Anyone tried "sclerotherapy"?

[RLSNona]

I googled treatments for RLS and came up with a vein specialist who says that a procedure called "sclerotherapy" can help RLS. It is usually cosmetic, but if an ultrasound says that it would benefit RLS, it is covered by insurance. Wondering if anyone has tried this procedure or knows anything about it?

[ChrisColumbus]

I know that sclerotherapy has been used for treatment of varicose veins, but not sure whether it's been used in the UK for RLS. It certainly has been in the US at least.

I thought that someone had mentioned the procedure on this forum, but if so I can't now find the reference...

You may have already seen this study which reports positively on using endovenous RF ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for RLS

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Hidden in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Hi, ChrisColumbus. Not sure if you had me in mind, but in one of my initial posts in which I questioned whether RLS was, in fact, a movement (neurologic) disorder, I mentioned that a highly competent internist with whom I consulted (prior to the later formal diagnosis of RLS as a neurologic disorder) suggested that the cause of my RLS was "varicese" (vaircose veins).

A follow-up exam with an equally as competent internist in the same firm dismissed the varicese theory altogether noting that there was nothing wrong with my circulation (confirmed later by a cardiologist) so I never pursued. I think that the presence of leg hair was among the factors ruling against the "varicese" theory.

Still, the fact that my symptoms sometimes are eased by elevating my legs upward at about a 45 degree angle does suggest that circulation may be a factor.

Be well.

[ChrisColumbus in reply to Hidden]

I don't think that it was you that I had in mind, but I'm stumped as to who it was....(I do agree that there are circulatory elements in at least some cases of RLS, including mine. It's not the whole story in mine: I certainly have diet and med triggers, and oral magnesium helps - whereas oral iron didn't- for whatever reason ....)

[Hidden in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Thanks, ChrisColumbus. En route to my doctor shortly. Hopefully, news will be favorable. Be well.

[LanaCSR]

I actually did have circulation problems in my legs. So the vein specialist did an ultrasound to confirm it and performed the procedure on my legs. It treated the circulation problems, but, unfortunately, it didn't do anything for my RLS. 😥

[ChrisColumbus in reply to LanaCSR]

☹.

[RLSNona in reply to LanaCSR]

thanks for the info.....sounded too good to be true!

[ChrisColumbus in reply to RLSNona]

But you'll have noted in the 35 patients with superficial venous reflux and RLS treated in the study above, there was overall a "63% decrease in (RLS) symptoms. Ten patients (29%) had a follow-up score of 0, indicating complete relief of RLS symptoms. Twenty patients (57%) had decreased IRLS scores of 10 points or more (i.e. 1 grade level of severity). Six patients had no improvement" (I note that 10+20+6 patients = 36 and not 35....)

So it worked well for some, and in part for most others treated. (There is more detail on who it worked for, and to what degree, in the report)

[Merny5]

it did nothing for me

[Zurp111]

Didn't do anything for me unfortunately...

[Jelbea]

I had sclerotherapy to treat a varicose vein which had had a large thrombosis the previous year. Although it is unusual I developed a pulmonary embolus within a week of sclerotherapy so not without problems!

[Joe2528]

I tried it about 7 years ago after seeing a commerical. The doctor said oh yes you have some problems and they will definitly help. I gave them 1500.00 cash because they did not take insurance and it did nothing.