Table 4.
Recommendation drugs for RLS.
| Drug | Recommendation level |
Average dose (mg/day) | Common side effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-terma | Long-termb | |||||
| Dopaminergic agents | Non-ergot derived | Pramipexole | A | B | 0.125–0.75 | Sleepiness, nausea, and insomnia |
| Ropinirole | A | B | 0.25–4.0 | Nausea, headache, fatigue, dizziness, and vomiting | ||
| Rotigotine | A | B | 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 | Application-site reactions to the patch, nausea, headache, and fatigue | ||
| Ergot derived | Pergolide | Only used in RLS refractory to all other treatments | c | Very serious side effects: fibrosis and valvulopathy | ||
| Cabergoline | ||||||
| Levodopa | A | B | ≤200 | Nausea, augmentation, and loss of efficacy | ||
| α2δagonists | Gabapentin enacarbil | A | A | 600–1800 | Somnolence, dizziness, and headache | |
| Pregabalin | A | d | ≈300 | Dizziness, somnolence, fatigue, and nausea | ||
aShort-term treatment 6 months; bLong-term treatment ≥ 1 year; cNot well-known; dnsufficient evidence.