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Restless legs syndrome successfully treated with trazodone

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Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is sometimes refractory to drug treatment with benzodiazepines, opioids, or dopaminergic agents. Few reports exist in the literature concerning the effect of antidepressants on RLS. Among the antidepressants, trazodone is reported to increase slow-wave sleep. We report on an elderly patient with RLS whose symptoms did not respond to several previous medications. He was treated with trazodone 100 mg h.s. in addition to clonazepam. Trazodone induced obvious improvement of RLS symptoms in the patient. Trazodone demonstrated favorable effects on all sleep complications of RLS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Yusuke Hasegawa, Kenji Emori & Masayoshi Kurachi

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Koseiren Namerikawa Hospital, Toyama, Japan

    Michio Suzuki & Masayoshi Kurachi

Authors
  1. Yusuke Hasegawa
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  2. Kenji Emori
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  3. Michio Suzuki
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  4. Masayoshi Kurachi
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Correspondence to Yusuke Hasegawa.

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Hasegawa, Y., Emori, K., Suzuki, M. et al. Restless legs syndrome successfully treated with trazodone. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 2, 65–66 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2003.00065.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2003.00065.x

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