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Sleep Disorders Center at Trinitas Hospital 908-994-8694 |
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Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
A common sleep disorder, Restless Legs Syndrome gives a person a feeling
that their legs are crawling, tingling, creeping, pulling, or painful. These
sensations can occur anywhere between the ankle to the thigh, on the left
leg, the right leg, or on both legs. They tend to manifest themselves when
someone either sits or lies down for a certain period of time. Sitting at a
desk, riding in a car or watching a movie in a theater are typical
situations where Restless Legs Syndrome can occur. In most cases, moving
your legs, walking, rubbing or massaging them can bring some relief.
During periods of relaxation and diminished activity, the symptoms of RLS
can worsen. They can also occur following a person's regular daytime
activities as night (and sleep) approaches. If you find it difficult to fall
asleep or have a strong urge to walk to relieve feelings of discomfort, you
may have Restless Legs Syndrome. It can vary from night to night and as a
person grows older, and some people can experience severe symptoms.
Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS)
Interestingly, many people with RLS may also have PLMS, also known as
Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep. People with PLMS can find themselves
involuntarily jerking their legs, or bending their legs repeatedly,
sometimes as often as every 10-60 seconds. Their bed partners, as a result,
may find themselves being awakened or disturbed by these patterns of
behavior, causing them to lose valuable sleep in the process.
Patients with RLS and PLMS usually have trouble falling asleep and staying
asleep, which causes them to experience extreme sleepiness during the day.
This can cause problems with their job, their social life and their
recreational activities.
What Causes Restless Legs Syndrome?
Some of the factors that are associated with RLS are as follows:
Family History
Pregnancy
Low Iron Levels Or Anemia
Chronic Diseases
Caffeine Intake
Who Gets Restless Legs Syndrome?
RLS is common among older people, but is not limited to the elderly. It can
affect men as easily as women or children. Some children who have RLS are
thought to have "growing pains," when it's really Restless Legs Syndrome.
They are also thought of as being hyperactive in school, because they can't
sit still in class.
How Do We Help You?
We take your complete medical history and examine you. We review all of the
medications you may be taking to see if there are any "contraindications"
that may be causing Restless Legs Syndrome or mimicking its symptoms.
Neuropathy or a pinched nerve may present some of the same symptoms as RLS.
Basic laboratory tests can help assess overall health and rule out anemia.
An overnight sleep study may be suggested to rule out PLMS or other sleep
problems that may be present.
Treatment For Restless Legs Syndrome
If your RLS is mild, taking a hot bath, massaging your legs, exercising,
eliminating caffeine, and using an ice pack and/or a heating pad may be
suggested as options to help alleviate your symptoms. Medication may be
prescribed to control symptoms for people with more severe cases of RLS.
Some medications may lose their effectiveness when used nightly, so your
doctor may want to alternate different medications to prevent them from
giving you diminishing relief from your symptoms.
Medications For Restless Legs Syndrome
Benzodiazepines depress the central nervous system and allow many
patients to obtain sleep, even though they may not supress the RLS
sensations or jerking movements. People with
sleep apnea should not
use benzodiazepines.
Dopaminergic agents, often used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's
Disease, can be effective for RLS and PLMS. These medications may
reduce the
symptoms of RLS and leg movements during the night.
Opioids, or relaxing, pain-killing drugs, can help supress symptoms of
RLS in some patients. Patients with severe symptoms have found relief
by
using opioids.
TENS
One other non-drug approach, which is the use of Transcutaneous Electrical
Nerve Stimulation, or TENS, may help reduce the symptoms in those with both
RLS and PLMS. Applied to an area of the legs or feet, for about 15-30
minutes before bedtime, this electrical stimulation can be helpful in some
cases.
The Sleep Disorders Center at Trinitas Hospital stands ready to help you
determine if you have Restless Legs Syndrome and, if you do, to provide you
with whatever solutions work best in your particular case. We're experienced
in Sleep Medicine and we look forward to helping each and every patient
achieve the best possible result. Call us at 908-994-8694 or email us at
Sleep@trinitas.org for more information or to arrange an appointment.
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210 Williamson St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202908-994-8694 |
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