Restless legs syndrome associated with use of stevia nonnutritive sweetener

Abstract

Restless legs syndrome is a common sensorimotor movement disorder affecting an estimated 15–20% of the general adult population in the United Sates. Several drugs and drug classes have been shown to either cause and/or exacerbate symptoms of restless legs syndrome. With the epidemic of obesity and the heightened awareness of the harmful effects of added sugars, the consumption of low and no-calorie sweeteners has substantially increased. We report a case where the patient developed restless legs syndrome symptoms with the use of a stevia extract–based no calorie sweetener. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of restless legs syndrome possibly associated with low or no-calorie sweetener use.