Is RLS a symptom of Parkinson's Disease? - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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Is RLS a symptom of Parkinson's Disease?

ldq1997 profile image
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ldq1997
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18 Replies

no its not, two different things altogether :)

ldq1997 profile image
ldq1997

Then, I wonder why Parkinson's drugs appear to be so often prescribed for RLS.

as they are both neurological illnesses, and they dont had any drugs for rls, so we get given them

in reply to

its to do with the lack of dopamine in our brain, as similar thing to PD, but we are not the same

ldq1997 profile image
ldq1997

Has anyone ever tried using mucuna bean extract, which is a natural source of L-Dopa? It is not associated with the horrendous side effects which often accompany Parkinson's drugs. Similarly, Co-Enzyme Q10 and fish oil are popular Parkinson's remedies among those who wish to avoid toxic prescription drugs, and might also help with RLS. Long-term use of synthetic (prescription) Levodopa augments the symptoms of Parkinson's like dyskensia, so I imagine that long-term use of Parkinson's prescription drugs for RLS probably isn't gong to do any good either.

I have PD but also I think restless leg syndrome is also part and parcel of the complaint

It can also happen that other parts of the body are affected too

eileen49 profile image
eileen49

we all have lack of dopamine in the brain (allegedly) but the symptoms are slightly different - PD sufferers tend to shake a lot and RLS have the irritable arms and legs and have to keep moving but we are usually on the same meds..

People who have Parkinson's can develope RLS not the other way round.

Idq1997, Parkinson's Disease, is caused by lack of dopamine, as far as i know that isnt brain damage, as you have stated in your profile.

I am sure anyone who has both Parkinson's and RLS who is a member of this forum, will explain better than i can.

The Parkinson's medications are used for RLS, as RLS is also connected to lack of dopamine. The medications are used at a much lower dose for RLS than for PD.

RLS, is a complex condition, and many people cant take the PD meds. and have to find another medication to help and relief their symptoms. Everyone reacts differently to medications, and people take what they find which will let them sleep at night, and will give them the least side effects, whether that be the PD meds or another type of med. But PD and RLS, are both completely different conditions.,

ldq1997 profile image
ldq1997 in reply to

Yes, Parkinson's disease is caused by a lack of dopamine, but dopamine is made in the substantia nigra section of the brain. If the substantia nigra is damaged in a brain injury, then Parkinson's disease results. If the substantia nigra is not damaged, the the brain damage does not cause Parkinson's Disease but causes a condition called Parkinsonism instead. Surely you have heard of Mohammed Ali whose Parkinson's results from brain damage suffered as a boxer. He has contributed millions of dollars for research into Parkinson's. Wikipedia says this about the connection between dopamine and the substantia nigra: "Parkinson's disease is characterized by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.", a section of the brain..

in reply to

perfectly put Elisse :)

ookla profile image
ookla

What I wonder is... if this condition has more to do with our brain than our legs, what if we didn't have legs? Would we still feel phantom symptoms?

in reply to ookla

RLS is neurological, so yes its the brain... If we didnt have legs, you can have phantom symptoms. So, i would rather keep my legs, so i can pace when my RLS gives me a hard time. Why it travels to the legs, i cant say, but many get the symptoms, in the arms and torso.

ookla profile image
ookla in reply to

omg... the first night I stopped the nupro patch i thought i was going crazy... my arms were out of control... i had to go back on tramadol for a week until the arm augmentation went away

in reply to ookla

When you stopped the neupro patch, you would have been getting withdrawal from the dopamine, the body gets used to the dopamine, take it away and the dopamine receptors go mad...causing the RLS to go mad aswell... Thats what usually happens.

in reply to

perfectly said again :)

Seventy profile image
Seventy

Hi,

I have Fibromyalgia and I know that RLS is one of the symptoms.

Best wishes to all.

in reply to Seventy

RLS is not a symptom of fibro, it's just a lot of us that have RLS also have fibro, they seem connected together, but just because you have fibro, it does not mean you will get RLS

Cinderella63 profile image
Cinderella63

I am a new comer to this site and I'm finding it very helpful to read all messages.As I have Parkinson's and.suffer rls .

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