Restless Legs: It's No Laughing Matter

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): a funny-sounding name for a not-so-funny medical condition. Sufferers of this disease describe their sensations as pulling, creepy-crawly, electric, prickly, and, occasionally, painful. These sensations, which typically occur in the legs but can also affect the arms, are accompanied by an overwhelming urge to move the affected limbs. As one sufferer notes, "It feels like my bones itch. I just want to peel back the skin and scratch my shinbones, but of course I can't do that. Instead, I get up and walk around, sometimes for hours on end, until I'm on the verge of collapse."

Because the sensations and resultant urge to move are worse in the evening and at night, the disorder has a profound impact on people's ability to sleep. According to Dr. William Dement, often called the grandfather of sleep and author of The Promise of Sleep, "RLS sufferers are among the most sleep-deprived patients that we see in our practice."

Although RLS was long thought to affect only adults, researchers have recently determined that it can severely disrupt the lives of children and adolescents as well. The National Institutes of Health estimates that this little-known disease affects more than 12 million Americans (about 5% to 10% percent of the population). Again according to Dr. Dement, "RLS has got to be the biggest completely unaddressed health care priority in America. The first step is education."

Because most people are not familiar with RLS, it is often misdiagnosed by healthcare providers and misunderstood by sufferers and their families. Despite its offbeat name, RLS is a debilitating disorder that can lead to depression and even suicide.

RLS is a life-long condition for which there is no cure, but medical treatment can significantly improve the lives of people who suffer from this condition. Although many different drugs may help relieve symptoms of RLS, those most commonly used are found in the following four categories: dopaminergic agents, benzodiazepines, opioids, and anticonvulsants. First-line therapy is with dopaminergic agents such as Mirapex, Permax, and Requip.

The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving universal awareness, identifying effective treatment, and finding the cure for the millions of men, women and children who suffer from RLS. For a free copy of Living with Restless Legs, contact the RLS Foundation in one of the following three ways.

Send a self-addressed, stamped, #10 envelope to:

RLS Foundation
1610 14th St NW Suite 300
Rochester, MN 55901

Call the RLS Foundation toll free at 1-877-463-6757 or visit the RLS Foundation website at www.rls.org.