Has anyone heard about this research? It looks quite significant?
. “Adenosine by the way, regulates the sleepiness associated with prolonged wakefulness,” explains Dr. Ferré. In the cortex, thalamus and other areas of the brain, adenosine modulates homeostatic sleep. Low levels of adenosine receptors could explain the hyperarousal of RLS. “The beauty of the adenosine story is that it connects the hyperarousal symptoms with movement [PLMS],” he says.
“What is really important about our story is that maybe we have found a mechanism – the adenosine system – that links brain iron deficiency to hyperglutamatergic and hyperdopaminergic states.”
This insight can be used to potentially develop RLS treatments that increase the concentration of adenosine to prevent both PLMS and hyperarousal. One such drug is already available clinically: dipyridamole, an antiplatelet drug that protects against stroke and heart attack.
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welschrispy
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That's right, adenosine has been found to affect both glutamate and dopamine which are both associated with RLS. Dealing with the adenosine imbalance then could theoretically replace both dopamine agonists and gabapentinoids.
Dipyridamole is one possible solution and I believe some trials have been carried out with it, although not the full clincial trials that would allow it to be approved for RLS.
It's not without its own issues either so may be no better than the current meds. e.g. it might relieve your RLS but you could bleed to death!
I tried it when the research came out a few years ago. It gave me horrendous headaches & I felt like my body was going to burst from the inside out. More research & suitable dosage info required.
I got a script for diprydiamole from my sleep specialist just to try it. By the time I got around to filling the script, I discovered that it was no longer sold in Australia!! (Little demand for it). I can get it via a special access scheme but am trying something else in the meantime....
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