Dopaminergic Augmentation in Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease: Identification and Management. 2015

Diego García-Borreguero
Sleep Research Institute, Paseo de la Habana 151, 28036 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: dgb@iis.es.

Augmentation is the main clinical complication of long-term dopaminergic treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS)/Willis-Ekbom disease and also the main reason for treatment failure of this class of drugs. It involves an increase in the severity (or frequency) of RLS symptoms during treatment. There is some preliminary evidence that the incidence of augmentation is higher when short-acting dopamine agonists are used. Prevention strategies include managing lifestyle changes and keeping dopaminergic load low. This might include, whenever feasible, to postpone any dopaminergic medication and perform a treatment trial with nondopaminergic agents (ie, alpha-2 delta ligand) first. Treatment of augmentation might require switching to longer-acting dopaminergic agents, to alpha-2 delta ligands or to opiates.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D012148 Restless Legs Syndrome A disorder characterized by aching or burning sensations in the lower and rarely the upper extremities that occur prior to sleep or may awaken the patient from sleep. Restless Leg Syndrome,Restless Legs,Willis Ekbom Disease,Willis Ekbom Syndrome,Willis-Ekbom Disease,Willis-Ekbom Syndrome,Wittmaack Ekbom Syndrome,Wittmaack-Ekbom Syndrome,Disease, Willis Ekbom,Disease, Willis-Ekbom,Syndrome, Restless Leg,Syndrome, Willis Ekbom,Syndrome, Willis-Ekbom,Syndrome, Wittmaack Ekbom,Syndrome, Wittmaack-Ekbom
D004357 Drug Synergism The action of a drug in promoting or enhancing the effectiveness of another drug. Drug Potentiation,Drug Augmentation,Augmentation, Drug,Augmentations, Drug,Drug Augmentations,Drug Potentiations,Drug Synergisms,Potentiation, Drug,Potentiations, Drug,Synergism, Drug,Synergisms, Drug
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015259 Dopamine Agents Any drugs that are used for their effects on dopamine receptors, on the life cycle of dopamine, or on the survival of dopaminergic neurons. Dopamine Drugs,Dopamine Effect,Dopamine Effects,Dopaminergic Agents,Dopaminergic Drugs,Dopaminergic Effect,Dopaminergic Effects,Agents, Dopamine,Agents, Dopaminergic,Drugs, Dopamine,Drugs, Dopaminergic,Effect, Dopamine,Effect, Dopaminergic,Effects, Dopamine,Effects, Dopaminergic
D019468 Disease Management A broad approach to appropriate coordination of the entire disease treatment process that often involves shifting away from more expensive inpatient and acute care to areas such as preventive medicine, patient counseling and education, and outpatient care. This concept includes implications of appropriate versus inappropriate therapy on the overall cost and clinical outcome of a particular disease. (From Hosp Pharm 1995 Jul;30(7):596) Disease Managements,Management, Disease,Managements, Disease

Related Publications

Diego García-Borreguero
September 2015, Sleep medicine clinics,
Diego García-Borreguero
September 2015, Sleep medicine clinics,
Diego García-Borreguero
September 2015, La Revue du praticien,
Diego García-Borreguero
September 2015, Sleep medicine,
Diego García-Borreguero
September 2015, Sleep medicine clinics,
Diego García-Borreguero
September 2015, Sleep medicine clinics,
Diego García-Borreguero
April 2014, International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England),
Diego García-Borreguero
September 2018, Sleep medicine clinics,
Diego García-Borreguero
July 2014, The Journal of clinical psychiatry,
Copied contents to your clipboard!