Restless legs syndrome causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Causes
See potential causal relationship between acidosis and RLS above in "Explanation." Dehydration may also be a cause of an urge to move one's legs, as some sufferers often find that drinking a glass of water may stop the urges for a short while. Certain medications may worsen RLS in those who already have it, or cause it secondarily. These include: anti-nausea drugs, certain antihistamines (often in over-the-counter cold medications), drugs used to treat depression (both older tricyclics and newer SSRIs), antipsychotic drugs, and certain medications used to control seizures.
Hypoglycemia has also been found to worsen RLS symptoms.[1] Opioid detoxification has also recently been associated with provocation of RLS-like symptoms during withdrawal. For those affected, a reduction or elimination in the consumption of simple and refined carbohydrates or starches (for example, sugar, white flour, white rice and white potatoes) or some hard fats, such as those found in beef or biscuits, is recommended.
Both primary and secondary RLS can be worsened by surgery of any kind, however back surgery or injury can be associated with causing RLS.[2] RLS can worsen in pregnancy. [3]
Genetics
40% of cases of RLS are familial and are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion with variable penetrance.
No one knows the exact cause of RLS at present. Research and brain autopsies have implicated both dopaminergic system and iron insufficiency in the substantia nigra (study published in Neurology, 2003).[4] Iron is an essential cofactor for the formation of L-dopa, the precursor of dopamine. An Icelandic study in 2005 confirmed the presence of an RLS susceptibility gene also found previously in a smaller French-Canadian population.[5][6] Various studies suggest chromosome 12q may indicate susceptibility to RLS.[7]
References
- ↑ Kurlan R (1998). "Postprandial (reactive) hypoglycemia and restless leg syndrome: related neurologic disorders?". Mov. Disord. 13 (3): 619–20. doi:10.1002/mds.870130349. PMID 9613772.
- ↑ Crotti FM, Carai A, Carai M, Sgaramella E, Sias W (2005). "Entrapment of crural branches of the common peroneal nerve". Acta Neurochir. Suppl. 92: 69–70. PMID 15830971.
- ↑ McParland P, Pearce JM (1988). "Restless leg syndrome in pregnancy". BMJ. 297 (6662): 1543. PMID 3147073.
- ↑ Connor J, Boyer P, Menzies S, Dellinger B, Allen R, Ondo W, Earley C (2003). "Neuropathological examination suggests impaired brain iron acquisition in restless legs syndrome". Neurology. 61 (3): 304–9. PMID 12913188.
- ↑ Desautels A, Turecki G, Montplaisir J, Sequeira A, Verner A, Rouleau G (2001). "Identification of a major susceptibility locus for restless legs syndrome on chromosome 12q". Am J Hum Genet. 69 (6): 1266–70. PMID 11704926.
- ↑ Levchenko A, Montplaisir J, Dubé M, Riviere J, St-Onge J, Turecki G, Xiong L, Thibodeau P, Desautels A, Verlaan D, Rouleau G (2004). "The 14q restless legs syndrome locus in the French Canadian population". Ann Neurol. 55 (6): 887–91. PMID 15174026.
- ↑ Christopher J. Earley, M.B., B.Ch., Ph.D., "Restless Legs Syndrome" New England J Medicine 2003; 348:2103 - 9.