Question:
A woman develops pain and a crawling sensation in her legs at night, with a clinical history of restless leg syndrome. What is the drug of choice?
A woman develops pain and a crawling sensation in her legs at night, with a clinical history of restless leg syndrome. What is the drug of choice?
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Which FDA-approved dopamine agonist tops the RLS list?
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Pramipexole
- Gabapentin
- Vitamin B12
- Iron tablets
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Answer: Pramipexole.
Step 1: Restless leg syndrome (RLS) gives a creepy-crawly sensation in the limbs and an irresistible urge to move the legs, worst at rest and at night, relieved by movement. The constant urge disturbs sleep and causes insomnia.
Step 2: The classic drugs of choice are dopamine agonists, mainly pramipexole and ropinirole, both FDA approved for RLS.
Step 3: Gabapentin (gabapentin enacarbil) is an alternative or second-line agent, useful when there is associated pain, but it is not the first choice asked here. Iron is given only when there is documented iron deficiency, and vitamin B12 is not a standard RLS treatment.
Step 4: So the drug of choice is the dopamine agonist pramipexole. Ref: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11e, p.559.
Step 1: Restless leg syndrome (RLS) gives a creepy-crawly sensation in the limbs and an irresistible urge to move the legs, worst at rest and at night, relieved by movement. The constant urge disturbs sleep and causes insomnia.
Step 2: The classic drugs of choice are dopamine agonists, mainly pramipexole and ropinirole, both FDA approved for RLS.
Step 3: Gabapentin (gabapentin enacarbil) is an alternative or second-line agent, useful when there is associated pain, but it is not the first choice asked here. Iron is given only when there is documented iron deficiency, and vitamin B12 is not a standard RLS treatment.
Step 4: So the drug of choice is the dopamine agonist pramipexole. Ref: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11e, p.559.
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