title: A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial to compare the efficacy and tolerability of fixed doses of ropinirole, bupropion, and iron in treatment of restless legs syndrome (Willis-Ekbom disease).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to compare the efficacy of fixed doses of bupropion and ropinirole and iron alone for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and to look for the tolerability of these medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with RLS were randomly divided into three groups with thirty patients in each group (Group A: Bupropion [300 mg/day], Group B: Ropinirole [0.25-0.5 mg/day], and Group C: Oral iron [150 mg elemental iron] along with folic acid [500 μg]). Each participant was then assessed for severity of RLS, as well as RLS-related quality at the baseline, and thereafter, every 14thday till 6 weeks based on the International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) severity rating scale and Restless Legs Syndrome Quality of Life (RLSQoL) Questionnaire, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IRLS scores differed significantly from baseline visit to last (F= 4.85;P= 0.01). The interaction between the time x treatment group was significant (F= 10.37;P< 0.001) showing an improvement with the therapy in all the groups. Pair-wise comparison depicted that ropinirole group differed from other two groups in IRLS score (F= 7.06;P= 0.001), which were comparable to each other. Regarding quality of life of these cases, within each group scores differed among all the four visits (F= 5.12;P= 0.002). Unlike IRLS, there was no significant difference among the RLSQOL scores between groups at any point of time (F= 1.2;P= 0.28).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RLS severity decreased across time in all three groups; however, the ropinirole treatment was better than the bupropion and iron-folate therapy. Moreover, RLS-related quality of life although improved among all groups, it was comparable among three groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India; Department of Pharmacology, TMMC and RC, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Kirti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vishwakarma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: Juhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Sleep Clinic, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, TMMC and RC, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Mukesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: Taruna
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: Bupropion; Willis-Ekbom disease; efficacy; restless legs syndrome; ropinirole; tolerability