In Part III of this three-part series, we address why opioid treatment is lower risk for those with restless legs syndrome (RLS) compared to other uses an what can be done by patients and clinicians to lower the risk even further.

Last week in Part I, we laid the groundwork for understanding the definitions of the terms related to “addiction” such as dependence and abuse and how it may manifest with opioid use in the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). In this blog, we will focus on the data showing that for RLS, these risks are low.

The concerns about opioids in the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) can be asked many different ways: If I start taking opioids, will I ever be able to stop? Will I get addicted? This blog assesses the risks of abuse and dependence with opioid therapy for RLS.

‘Twas an immaculate fall day on Capitol Hill a few weeks ago. With sunny skies and temperatures approaching 70, it seemed like the perfect October Monday to advocate for those who experience restless legs syndrome (RLS). This was my first experience going to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation.

The PSG is exactly where the money is for the typical insurance-based sleep center, so you better believe this is a very large reason for why so many PSGs are ordered. As you can imagine, with money involved, the ordering of the PSG does not always overlap with the need for one. This blog explores the actual medical reasons why you may need an overnight sleep study.

Opioids are the oldest described treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) but remain among the most powerful to fight the plague of augmentation from dopamine agonists. Opioids have their risks, side effects, and downsides, so this blog attempts to summarize the ten main ones if opioids are needed in the treatment of RLS.

Returning this week from the Associated Professional Sleep Societies’ (APSS) annual conference, SLEEP 2023, I will review a handful of topics I found interesting from this year’s largest meeting on sleep and circadian rhythms.

With the indifference from the insurance-based medical system to restless legs syndrome (RLS), the lack of up-to-date knowledge of the recommended (and not recommended) treatments, and the multitude of side effects and potential risks from prescription medications, it is no wonder why many RLS patients are turning to “natural” or “herbal” remedies. Some RLS patients have resorted to kratom, an herbal product originating in Southeast Asia, for relief of RLS symptoms when the U.S. allopathic medical system has failed them. Unfortunately, in the case of kratom, RLS patients may find that the risks of kratom use far outweigh the short-term relief in symptoms; the supposedly safer herbal remedy may be far more problematic than the big bad prescription drugs.

In some ways, the commonly prescribed painkiller tramadol may actually be a wolf in sheep’s clothing when it comes to the long-term treatment of RLS. This blog explores why this medication with opioid properties may backfire as an alternative to true opioids when it comes to RLS.

In the backdrop of drug-related deaths and the explosion of healthcare through telemedicine, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released a proposal for increased regulations on the prescribing of controlled substances by healthcare providers. This blog addresses Docket No. DEA–407 and its potential impact on the practice of sleep medicine in the United States. 

Narcolepsy type 1 (narcolepsy with cataplexy) has a well known biological cause and specific and objective clinical testing. Why is it then that the majority of patients are misdiagnosed with this condition? Part II of this blog addresses reasons 8-15.

Narcolepsy type 1 (narcolepsy with cataplexy) has a well known biological cause and specific and objective clinical testing. Why is it then that the majority of patients are misdiagnosed with this condition? Part I of this blog addresses 15 reasons.

Opioids have become increasingly needed for moderate-to-severe RLS. Why is it that many patients with RLS find it hard to find doctors willing to prescribe them? Here we will assess the numerous reasons for opioid hesitancy among medical professionals.

For more than two decades now, iron supplementation–either by mouth or through an IV–has been shown to help improve the condition in a slight majority of patients with RLS. Here I discuss the forms of IV iron from my vantage point.

Here is the summary of five interesting things learned at this year’s MASM Annual Fall Conference 2022

Unfortunately, like in NT2, the diagnosis of this condition is largely based on a highly flawed test, the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), so if the condition does exist, the majority diagnosed with the condition don’t have it.

Unlikely. Narcolepsy type 2 is a condition created from an abnormal test result, rather than originating from scientific discovery of a biological process. This can lead to labeling a person with a misleading diagnostic term and delay the help derived from addressing the true underlying causes of their symptoms.  

Does Periodic Limb Movement Disorder Exist? Unlikely. In medicine, there is often a tendency to pathologize everything…Periodic limb movements in sleep are common and not necessarily pathological, at least in and of themselves.

However expected the disruption would be, some effort to protect your sleep may help with recovery quite substantially–whether you are hospitalized due to surgery or an infection. Here are some tips for preserving sleep: