Improvement of restless legs syndrome by nabat: a case series and new hypotheses for research.

BACKGROUND: Although many hypotheses have been suggested, the pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome (RLS) has not been fully understood. In this case series, we describe eleven cases with RLS whose symptoms subsided by the use of crystallized sucrose. This kind of sugar, known as nabat, is used in traditional Iranian medicine. METHODS: Case series. RESULTS: All patients felt relief 30-60 min after taking 100 grams of dissolved nabat. CONCLUSIONS: Sucrose seems to carry a special benefit for patients with RLS, and it provides evidence for growing literature demonstrating the different underlying mechanisms of RLS. Possible causes for this concurrence are also discussed.