COMPARISON OF GABAPENTIN VERSUS FOLIC ACID EFFECT ON RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME TREATMENT ON HEMODIALYSIS PATIENT

Restless leg syndrome is a common sensorimotor disorder characterized by
unpleasant sensation in the legs especially during rest and inactivity. This is a common complication
among patients with end stage renal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of folic
acid and its comparison with gabapentin in treatment of restless leg syndrome in hemodialysis patients.
Materials & Methods: This study was performed as a double-blind randomized clinical trials study and
30 patients undergoing regularly hemodialysis were selected. All of them had diagnostic criteria
developed by international restless leg syndrome study group. The patients were divided randomly into
two groups and treated with gabapentin and folic acid for 8 weeks. The severity of syndrome in both of
them was evaluated by IRLSSG questionnaire before and after the intervention and eventually
information were analyzed by SPSS software.
Results: Paired t-test results showed a significant difference between the mean IRLS before and after
taking both drugs. The average IRLS score significantly decreased after taking these drugs. The result
of independent t-test did not show significant difference in reduction IRLS score between gabapentin
and acid folic (p>0.05). As a result the effect of the two drugs in reducing IRLS score was not
significantly different.
Conclusion: Folic acid as a cheap and safe drugs can be used as the main treatment or complement other
treatments in hemodialysis patients with RLS.