Restless Legs Syndrome

Pharmacologic Therapy During Pregnancy

None of the drugs used to treat RLS are known to be safe in pregnancy; in many cases, no information at all is available. Nonpharmacologic measures, therefore, are the safest treatments for women who experience RLS during pregnancy. In addition, if such patients are experiencing symptomatic RLS associated with iron, magnesium,22 or folate deficiency,14 appropriate supplementation may be helpful. Obtaining serum ferritin levels in pregnant women with symptoms of RLS may assist in identifying iron deficiency and may guide therapy. Because RLS typically becomes more severe as the pregnancy progresses, drug therapy, if used at all, may often be withheld until the third trimester, at which time such medications have the least risk of causing teratogenic effects. Educating the pregnant woman that RLS is temporary and that symptoms will typically resolve with delivery may allay her concerns.