Restless Legs Syndrome and Related Disorders - Treatment

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Interactions With Other Drugs. Certain medications, including antacids, can reduce iron absorption.

Iron tablets may also reduce the effectiveness of other drugs, including:

• Antibiotics: tetracycline, penicillamine, and ciprofloxacin
• Anti-Parkinson's disease drugs: methyldopa, levodopa, and carbidopa

At least 2 hours should elapse between doses of these drugs and doses of iron supplements.

[For additional information about iron supplements see In-Depth Report #57: Anemia.]

Exercise

Exercise earlier in the day may be one of the best ways to achieve healthy sleep. Vigorous exercise and stimulation within 1 - 2 hours of bed time may worsen restless legs syndrome (RLS). A study found that people who walked briskly for 30 minutes, four times a week, improved minor sleep disturbances after 4 months. Regular, moderate exercise, healthful in any case, may help prevent RLS. Patients report that either bursts of excessive energy or long sedentary periods worsen symptoms.

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Pneumatic Compression Device

Pneumatic compression devices wrap an inflatable cuff around the legs. This cuff is attached to a device which then increases pressure around the legs. It is worn for at least an hour, generally around the time symptoms usually begin. Smaller studies have shown it improve symptoms of RLS in some patients.

Review Date: 10/15/2010
Reviewed By: Reviewed by: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).