Is It RLS/WED? Or Something Else? Or both?
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 12:31 am
Now that we know a lot more about RLS and both doctors and patients are more aware of it because of the availability of pharma drugs, we're also more likely to get misdiagnosed.
There are several other conditions that are very similar and if a doctor of patient isn't aware of the subteties, it it easy to think it's RLS when it's something else. Here are two articles that illustrate this:
http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/restless ... le/402886/
http://www.news-press.com/story/life/we ... /70284578/
We've had several people here who had neuropathy instead of RLS, and some who had neuropathy AND RLS. It can be hard to tease these apart.
And, if the article on venous insufficiency is correct, it can absolutely mimic RKS. Here is more information that says the same thing: http://www.veincenternorthtexas.com/rls-treatment.html. A quote from the site: "It is becoming more apparent that, in an unknown percentage of RLS cases, the symptoms are secondary to underlying venous disease. Many of these patients have subtle physical findings not likely to be discovered with a cursory physical examination. RLS patients should therefore be properly evaluated for venous insufficiency by a vascular ultrasound technician familiar with the nuances superficial venous reflux (not simply the standard DVT evaluation). Any RLS patient found to have arborizing telangiectasias, varicose veins, or venous insufficiency should be referred to an experienced phlebologist (refer to http://www.phlebology.org to find a phlebologist in your area) for appropriate evaluation and treatment."
RLS can occur as a secondary condition to peripheral neuropathy, too. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695234/
There are several other conditions that are very similar and if a doctor of patient isn't aware of the subteties, it it easy to think it's RLS when it's something else. Here are two articles that illustrate this:
http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/restless ... le/402886/
http://www.news-press.com/story/life/we ... /70284578/
We've had several people here who had neuropathy instead of RLS, and some who had neuropathy AND RLS. It can be hard to tease these apart.
And, if the article on venous insufficiency is correct, it can absolutely mimic RKS. Here is more information that says the same thing: http://www.veincenternorthtexas.com/rls-treatment.html. A quote from the site: "It is becoming more apparent that, in an unknown percentage of RLS cases, the symptoms are secondary to underlying venous disease. Many of these patients have subtle physical findings not likely to be discovered with a cursory physical examination. RLS patients should therefore be properly evaluated for venous insufficiency by a vascular ultrasound technician familiar with the nuances superficial venous reflux (not simply the standard DVT evaluation). Any RLS patient found to have arborizing telangiectasias, varicose veins, or venous insufficiency should be referred to an experienced phlebologist (refer to http://www.phlebology.org to find a phlebologist in your area) for appropriate evaluation and treatment."
RLS can occur as a secondary condition to peripheral neuropathy, too. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695234/