Does bupropion exacerbate restless leg syndrome?

January 01, 0001

Does bupropion exacerbate restless leg syndrome?

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) can be exacerbated by many antidepressant medications. These US researchers examined whether bupropion, which works via a novel mechanism compared to other antidepressants, would affect RLS symptoms via a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Enrollees had moderate to severe RLS (n=29) and were received either 150 mg sustained-release bupropion daily or placebo. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) severity scale was used to measure symptoms control (lower scores equate with improved symptoms).

The researchers found: "At 3 weeks, IRLSSG scores were 10.8 points lower in the bupropion group and 6.0 points lower in the placebo group. At 6 weeks, IRLSSG scores were 10.4 points lower in the bupropion group and 7.6 points lower in the placebo group. Bupropion was more effective than placebo in the treatment of RLS at 3 weeks. However, this difference was not statistically significant at 6 weeks."

The researchers concluded: "The data from our study suggest that bupropion does not exacerbate the symptoms of RLS and may be a reasonable choice if an antidepressant is needed in individuals with RLS. Larger studies that include titration of bupropion should be considered to determine if bupropion is appropriate for primary treatment of RLS, particularly considering the lower cost and favorable side effect profile compared with currently recommended first-line dopamine agonists."

This small trial found buproprion did not exacerbate RLS symptoms, and may even improve them.


For the full abstract, click here.

The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 24(4):422-428, June 2011 © 2011 American Board of Family Medicine
Bupropion and Restless Legs Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Max Bayard, Beth Bailey, Deep Acharya, et al. Correspondence to Max Bayard: [email protected]

Category: N. Neurological. Keywords: restless leg syndrome, RLS, bupropion, depression, anti-depressant, randomized controlled trial, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 26 July 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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