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Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a metabolic sleep disorder that causes feelings in the legs that sufferers have described using words such as: tingling, numbness, pins and needles, tiredness, itching, uneasiness, pain, cramping, aching, burning, creeping, crawling, simply indescribable...
These feelings happen during rest or sleep, especially in the lower legs, and create an urge to move the legs about as a way of relieving or completely getting rid of these feelings. If a person with restless leg syndrome tries to hold the legs still and not move them, the feelings only seem to get worse.
Restless leg syndrome is epidemic. It does not cause any damage to one's health, but it very often leaves the sufferer feeling drowsy during the daytime from not getting a good night's sleep.
Incidence; Causes & Development; Risk Factors
While restless leg syndrome can be a problem at any age, it seems to be most serious in people who are middle-aged and older.
The exact cause of restless leg syndrome is unknown. There may be many different causes, including important underlying nutritional issues which will need to be resolved before symptoms improve. RLS tends to run in families.
Although most cases of restless leg syndrome happen in healthy people, there is an increased chance of the syndrome occurring in people who have diabetes or chronic alcoholism, or who are pregnant. Cases of restless leg syndrome caused by pregnancy usually clear up after delivery of the baby.
Signs & Symptoms
People who have severe restless leg syndrome may feel a kind of spastic flexing of their hips, knees and ankles when they lie down, as well as leg pains in the morning after they get out of bed.
Treatment & Prevention
The best treatment can often be arrived at only by active experimentation by the patient or in cooperation with a doctor who may wish to perform laboratory testing.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Restless Leg Syndrome:
Risk factors for Restless Leg Syndrome: | | | | | Diet |  Caffeine Intoxication | Excess caffeine levels cause restlessness. Caffeine has been shown to increase subjects’ proneness to develop RLS at lower levels of blood glucose. It is therefore no surprise that a xanthine-free diet (no coffee, tea, cola beverages, cocoa) has been reported to be another effective dietary measure RLS sometimes following a short period of caffeine withdrawal. [J Clin Psychiatry 39: pp.693-8, 1978; Ann Intern Med 119: pp.799-804, 1993] |
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Hormones |
Low Serotonin Level| | See the treatment link between RLS and tryptophan/5HPT. |
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Immunity |
Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia Syndrome |
Metabolic |
 Hypoglycemia| | Based on afternoon glucose tolerance testing, many patients with RLS - particularly if they also have spontaneous leg cramps - appear to have hyperinsulinism causing functional ‘hypoglycemia’ during testing. In fact, some patients may have an attack of muscle cramps at the same time as their lowest level of plasma glucose. In an open trial, a group of 350 patients with this type of glucose tolerance curve were placed on a sugar-free, high protein diet along with frequent nibbling and at least one night feeding. The vast majority experienced a prompt remission or, at least, a striking reduction in symptoms. [J Med Assoc 60(5): pp.29-31, 1973] |
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Nutrients |
Iron Requirement| | See the treatment link between RLS and iron. |
Magnesium Requirement| | See the treatment link between RLS and magnesium. |
Increased Folic Acid Requirement| | See the treatment link between RLS and folic acid. |
Vitamin E Requirement |
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Recommendations and treatments for Restless Leg Syndrome: | | | | | Amino Acid / Protein |  Tryptophan / 5HTP |
Diet |
 Sugars Avoidance / Reduction| | See the link between Restless Leg Syndrome and Caffeine Avoidance. |
Caffeine/Coffee Avoidance| | Regardless of which form of restless leg syndrome you may be having, it is important to avoid caffeine and sugar during the day because both of these substances will increase the intensity of restless leg syndrome. |
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Drug |
 Conventional Drug Avoidance| | Components used in the manufacture of drugs or supplements may be causing or aggravating the problem. If you can remember having started taking a new medication/supplement shortly before the onset of symptoms, consider stopping it for a time to see if symptoms improve. You may also wish to consider stopping all 'unnecessary' supplements to see if any of those may be causing it. |
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Mineral |
Iron| | RLS has been associated with an iron deficiency as measured by low ferritin levels. The anemia that results from an iron deficiency may or may not have appeared yet; patients whose serum ferritins were lowest initially improved the most. |
Magnesium| | Magnesium deficiency, which is known to increase neuromuscular excitability, can also cause this syndrome. [Rom J Neural Psychiatry 31(1): pp.55-6, 1993] |
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Nutrient |
Essential Fatty Acids| | If not caused by circulatory blockage, simply get more calcium and oxygen to your leg muscles by taking extra essential fatty acids, a specific form of vitamin E called Vitamin E2 (from Standard Process Labs, for example), and Calcium Lactate. |
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Vitamins |
Folic Acid| | If there is a circulatory problem (as evidenced by other circulatory problems such as athersclerosis, hypertension, etc.), you may respond very well to extra folic acid and B12, as well as a product high in specific nutrients that strengthen and elasticize the vessel walls. One such product is called Cyruta Plus, and can obtained through professionals handling Standard Process Labs products.
Folic acid at 5-50mg per day (a very large dose) may be helpful when the condition runs in the family; otherwise, it may only help the occasional person. RLS may be an early neurologic manifestation of folate deficiency, the most common of all the vitamin deficiencies. Often the deficiency is not due to a poor diet, but to a genetic factor causing a folate dependency. While not all RLS patients complain of uncomfortable sensations, folate-deficient patients always suffer from them. [Folic Acid in Neurology, Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, New York, Raven Press, 1979] |
Vitamin E| | 400 to 800 IU per day of vitamin E has helped in cases of RLS. In one trial involving 9 patients, 7 had complete relief following supplementation, one had almost 75% relief and one had 50% relief. It may take up to three months for the full benefit to become apparent. [Calif Med 111: pp.87-91, 1969] |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Anemia (Anaemia, Anemias)
A condition resulting from an unusually low number of red blood cells or too little hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The most common type is iron-deficiency anemia in which the red blood cells are reduced in size and number, and hemoglobin levels are low. Clinical symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy and heart palpitations.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Cobalamin (B12, B-12, Cobalamine, Vitamin B12)
Essential for normal growth and functioning of all body cells, especially those of bone marrow (red blood cell formation), gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, it prevents pernicious anemia and plays a crucial part in the reproduction of every cell of the body i.e. synthesis of genetic material (DNA).
Cramp (Cramping, Cramps)
A sudden, involuntary, painful muscular contraction.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Epidemic
Describes a disease occurring in extensive outbreaks, or with an unusually high incidence at certain times and places.
Essential Fatty Acid (EFA, EFAs, Essential Fatty Acids)
A substance that the human body cannot manufacture and therefore must be supplied in the diet.
Folic Acid
A B-complex vitamin that functions along with vitamin B-12 and vitamin C in the utilization of proteins. It has an essential role in the formation of heme (the iron containing protein in hemoglobin necessary for the formation of red blood cells) and DNA. Folic acid is essential during pregnancy to prevent neural tubular defects in the developing fetus.
Glucose
A sugar that is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It is commonly referred to as blood sugar. The body breaks down carbohydrates in foods into glucose, which serves as the primary fuel for the muscles and the brain.
Hypertension
High blood pressure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure because it adds to the workload of the heart, causing it to enlarge and, over time, to weaken; in addition, it may damage the walls of the arteries.
Hypoglycemia
A condition characterized by an abnormally low blood glucose level. Severe hypoglycemia is rare and dangerous. It can be caused by medications such as insulin (diabetics are prone to hypoglycemia), severe physical exhaustion, and some illnesses.
Iron
An essential mineral. Prevents anemia: as a constituent of hemoglobin, transports oxygen throughout the body. Virtually all of the oxygen used by cells in the life process are brought to the cells by the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Iron is a small but most vital, component of the hemoglobin in 20,000 billion red blood cells, of which 115 million are formed every minute. Heme iron (from meat) is absorbed 10 times more readily than the ferrous or ferric form.
IU (mIU, uIU)
International Unit: An arbitrarily defined but agreed upon unit that depends on what is being measured.
mIU: 0.001 or one thousandth of an IU.
uIU: 0.000001 or one millionth of an IU.
Lactation (Lactate, Lactates, Lactating)
Production of milk; period after giving birth during which milk is secreted in the breasts.
Magnesium
An essential mineral. The chief function of magnesium is to activate certain enzymes, especially those related to carbohydrate metabolism. Another role is to maintain the electrical potential across nerve and muscle membranes. It is essential for proper heartbeat and nerve transmission. Magnesium controls many cellular functions. It is involved in protein formation, DNA production and function and in the storage and release of energy in ATP. Magnesium is closely related to calcium and phosphorus in body function. The average adult body contains approximately one ounce of magnesium. It is the fifth mineral in abundance within the body--behind calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Although about 70 percent of the body's magnesium is contained in the teeth and bones, its most important functions are carried out by the remainder which is present in the cells of the soft tissues and in the fluid surrounding those cells.
Metabolism (Metabolic, Metabolize, Metabolizes, Metabolizing)
The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds. Also defined as the sum total of changes in an organism in order to achieve a balance (homeostasis): Catabolic burns up, anabolic stores and builds up; the sum of their work is metabolism.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Precursor (Precursors)
A biochemical substance, such as an intermediate compound in a chain of enzymatic reactions, from which a more stable or definitive product is formed.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Serotonin
A phenolic amine neurotransmitter (C10H12N2O) that is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is found especially in the brain, blood serum and gastric membranes of mammals. Considered essential for relaxation, sleep, and concentration.
Serum
The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Tryptophan
Essential amino acid. Natural relaxant and sleep aid due to its precursor role in serotonin (a neurotransmitter) synthesis. Along with tyrosine, it is used in the treatment of addictions.
Vitamin E
An essential fat-soluble vitamin. As an antioxidant, helps protect cell membranes, lipoproteins, fats and vitamin A from destructive oxidation. It helps protect red blood cells and is important for the proper function of nerves and muscles. For Vitamin E only, 1mg translates to 1 IU.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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