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Question by CASEY F: Can RLS lead to Parkinson’s disease when I get older?
Ok, for the last month I have had uncontrollable muscle spasms in my right leg; especially in the morning. Also, my grandpa died from parkinsons and I have a cousin who has parkinsons. Are my symptoms just restless leg syndrome or the early stages of parkinsons???

BTW, I have not been diagnosed with either condition.

Best answer:

Answer by Mags
Parkinson’s disease has varied onset symptoms but severe muscle spasms are not listed with early symptoms.

Leg Muscle Spasms have fewer symptoms as the muscle tenses from overuse of injury, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, herniated disk, or sports overworking-repetitive stress.
Often stretching will end the spasm. If fluid intake or taking potassium/calcium/magnesium helps, then you are simply dealing with a Charley Horse. You’re in pain and your muscle knots may cause bruising.
If the problem is a herniated disk, you may need an MRI.

Your symptom may not be RLS or PD – probably isn’t. Read on.

While there may be some genetic predisposition or common environmental exposure for Parkinson’s disease in your family, there are some differences in these conditions.

Although both respond to dopamine treatment, there are also differences between them: iron accumulation for in PD and Huntington’s and iron deficiency in RLS.
http://www.rls.org/Document.Doc?&id=711

It is possible for PD patients to have symptoms of RLS but they seem to develop together of PD first and RLS secondly.
From the NIH: “Chronic diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and peripheral neuropathy are associated with RLS. Treating the underlying condition often provides relief from RLS symptoms”

The link below is from a 2002 abstract which you might find reassuring, “Exploring the relationship between Parkinson disease and restless legs syndrome”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11890847

If you are still concerned you might want to check out a copy of “Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders” by Joseh Jankovic and Eduardo Tolosa.

Another comparison marker is olfactory. In PD, loss of sense of smell is not only a symptom but also an early warning marker. In the study referenced below, no such marker was found in RLS.
http://www.websciences.org/cftemplate/NAPS/archives/indiv.cfm?ID=19979154

Here is a link to the Restless Leg Foundation. I chose a page which conects to the genetic marker page.
http://www.rls.org/Page.aspx?pid=543#12

Lastly, read what the National Institutes of Health has to say,
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/detail_restless_legs.htm
From that site here are symptoms of RLS:
“people with RLS feel uncomfortable sensations in their legs, especially when sitting or lying down, accompanied by an irresistible urge to move about. These sensations usually occur deep inside the leg, between the knee and ankle; more rarely, they occur in the feet, thighs, arms, and hands. Although the sensations can occur on just one side of the body, they most often affect both sides”
note: PD almost always begins unilaterally and not bilaterally

In addition:
“symptoms of RLS vary in severity and duration… Mild RLS occurs episodically, with only mild disruption of sleep onset, and causes little distress. In moderately severe cases, symptoms occur only once or twice a week but result in significant delay of sleep onset, with some disruption of daytime function. In severe cases of RLS, the symptoms occur more than twice a week and result in burdensome interruption of sleep and impairment of daytime function.”

Oh yes, a morning charley horse can also be symptomatic of fibromyalgia. It can also be a symptom of peripheral neuropathy.
What is working to stop the spasms?

What do you think? Answer below!

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