Talk:Restless legs syndrome

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WikiProject Featured articles in other languages has identified Restless legs syndrome as a foreign language featured article. You may be able to improve this article with information from the German language Wikipedia.

Contents 1 Comments 2 Is there advertising in thar? 3 No sources Cited for this comment 4 German image 5 Vanadalism 6 Format of article 7 Bar of soap? 8 South African train drivers 9 Ekbom's Syndrome vs Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome 10 Snopes/soap removed 11 Actually, it IS a real disease

[edit] Comments

the second portion is undoubtedly an advertisement of some sort. needs to be corrected. - AC

CORRECT - GSK have been very clever in their 'astroturfing', in other words pretending to be writing from a 'grassroots' perspective. I am a final year medical student and have done research into these areas, sorry I can't write this up properly (no time) but I can point any interested people in the right direction... http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030170 for an article on this precise disease from a slightly sceptical viewpoint. And - www.pmcpa.org/completedcases, reference No 1801/2/06 for the the case against the manufacturer of the main drug of choice GlaxoSmithKline, in which they were found guilty (also in August 2006 British Medical Journal). Try PLOS Medicine / Selling Sickness by Moynihan / nofreelunch.org if you're interested in this subject. No doubt this disease does exist, but in a far greater proportion of the population than the drug company wants to make out. Any support group that believes the drug company are trying to benefit mankind should simply read the statements they release to the stockmarket - see where their priorities lie?

Looks like there is a correlation between this disease and iron "Doctors suspecting RLS often test for iron levels in the blood, because research suggests low brain levels of iron may be associated with the condition." Wonder whether there is anybody around with a medical knowledge to comment about this treatment " I was given two options. The first -- a nightly episode of catatonia courtesy of a serious opiate, such as OxyContin. My mind quickly weighed this one. Opiates: Nice. Lifelong mental and physical addiction: Not so nice.

The second alternative was a Parkinson's drug, based on newer research suggesting that RLS, like Parkinson's disease, is tied to insufficient levels of dopamine. The normal fluctuation in these levels -- they're higher in the daytime and lower at night -- explains why RLS symptoms manifest at night. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that relays messages from neurons to brain cells involved in the control of movement, is the link between the body's sensory and motor systems." Other treatments that may work "opiates, anticonvulsants and, in some cases, iron supplements" Now this looks funny "Possible underlying causes of RLS as spinal cord disorders, lumbar or cervical injuries and kidney failure" At first, i thought she was playing pank on me when she suggested kidney failure as a possible cause, but then i remembered kidney plays a part in elements regulation. Any, the whole article is here, be warned though, it is really long [1]

just a thought This article seems unusually informal for the wiki, hmm. - 20 June 2005

just a thought This can't be taken seriously. I can't believe people are complaining about this "syndrome." --Time

[edit] Is there advertising in thar?

• Some patients have reported satisfactory relief using the medication Mirapex.

This sentence, the slogan It's not just you, and the "informal" tone complained about above, coupled with the fact that a patented drug that treats this symptom has recently turned up on national TV using this slogan, makes me wonder whether this is an ad.

Is there any medical scepticism about the existence, or worthiness of treatment with drugs, of this alleged syndrome? I will admit, this was my reaction to the ads, although I forget whose ads they were. Smerdis of Tlön 7 July 2005 18:41 (UTC)

I believe it was Bill Maher. He said something like "Restless Leg Syndrome, it's basically your body telling you to get out of your easy chairs and your SUVs and use your legs." --Michael Larson

I'm sure it's easy to doubt this problem's existence when you yourself do not have it. Try to have an open mind, okay? For me, this incredibly uncomfortable sensation comes at night and it practically forces the muscles my legs to tense up or even move. It is hard to describe to anyone who hasn't felt it, but I assure it's real. It's not painful, but the sensation will wake me up and keep me up for a random amount of time until some simple exercises like walking or light lifting make it go away. Imagine getting woken up in the middle of the night a few times a week and having to fully get up and exercise just to get some peace. It's not very fun, and it can become exhausting. I agree that the drug commercials seem silly, even for someone who has this problem from time to time, but then all drug commercials seem stupid. My point is please don't criticize an article's worthiness on Wikipedia just because you haven't experienced the subject firsthand. As odd as RLS may sound, it's very real and a problem for many. Sprngpilot

On a related tack, GSK used a patients support website to market Ropinirole for restless legs syndrome and has had their wrists slapped.Dyer O (2006). "GSK breached marketing code". Brit Med J 333 (7564): 368. The ruling is at [www.pmcpa.org/completedcases] reference number 1801/2/06.--Gak 14:30, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] No sources Cited for this comment

It is possible that it may be made worse by diet, specifically the consumption of saturated fats, such as found in cheese, biscuits (cookies), butter, beef, etc. Try avoiding such fats for a week or two and see if the condition improves.

(Posted by an anonymous user (84.67.44.50). I've removed it.) - JRice 02:57, September 4, 2005 (UTC)

I wrote that. It is based on personal experience and seems to be true for me. A sufferer may find that a simple modification of their diet reduces their discomfort, but you have removed it. Perhaps you have your own agenda and would prefer people to use patented drugs?

But you can't just add shoddy medical advice because it "seemed" to work for you. You need to provide some studies or research into it or something. On a related note, I thought dehydration and bad circulation were points to note. Or maybe I am getting mixed up with leg cramps.. are cramps a symptom of RLS? I thought so but it doesn't seem to be mentioned.

Wikipedia articles are not the place for "discussion-board-like" informal opinions and speculation. Encyclopedic style writing with sources stemming from published studies and the like should make up the bulk of the article. Subjective stuff like "xxxx this diet change works for me, try avoiding..." simply doesn't belong here, as good-intentioned as you might be. Visit your local RLS message board for that type of thing. =) --A6Patch 05:10, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] German image

The German article has a nice (looking) image if anyone can translate it. gren グレン 17:10, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Vanadalism

Removed "RLS does not actually exist. It is a pshychological disorder that was made up to make people feel better about themselves. If you have these symptaoms, you probalbly are crazy and shouldn't make things up to get attention. Get over your problems and stop complaining." It looks like RadioTalk, famous for removing vandalism, put this in? I'm sure I'm reading that wrong. I do very few edits.--Knapster2005 15:19, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Sorry. It was 209.92.76.43 that did the vandalism.

[edit] Format of article

I found this article to be written in a very informal style and also to be very lacking in citations. While there were plenty of external links given, the vast majority of the "facts" presented were lacking in a specific citation to support them. Could someone with considerable knowledge in the area (possibly the person who originally wrote the article) please provide adequate citations and edit the article with a more formal register.

[edit] Bar of soap?

"An effective, though not proven, method for relieving symptoms during sleep is to place a common bar of soap under the sheet at the foot of the bed.[citation needed]"

I really can't even begin to comprehend how this could be considered an effective treatment? Given that there are no citations provided I move that we should remove this statement.

I agree. I have removed it. The reference quoted is for leg cramp anyway, which is an unrelated condition. --Gak 06:34, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] South African train drivers

This sounds like a habitual action carried over into sleep. I cannot see how this is relevant to RLS. I move to remove it. --Gak 06:34, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ekbom's Syndrome vs Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome

I find the words right at the start of the article "(RLS, or Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome, which is not to be confused with Ekbom's syndrome)" confusing. In more cases than not, Ekbom's Syndrome is used to refer to RLS. In this case, diverting readers looking for RLS off to a page on "Delusional parasitosis" will cause a lot of confusion. I suggest that the discussion of these other historic medical names for RLS is removed from this very prominent position. Later, in the history section, this is covered in the sentence "The Restless legs syndrome is also known as the Ekbom syndrome, the Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome, or anxietas tibialis.". (this is my first contribution to wikipedia, please forgive me if my procedure or etiquette are poor)

Thank you for pointing that out. I have edited it to make the relationship clearer, but if you feel it remains confusing, be bold. And welcome to Wikipedia. --Arcadian 03:12, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

yes, that's an improvement, thanks.--Grippers 00:20, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Snopes/soap removed

I removed the link to the snopes page regarding soap as a cure. This refers to leg cramps, which is a different problem. Xzqx 20:19, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Actually, it IS a real disease

Those commenters who believe this is not a real disease and those who suffer are "making it up", please see some of the external links, including rls.org. It can be quite a debilitating disease. It sounds silly, but millions of people are not making up these symptoms or complaining about nothing. Xzqx 20:19, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Good for keeping up to date with newresearch in RLS : *Restless Legs Syndrome - new research, news reports, new books