Abstract Details

The local institution review board approved the study. Retrospective analysis was conducted through medical chart review, collecting initial presenting ferritin values, types of treatment and dosage of medication (including ferrous sulfate and gabapentin) given, and if improvement of symptoms were seen following medical management. Subjects with incomplete information were excluded from the study.

We identified 155 subjects with RLS and/or PLMD of which 59% were diagnosed with RLS, 27% with PLMD, and 5.8% with combined RLS & PLMD. The mean age was 11.7, (Standard Deviation of 4.98) with 53% of female gender. Ferritin value <50 mg/mL were seen in 70% of the subjects. 66 patients were treated with ferrous sulfate supplementation, 15 were treated with gabapentin, and 2 were treated with ferrous sulfate and gabapentin. Long term follow-up was available for 125 patients. Of these patients treated with ferrous sulfate supplementation, 69.7% and with gabapentin, 80% reported improvement in symptoms. Dosages utilized for ferrous sulfate ranged from 220- 325 mg BID, while gabapentin ranged from 100-300mg once daily.

The prevalence of low ferritin values in subjects with RLS and PLMD was considerable. Our preliminary analysis shows that ferrous sulfate supplementation and gabapentin can be utilized to successfully improve the symptoms of leg restlessness during sleep seen in RLS and PLMD. Further prospective studies are needed to identify the ideal dosages for the RLS/PLMD treatment.