Healthy Living: Restless leg syndrome

By: Marcie Fraser

Do you have a hard time keeping your legs still or have a sensation of pulling, itching or tugging on your legs? You may be one of ten percent of Americans who suffer from restless leg syndrome.

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It's a syndrome where people experience abnormal sensations in their legs, like crawling, prickling even pain. Gary has suffered for nearly a decade.

"Cramping or electrifying or move my legs but there is no reason to move my legs, they are not electrifying, they are not cramping up," said Gary Gershon.

Symptoms tend get worse at night when it's time for bed.

"I get up in the morning and I was exhausted. I had no reason why if I slept all night long why was so, so tired in the morning," Gershon said.

The cause is unknown but one theory has to do with a neurotransmitter.

"The brain itself is not metabolizing or not working right with one of the transmitters, one of the chemicals called dopamine which is similar to a transmitter that is also involved in Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Francisco Gomez.

Diagnosing RLS begins with ruling out other issues like nerve damage or iron deficiencies. A sleep study usually can confirm it. It does run in families and once you have it, it may get better but it never goes away.

"The typical age of onset 40 and 50s although younger people can have it and you can have it as young as your teenage years even in childhood and in fact it's misdiagnosed as growing pains at that point," Gomez said.

Medication is used to treat RLS but there can be serious side effects. Gary's been on medication for three years; he's found relief and can't live with it. He's functioning much better.

Some reports do indicate that more women than men get it and symptoms can get worse as you age and women in pregnancy can develop it.

"It's been known that in the third trimester typically pregnant women will notice an increase in symptoms and again they think it's due to the estrogen changes so it is something that the good thing. Once the baby comes along, they are going to keep awake but not because of the restless leg after that, "said Gomez.