When Restless Legs Lead to Suicidal Thoughts

Restless legs syndrome is a burden for those who suffer from it. Because it occurs at night, it affects the quality of sleep and, by extension, the quality of life. So much so that he might make the bed of depression and suicidal thoughts.

Stings, burns, tingling, the irrepressible need to move… Restless legs syndrome is manifested by “impatience” (and the word is weak) in the lower limbs. It is a major cause of sleep disorders, with frequent awakenings, insomnia, inability to go back to sleep…

As Yves Dauvilliers, from the Institute of Neurosciences in Montpellier, points out, “those affected are at increased risk of presenting depressive symptoms or having suicidal thoughts, especially those who suffer from insomnia. However, none of the work carried out so far makes it possible to establish precisely the frequency of these complaints, nor the way in which the treatment makes it possible to resolve them..“That is why, together with his team, he carried out the investigation.

After recruiting over 500 patients with Restless Legs Syndrome. They completed questionnaires and attended sessions with a neuropsychologist to assess the existence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. Result: 79% suffered from insomnia, 32.5% had depressive symptoms and 28% had suicidal ideation, compared to 8.3%, 5.5% and 9.5% respectively in a group of unaffected people.

After a year of personalized follow-up, “sleep disorders as well as depressive symptoms had clearly regressed. Unfortunately, the frequency of suicidal ideation remained virtually unchanged.The authors further state that these are “ideas and not suicidal behaviors (…) Acting out remains rare, and certainly multifactorial. However, doctors must be made aware of this risk so that they are vigilant regarding health psychology of their patients. “

What treatment?

Because it is still poorly understood and misdiagnosed, Restless Leg Syndrome can take time to be treated. A few hygiene measures can help you:

• at the first signs, move, get up and walk for a few minutes;
• massage the affected limbs;
• according to your preferences, apply cold or hot compresses to your legs, or relax by taking a hot bath
• do stretching exercises before bed;
• avoid anything that can accentuate the symptoms (e.g. tea, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, etc.)
• maintain a balanced diet;
• engage in regular physical activity.

If these measures prove to be insufficient, your doctor may prescribe a drug from the dopaminergic agonist family. These products compensate for the lack of dopamine (substance allowing the transmission of information in the nervous system), which would promote the appearance of restless legs syndrome.

A noter : Other complications are linked to this syndrome. For example, cardiovascular disorders can appear in the long term. The drop in blood pressure normally seen during sleep does not occur in those whose legs move constantly, day and night.