Drugs May Help Relieve Restless Legs Syndrome

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from restless legs syndrome may find some relief by taking one of several drugs approved to treat the condition, a new review confirms.

The medications, which include Requip (ropinirole), levodopa, Neurontin (gabapentin) and Lyrica (pregabalin), appear to reduce symptoms of the syndrome in more than 60 percent of patients, researchers report. The first two drugs raise dopamine levels in the body, and the last two drugs reduce the amount of calcium reaching brain cells and trigger the production of other chemicals that help reduce pain. Dopamine is a brain chemical that regulates movement and mood.

"Physicians and patients now have better information on the effectiveness and harms of two types of drug treatments for patients with at least moderately severe restless legs symptoms in which to guide treatment choices," said review author Dr. Timothy Wilt, core investigator at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.

Restless legs syndrome causes a person to feel a powerful urge to move his or her legs. The legs become uncomfortable when lying down or sitting, and the condition can disrupt sleep and take a toll on the quality of life, the researchers said.

One expert, Dr. Martin Niethammer, a neurologist at the Movement Disorders Center of North Shore-LIJ's Cushing Neuroscience Institute in Manhasset, N.Y., said this study is merely a review of the current treatments for restless legs syndrome.

"There is nothing new here at all," he said. "It doesn't add anything to the field."

This is just a compilation of evidence that follows guidelines that have been long established in both Europe and the United States, Niethammer said.

"These are the only treatments approved by the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]," he added.

The report was published in the March 4 online issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Drugs May Help Relieve Restless Legs Syndrome