Restless legs syndrome (abbreviated as RLS) is a problem which induces distressing or miserable feelings in the legs through an irresistible craving to move the legs. These types of signs and symptoms frequently occur in the late afternoon or evening hours and are often more severe at night when relaxing, for instance sitting or lying in bed. Due to this it could come to be difficult to get to sleep or go back to sleep after waking up. Moving the legs or going for walks frequently eliminates the signs and symptoms however the sensations often reoccur when the activity stops. This could have a significant influence on the quality of life and might lead to concentration and work productiveness troubles a result of the sleep disorders. Nearly 10% of people have been estimated to probably have restless legs syndrome. This impacts both men and women, however it is more common in females. The cause of restless legs syndrome is not really established yet. Even though this problem are often very unpleasant, almost all cases of RLS are treatable with non-drug treatment options and if needed, drugs.
There are several underlying conditions, for example a deficiency of iron, that can be connected with restless legs syndrome and improving that iron deficiency with iron supplementation may noticeably alleviate the signs and symptoms. When there is no underpinning problem, then your therapy will to begin with focus on changes in lifestyle and if those are not beneficial different drugs might be tested.
A few of the things which really should be tried out such as things similar to soaking in a warm bath as well as rubbing the legs to relax the muscle groups. Applying hot or cold packs may decrease the limb feelings. As exhaustion will probably aggravate the symptoms of RLS, therefore it is important that everyone do aim to have sufficient sleep. Commencing mild and regular physical exercise can also help to ease signs and symptoms of restless legs syndrome. However, over doing it or exercising later in the day may make the symptoms even worse. In some cases lowering caffeine might help restless legs, therefore keep away from these products if possible, such as chocolates which has caffeine. There are some unique foot wraps that puts pressure around the feet which has been reported as helping a number of people. Many report relief from using heavier covers on their bed.
In the event that these methods do not help, next several medications will be tried. It could take a few trials to find the appropriate medication or combination of prescription drugs at different doses to search out what works ideal for each individual. One list of prescription medication is the ones that increase dopamine within the brain for example Ropinirole (Requip), rotigotine (Neupro) along with pramipexole (Mirapex). Another class is the drugs affecting calcium channels including gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise) along with pregabalin (Lyrica) that work effectively for some people with restless legs syndrome. Narcotic drugs may relieve mild to serious signs and symptoms, however they can be addicting if used in higher levels. This may include tramadol as well as the codeine drugs. Muscle relaxants and sleep medications may be trialled to help improve sleep, however they are not going to modify the experience with the signs and symptoms.
Restless legs syndrome is generally a long term problem, so managing it calls for building coping methods that work for each person. Support communities are certainly great for sharing ideas and getting help.