New treatment for restless legs syndrome
NEW YORK, Nov 27, 1998 (Reuters Health) -- Pramipexole, a medication
that was recently approved to treat Parkinson's disease,
may also be effective in treating patients with restless legs syndrome
(RLS), suggests a preliminary trial published in the October
issue of Neurology.
``The excellent improvement of RLS symptoms in this small... study is
encouraging and justifies larger, more carefully controlled
trials to determine better the role of pramipexole in the treatment of
RLS,'' conclude Dr. Philip M. Becker of the Sleep
Medicine Associates of Texas in Dallas and colleagues.
Patients with RLS ``complain of disagreeable limb sensations that cause
an urge to move the legs,'' write the researchers. They
also note that these patients appear restless, and often complain of
sleep disturbance.
The trial included 23 patients at two sites (Dallas and Houston) with
moderate to severe RLS. Patients were treated with
pramipexole for 1 to 5 months. A clinician-administered survey was used
to test response to the drug.
After 4 weeks, 19 patients reported an improvement and ``17 patients
reported that pramipexole provided the best
symptomatic relief for their RLS symptoms at doses that were generally
lower than those used for (Parkinson's disease),'' the
study notes.
However, some patients noted side effects such as trouble digesting,
rapid heartbeat, headache, and sleepiness. Four patients
discontinued treatment.
Current treatment for RLS includes dopaminergic medications such as
levodopa/carbidopa, bromocriptine, and pergolide.
These medications are effective in about 70% to 80% of patients but also
have side effects such as nausea, hypotension, rhinitis
and hallucinations, the researchers note.
According to data cited by the study authors, RLS may affect up to 10%
of the population.
SOURCE: Neurology 1998;51:1221-1223.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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