Is restless leg syndrome related to Parkinson's disease?..
Is restless leg syndrome related to Parkinson's disease? What treatments are available for RLS? I have been diagnosed with RLS and am taking Requip medication for this. It does seem to work but is there anything better out yet? thank you for your answer. jim
Expert Answer
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is not related to Parkinson's Disease (PD), although patients with PD may be more likely to have RLS symptoms as part of their disease. People with RLS are not at an increased risk of developing PD. The fact that some of the same medications are helpful in treating these diseases is a bit of a coincidence and they work for different reasons. Although there are other medications (other than Requip) for RLS, it is typically very effective and considered first line therapy. Medications such as gabapentin are often also used either alone or in conjunction with requip or mirapex to treat RLS symptoms.