Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To review the literature on drug-induced restless legs syndrome (DI-RLS).
DATA SOURCES
The review included a search for English-language literature from 1966 to December 2017 in the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Ovid databases using the following search terms: restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movement, adverse effects, and drug-induced. In addition, background articles on the pathophysiology, etiology, and epidemiology of RLS were retrieved. Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations.
STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION
All case reports, case series, and review articles of DI-RLS were identified and analyzed. There were only a small number of controlled clinical trials, and most data were from case reports and case series.
RESULTS
Several drugs and drug classes have been implicated in DI-RLS, with antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antiepileptics having the most evidence. In addition, RLS may be linked with a number of disorders or underlying predisposing factors as well.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of RLS is variable and ranges from 3% to 19% in the general population. There are many predisposing factors to RLS, but an emerging body of evidence suggests that there is an association between numerous drugs and RLS.
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