my personal edition > restless legs syndrome > news


  E-Mail this DGNews to a colleague

DGNews

Pregabalin Appears to be a Promising Alternative for the Treatment of RLS

SEATTLE, Wash -- May 5, 2009 -- A drug widely used to treat seizures and anxiety appears to be an effective treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) and helps people with the disorder get a better night's sleep, according to a study that was presented as in a late-breaking abstract at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 61st Annual Meeting.

The 12-week study involved 58 people with RLS. Of the group, 30 people received pregabalin and the rest received placebo. Doses started at 150 mg per day, but could be decreased or increased to a maximum dose of 600 mg/day. Sleep studies were performed at the beginning and end of the research.

Researchers found nearly two-thirds of the people who took pregabalin had no RLS symptoms while taking the drug. For people who still had symptoms, those symptoms had improved by 66% while taking the drug, compared with the placebo group where symptoms worsened by 29%.

Sleep also improved for those taking pregabalin. The study showed the group spent more time in slow wave sleep (stage 3 sleep) and spent less time in the lighter sleep stages (stage 1 or stage 2 sleep) compared with those taking placebo.

"Since RLS symptoms get worse at night, it's difficult for people with RLS to get adequate sleep," said study author Diego Garcia-Borreguero, MD, Sleep Research Institute, Madrid, Spain.

"However, our findings show pregabalin helped people get more deep sleep. The drug was well tolerated and is a promising alternative to current treatments because of its superior effects on quality of sleep."

SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology

E-Mail this DGNews to a colleague

To print, use this version