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Schulte, E.C. ; Gross, N.* ; Slawik, H.* ; Winkelmann, J.

When restless legs syndrome turns malignant.

Sleep Med. 14, 575-577 (2013)
DOI PMC
Open Access Green as soon as Postprint is submitted to ZB.
Usually symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) respond well to treatment with dopaminergic drugs, opiates, or anticonvulsant medications. Yet sometimes symptoms can be severe and become refractory, even to high-dose combination therapy. Here we present two cases of familial RLS with rigorous and unusual motor and sensory symptoms in the form of episodes of myoclonic hyperkinesias and painful sensations in addition to more characteristic features of RLS. Stepwise reduction of all RLS-and antidepressant medication down to opiate monotherapy-and subsequent opiate rotation led to an improvement of symptoms. Yet in both cases, reintroduction of low-dose dopaminergic drugs was necessary to achieve satisfactory treatment effect. We have termed this form of RLS refractory to multiple combinations of all classes of commonly used drugs malignant RLS. Therapeutically simplification and reduction of the drug scheme and opiate rotation should be considered in malignant RLS.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Corresponding Author
Keywords Restless legs syndrome; Malignant restless legs syndrome; Paroxysmal myoclonic attacks; Opiate rotation; De-escalation of therapy; Multidrug therapy; DOUBLE-BLIND; AUGMENTATION; TRAMADOL; PLACEBO
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1389-9457
e-ISSN 1878-5506
Journal Sleep Medicine
Quellenangaben Volume: 14, Issue: 6, Pages: 575-577 Article Number: , Supplement: ,
Publisher Elsevier
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed