Cabergoline may be effective in treating restless legs syndrome, a pilot study suggests.
Dr Karin Stiasny (department of neurology, Philipps university, Marburg, Germany) and colleagues conducted a 12-week open trial in nine patients with restless legs syndrome. The patients, aged between 38 and 64, had been insufficiently treated with levodopa, which is currently used for restless legs syndrome. Patients received cabergoline, which they could increase in steps of 0.5mg if symptoms had not improved.
At the end of the study, patients were on a mean dose of 2.1mg cabergoline. Polysomnographic tests showed that cabergoline was beneficial in reducing the total number of periodic leg movements, increasing total sleep time and increasing "sleep efficiency". Patients rated the severity of illness to be less pronounced with cabergoline monotherapy and physicians also reported improvements in patient's conditions. There were no serious side effects but mild to moderate adverse events, such as vertigo, dizziness and headache were reported. Augmentation, which is an increase in symptoms, can occur with levodopa therapy but was not observed in this study. The researchers conclude that cabergoline is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of restless legs syndrome, including for those patients with severe symptoms and those who develop augmentation with levodopa therapy.
Restless legs syndrome is characterised by a desire to move the legs. Symptoms include pain, tingling and crawling sensations in the skin and periodic leg movements (repetitive jerking of the legs) which can interfere with sleep. Symptoms are present, or may worsen, at rest and at night and relief may occur with activity (Sleep 2000;23:349).
Cabergoline is currently licensed in the UK for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and hyperprolactinaemic disorders.