Treatment of restless legs syndrome with acetyl-DL-leucine – accidental findings and a small case series.

[pattismith]

Treatment of restless legs syndrome with acetyl-DL-leucine – accidental findings and a small case series.​

• March 2021

Backround and aims

Despite various therapeutic options, restless legs syndrome (RLS) is still often difficult to treat.

While evaluating the effects of the modified amino acid acetyl-DL-leucine (AL) - which normalizes membrane potential - in various muscles diseases we realized that it had a significant effect on RLS in a patient with myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2).

Based on this accidental finding, four other patients were also treated.

Methods

We evaluated in a prospective observational case series of 4 patients (2 with DM2, 1 with McArdle myopathy, and 1 with RLS of unknown etiology; 2 females: age 59, age 72, 1 male: age 73.

The effects of AL (dosage 2-5 g/d) on the severity using the International RLS Severity Scale (IRLS).

Results

Before treatment the median IRLS was 36, 32 and 34.

During treatment for at least 2 weeks the IRLS decreased to 8,8,10 xx.

AL was very well tolerated as in previous studies.

Conclusions

Based on an accidental and unexpected finding in one patient we could demonstrate in a total of 4 patients that this simple molecule significantly improved RLS, probably by normalizing neuronal membrane potential.
This small observational study has several methodological shortcomings: low number of individuals, not placebo-controlled, and no dose finding.
Therefore, the effects have to be tested in a larger group of patients with various types of RLS and the specific mode of action of AL has to be evaluated.


https://www.researchgate.net/public...-_accidental_findings_and_a_small_case_series

 

[Mary]

@pattismith - do you know if acetyl-dl-leucine is something someone could just buy over the counter? I did a brief search and could not find it.

It's interesting to me because I've had such good results with branched chain amino acids, which include leucine, though not acetyl-dl-leucine. They've cut my PEM recovery time in half.

 

[andyguitar]

do you know if acetyl-dl-leucine is something someone could just buy over the counter? I did a brief search and could not find it.

Goes under the name of Tanganil as a medicine.

 

[kangaSue]

Iron supplementation can sometimes be all it takes to improve symptoms of RLS
https://www.health.harvard.edu/dise...ssing-this-simple-treatment-for-restless-legs

 

[kushami]

I love “accidental findings”.

I hope they can do a proper study soon.

The ability to say “Hmm, that’s interesting” is the mark of a good doctor or scientist.