Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

With this condition, you may experience:

• Discomfort in your legs
• Discomfort in your arms (less frequently)
• Irresistible urge to move or rub the affected limbs
• Feelings that increase when not moving, such as while trying to sleep
• Periodic limb movement, or PLM, during sleep (uncontrollable jerking or moving)

During an RLS episode, you may get up and walk around to try to relieve the discomfort. Different people describe the RLS feeling differently. You may experience it as a tightening, pulling or crawling sensation.

Some people with RLS have symptoms that come and go, sometimes for months or even years.

RLS can be associated with a number of other conditions, or it can occur without any underlying medical problem. A variety of conditions can cause RLS:

• Diabetes
• Iron deficiency
• Kidney failure
• Pregnancy
• Sciatica

The older you get, the higher your risk of developing RLS. If you have RLS, there’s a 50% chance that your biological child also will have the condition. Men and women are equally affected by RLS.

The diagnosis of RLS depends mostly on your personal history. Lab testing can detect periodic limb movement (PLM), but not RLS.

There are a variety of medications that doctors use to manage RLS, but there is not a single medication that works for everyone with the condition. Your doctor will create an RLS treatment plan based on your symptoms, your health history and your other health conditions.