Understanding restless legs syndrome

The symptoms of restless legs syndrome sound so bizarre — creepy-crawly feelings and an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, especially at bedtime — that, until recently, many sufferers have simply not been believed.

In recent years, the neurological condition has been linked to increased hypertension, stroke, erectile dysfunction, higher death rates from kidney disease, possibly Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia, and perhaps other problems as well. RLS affects 12 million Americans, according to a National Institutes of Health website, though some researchers think the prevalence is higher and some, lower.

“You can think of RLS today as where sleep apnea was 10 to 15 years ago,” says Dr. John Winkelman, a psychiatrist, RLS expert and medical director of the Sleep Health Centers, which is affiliated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It’s even been dubbed “the most common disorder you’ve never heard of.”

“We used to think of sleep apnea as a bunch of fat guys snoring,” says Winkelman, who consults for drug companies that make RLS medications. “Now we know it’s a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, motor vehicle accidents. We are also just beginning to recognize the potential negative medical consequences of RLS.”

Not to mention the toll RLS takes on quality of life.

“There were many, many nights when I would sleep for only 21/2 or three hours,” recalls Roberta Kittredge, a 65-year-old retired teacher in Hampton, N.H., who, like many women, first got RLS when she was pregnant. (Studies suggest a link between RLS and high estrogen levels.) “Every night I went to bed positive I would sleep, and two or three minutes later, I was out of bed and walking the floor for hours and hours.”

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Steven Wilson has joined with others to help reduce their dependence on medications for pain relief, sleep disorders and low energy. For a free sample call or emailsteven@stevenwilson.com

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