPOSE: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurologic disorder with a prevalence between 2.5 and 15% in the general population. Among solid organ transplant ...
Pneumatic compression devices for treatment of restless legs syndrome
PURPOSE: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a troublesome condition manifested by sensory and motor symptoms that disrupt sleep onset or sleep maintenance.
Restless legs syndrome and low brain iron levels in patients with haemochromatosis
Restless legs syndrome and low brain iron levels in patients with haemochromatosis. Haba-Rubio J, Staner L, Petiau C, et al. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry ...
Restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by unpleasant sensations in the limbs, usually the legs, that occur at rest or before sleep and are relieved ...
Iron for restless legs syndrome
Twenty-five patients with end-stage renal disease who had symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind ...
Iron-deficient cells can cause restless legs syndrome
Iron-deficient cells in the brain are mixing up central nervous system signals to the legs and arms, causing the irresistible urge to move the arms and legs and "creepy-crawly" sensations
House Call - answers to questions about exercise-induced asthma, restless legs syndrome, and sexual dysfunction in women - Brief Article
Expert Advice on Health and Fitness `Since my son has asthma, should he be allowed to play basketball?' EXERCISE-INDUCED ASTHMA Q My 14-year-old ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay