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Drug Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome in Older Adults

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Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) has a high prevalence in the elderly and can impact sleep quality and sleep quantity, reduce quality of life (QoL), and increase the risk of falls during episodes of night-time ambulation. In patients unable to verbalize their sensory symptoms, certain behavioral cues may help with the diagnosis. A state of brain iron deficiency could play a central role in the pathophysiology of RLS and be upstream to a series of dysfunctions that are not limited to the dopaminergic system. Management should initially emphasize lifestyle modifications and reduction of all possible iatrogenic contributors while maintaining a state of normal–high peripheral iron stores. Oral iron, in patients with ferritin levels < 75 μg/dL, appears to be effective, although iron infusions should be considered when more immediate benefit or oral iron have not been effective. When other attempts fail and patients continue to experience chronic RLS symptoms substantially interfering with QoL, pharmacological agents may present a favorable benefit versus risk profile. Such agents may include α-2-δ drugs or dopaminergic agents, after careful consideration of the risk of RLS augmentation with the latter class. In patients with established RLS augmentation from the use of dopaminergic drugs, the addition of α-2-δ agents or low-dose opioids, with subsequent slow tapering of dopaminergic agents, is recommended. With any of these agents, caution should be made with regard to the risk of drug–drug interactions and altered pharmacokinetics in this fragile population. Although showing excellent long-term safety data in non-elderly adults with RLS, studies are needed to ascertain that such treatments are effective and well tolerated in older adults.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Emmanuel H. During

  2. Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Emmanuel H. During

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Bowdoin Square, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    John W. Winkelman

  4. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Bowdoin Square, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    John W. Winkelman

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  1. Emmanuel H. During
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Correspondence to John W. Winkelman.

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Conflicts of interest

John W. Winkelman reports research support from Merck, National Institute of Mental Health, the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation, and American Regent, and was a consultant for, or received honoraria from, Merck, Advance Medical, and UpToDate. Emmanuel H. During reports no conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

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During, E.H., Winkelman, J.W. Drug Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome in Older Adults. Drugs Aging 36, 939–946 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-019-00698-1

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