Restless legs syndrome associated with use of stevia nonnutritive sweetener

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensorimotor movement disorder affecting an estimated 15% to 20% of the general adult population in the US. Several drugs and drug classes have been shown to either cause and/or exacerbate symptoms of RLS. 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 RLS symptoms with the use of stevia extract based no calorie sweetener. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of RLS possibly associated with low or no calorie sweetener use.

Keywords: RLS; dopamine; obesity; restless legs syndrome; stevia.