Brief Answer:
Need more than that for a diagnosis

Detailed Answer:
Good afternoon ma'am. My name is Dr. Saghafi and I'm a neurologist in the XXXXXXX OH area.

I diagnose and manage RLS in many of my patients and can tell you that your symptoms are not consistent with those described by people who actually fulfill the criteria for having the disorder. Having said that, is it possible that what you may have could be the very front end of a problem that has yet to surface fully? Of course, anything is possible but please look a bit further for some additional information that I'd like you to consider as it applies to your circumstance.

RLS is a disorder of sleep. It's referred to as a parasomnia. It is recognized in the vast majority of individuals as occurring exclusively at night-time (or the time just prior to when the patient normally gets ready to go to sleep). If it occurs in people beyond the age of 40 then, it is usually consider the consequence of some medical disorder such as kidney disease, Parkinson's Disease, diabetes, iron deficiency, peripheral neuropathy, and pregnancy. There are other conditions which may precipitate the problem but these are the BIGGIES.

The sensation that is often described is one of an "indescribable urge or need to move the legs about due to the feeling that there is either an inner gnawing or discomfort which simply will not go away....or there are objects on the leg or in the leg, or an irritating creeping or crawling sensation which causes incessant and constant movement to occur." As I said, this typically only happens just before going to sleep and usually results in people thrashing their legs about to the point where they may literally "beat" their partners up in bed. Some couples must even sleep apart because movements can be so frequent and violent.

This problem keeps people from falling asleep for up to hours every night and often causes them to get up and change positions or even pace the floor at until finally, exhaustion takes over and they fall asleep.

And there are more symptoms than what I've described usually required be present before a formal diagnosis is made by clinical criteria.

The most objective way we have to make the diagnosis of RLS is through sleep studies. In the study a phenomenon known as Periodic Leg Movements are measured as well as the time it takes a person to enter into the routine sleep stages as well as number of awakenings based upon the leg movements and with all this information a diagnosis can be made.

If you feel that there is some chance that what I've described fits your situation then, I might suggest you discuss this with your primary doctor and see if they would be in agreement to send you for such a sleep study. At the same time there are some routine and standard blood tests we try and get on all patients since there are things that can masquerade as RLS that really have to do with nutritional deficiencies such as iron, B12, folate, and out of whack thyroid or other hormones. So clearly, other problems have to be ruled out along the way as not being the cause of either the weird leg feelings or the movements and resulting insomnia which follows before a formal diagnosis of RLS can be made.

I hope this information is of help and if so may I please ask for your written feedback and a STAR RATING so that I may know just how well I answered your question?

Also, if there are no further questions after reading this I'd be very appreciative if you could CLOSE THE QUERY on your end. This will alert the network to the fact that I've satisfactorily answered the question and that the case may be filed for future reference or teaching as may be the case.

All the best to you and I do hope your condition can be diagnosed and successfully treated, whatever it may turn out to be.

This case required 26 minutes of physician specific time to review, research, and organize for final draft documentation and envoy.

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