Restless Legs Syndrome: From Diagnosis to Treatment

Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) can be described by an urge to move limbs that typically coincides with an uncomfortable sensation. When at rest or inactivity, signs may start or develop worse; they usually go away when one moves or gets up for a walk. RLS can be both idiopathic or secondary to many kinds of health conditions, such as deficiency of iron, diabetes, obesity, hypothyroidism, and chronic renal failure. At the admission, secondary causes and iron tests, such as transferrin saturation and ferritin, must be evaluated. Assessments should be repeated when symptoms worsen, or when augmentation develops. Augmentation is a significant adverse effect of therapy by levodopa and dopamine agonists. More severe signs, early appearance of symptoms, and spreading of symptoms from the legs to other body parts are indicative of augmentation. Non-pharmacological treatments help some RLS patients control their symptoms. Iron-replacement therapy is a first-line treatment option for patients with indications of low body iron stores. The use of α2δ ligands as initial treatments instead of dopamine agonists has been recommended recently.

Keywords

• restless legs syndrome
• augmentation
• iron deficiency
• iron therapy
• huzursuz bacaklar sendromu
• augmentasyon
• demir eksikliği
• demir tedavisi