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For people living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), life can be more than challenging. A typical day involves constant distractions, difficulty concentrating, trouble completing tasks, and of course, tremendous challenge in just sitting still. As you can imagine, for the adult with ADHD, these and other common symptoms can make maintaining a job nearly impossible. This individual might be in a meeting but because of trouble focusing, miss important details about a project. For the child with ADHD, the classroom can be just as hard. Words spoken by the teacher are not heard, instructions for homework and tests are missed, and then at home, the child is unable to sit still to complete the work. Today, doctors are finding a number of new symptoms, one being restless leg and ADHD.

For people struggling with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), they usually have discomfort in the legs, which occurs during sleep, as well as when being awake. Generally, the only way to relieve the discomfort is by moving about, such as standing, walking, and sometimes stretching, along with some type of stimulation, which might be rubbing the legs. This alone can disrupt a person’s life, making simple things hard. Now, imagine having restless leg and ADHD, a bad combination. With ADHD, you now have the mental aspect to include a lack of concentration, inattentiveness, and impulsivity, which is then coupled with the RLS, making the individual miserable.

While more research about restless leg and ADHD still needs to be done, new studies have been done to try to determine the connection. One such study involved 56 adults with RLS, testing them for ADHD symptoms. These people were then compared to 77 people without RLS. The result showed that 39% of the people in the first group met the criteria for potential ADHD, compared to just 14% from the other group. Additionally, 21% of those showing potential ADHD met criteria for having a “high probability” of ADHD while the second group was just at 4%.

While this test is just one and many more are needed to understand the full effects of restless leg and ADHD, it is the beginning of a possible link. The other interesting thing discovered through this test was that the people with restless legs and ADHD showed worse RLS symptoms than those without ADHD. The latest theory is that leg discomfort coming from restless leg can actually make people more hyperactive, create distraction, and cause insomnia.

Although there is no indication that RLS would lead to ADHD, it does show something interesting. Just as people with RLS and ADHD have enhanced RLS symptoms, the ADHD symptoms could also be enhanced. Another theory being tested is that both restless legs and ADHD are caused by low dopamine in the brain, which is a natural chemical responsible for transmitting signals. When the brain does not produce adequate dopamine levels, movements cannot be controlled normally. To support this particular theory, it has been shown that drugs to promote dopamine in the brain help both restless leg and ADHD symptoms. Therefore, experts are now suggesting that people with RLS should be tested for ADHD and vice versa so that both can be diagnosed and treated effectively.
 

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