VIDEO: Dopamine no longer first-line treatment for restless legs syndrome

INDIANAPOLIS — The guidelines for restless legs syndrome treatment no longer indicate dopamine agonists as a first-line choice, John Winkelman, MD, PhD, says in this Healio video from SLEEP 2023.

First-line treatments now include iron, alpha₂-delta agents or long-acting opioids, Winkelman, chief of the sleep disorders clinical research program at Massachusetts General Hospital, said.

“We have good options in restless legs syndrome, but be very clear, dopamine agonists are not first-line therapy because of the high incidence of augmentation,” he said.