This is Promising!

[DicCarlson]

Many implications site a gut related event as a possible cause of RLS; and since Parkinson's Disease is a close cousin of RLS - this research is very promising!

neurosciencenews.com/parkin...

[Elsie77]

I agree has made me think more about the food I eat, anyone on a food regime that helps RLS?

[PoorRichard in reply to Elsie77]

Many people on this forum have restricted sugar, alcohol, and other high glycemic carbohydrates and found at least some relief. Eryl has posted about his anti-inflammation diet, which I have (mostly) adopted. Diet definitely can play a role.

[Seaux in reply to Elsie77]

Yes, absolutely. My RLS is much better when I stay on a low histamine food diet. Many RLS sufferers know that fermented foods exacerbate RLS but fermented foods are merely a subgroup of high histamine foods. Therefore they need to try a low histamine diet and see if that doesn't help even more.

[dickJones]

Are there specific studies that identify the gut as a possible source of RLS (and maybe PLMD)?

[DicCarlson in reply to dickJones]

Here is just one...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/215...

[PoorRichard in reply to DicCarlson]

That is a fascinating article. And, it reflects my experience. The irony of this is that my gastrointestinal (GI) specialist prescribed Cymbalta for my gut issues, which, of course, exaccerbated my RLS. Like many doctors, he was dismissive of my RLS flareup and 6 months later suggested I switch to Amitriptyline, which is also contraindicated with RLS. These doctors and their silos... I will send him this article. Who knows, maybe it will stimulate his thinking.

[Munroist in reply to DicCarlson]

The article is interesting, thank you. Many people report onset or worsening of RLS after spinal or neurological trauma which doesn’t seem to fit with this thinking. However there do seem to be multiple factors affecting RLS as evidenced by the many different responses to diet, drugs and other triggers that are reported by fellow sufferers.

[WideBody in reply to DicCarlson]

That conclusion! “(c) SIBO inflammation leads to increased hepcidin and CNS iron deficiency which, in turn, leads to RLS.”

This was published in 2011! I first read about “CNS iron deficiency” as a cause of RLS in 2019 from Dr. S. Ferré! Dr. Ferré, one of the authors of the Dipyridamole papers!

I don’t think SIBO or IBS caused my RLS. I do think RLS is caused by an iron deficiency in the CNS and not just the brain.

[Reb0013 in reply to WideBody]

This is so true; I have read many articles on gut inflammation and the process by which the inflammation affects the CNS triggering RLS. Again, not necessarily the root of the problem but it can cause, trigger or make worse the RLS. I had a Heliobacter pylori stomach infection which drove my RLS to orbit; the worst ever. Saw an internist who put me on an antibiotic treatment for the H Pylori and my RLS calmed down at least by 70%. I also now try to follow a diet called FODMAP that has helped me considerably. It is a process of eliminating one food at a time to see what helps. I identified onions, mushrooms and tomato sauce as being triggers for my RLS.

[Bluebboat]

Yes thank you for posting this. Will be following this with interest. Is does increasingly look like the whole mystery of this disease may be centred in the gut. I have just read Dr William Davis’s latest book Super Gut where he discusses the microbiome and how to improve it. This might be why a strict anti inflammatory diet helps.

[Tanker1]

Thanks. Very interesting. If they are just applying for FDA approval for clinical testing I suppose it will be years before this gets to market; assuming it works.

[SueJohnson]

In reading the article, it is in effect producing what levodopa, a dopamine agonist, would produce so would that also lead to augmentation?

[LotteM in reply to SueJohnson]

Good question Sue. I wondered the same. I think we should be wary and keep our eyes and mind wide open.

[Hidden in reply to SueJohnson]

Taken from the introduction to the article:"Preclinical tests show that the new treatment approach is not only safe and well-tolerated but also eliminates side effects that eventually develop when L-DOPA is taken orally."

I'm curious about the wording of 'side effects that eventually' develop.

Could one such side effect be augmentation? Having said that, i don't know whether L-dopa causes augmentation in Parkinson's patients.

I do know that it can cause long term complications like motor fluctuations and dyskinesias in that cohort.

I guess we just need to wait until more information becomes available.

[SueJohnson in reply to Hidden]

In this article, the side effect mentioned was dyskinesias. newatlas.com/medical/bacter...

[Hidden]

Thanks for sharing this article.Regardless of whether this particular probiotic bacteria will/can/should be used for/by RLS and PLMD sufferers, it's very exciting to know that probiotics such as these are being developed as alternative therapies.

[Seaux]

Yes Yes Yes!! My RLS is much better when I stay on a low histamine food diet!

[LoisTonya]

I had four courses of antibiotics straight after each other. As I knew antibiotics damage gut bacteria I ate plenty of live yoghourt. It made me feel sick so I bought sone probiotic pills. When I took those my RLS were dreadful. On looking it up I discovered that a small number of people have SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth and this causes restless legs)- quite a new idea for me but it certainly fits my experience.

[MumofSam]

I’ve had RLS my entire life, so just over 60 years so far. I’ve never found any correlation between diet and my RLS.

[Reb0013]

This is interesting; thank you for sharing!

[KickininAz]

Very interesting...thank you for sharing. I sure hope they can get this genetically designed probiotic working and available soon