Sleep-Related Leg Cramps: A Review and Suggestions for Future Research.
Various medications and behavioral treatments for sleep-related leg cramps have been tried, but the quality of the evidence is low. Quinine seems to be effective, but dangerous. β-Agonists may be one of the more common causes of secondary leg cramps. Statins may not be implicated in leg cramps as much as has been believed. Potassium-sparing diuretics may have a higher incidence of sleep-related leg cramps than potassium-depleting diuretics. Plantar flexion of the feet may elicit most sleep-related leg cramps. More research into behavioral treatments is needed. A standardized sleep-related leg cramp questionnaire would be useful to expand research.
Sleep Medicine Associates, LLC, Sleep Disorders Center, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, 2 South Hospital Drive, Murphysboro, IL 62966, USA. Electronic address: terry.brown@sih.net.
Terry M
TM
Brown
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009120:Muscle Cramp / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
Children; Continuous positive airway pressure; Elderly; Leg cramps; Pregnancy; Quinine; Sleep; Statins