Effect of gabapentin combined with hemoperfusion in the treatment of restless leg syndrome in hemodialysis patients

Objective:To investigate the effects of gabapentin combined with hemoperfusion in the treatment of restless leg syndrome(RLS) in hemodialysis patients.Methods:Fifty hemodialysis patients with RLS were randomly divided into the observation group and control group.All patients were treated with routine hemodialysis combinewd with symptomatic treatment.The observation group were additionally treated with 300 mg gabapentin by oral per night combined with blood perfusion a time every week for 8 weeks.The RLS,sleep and pain improvement in two groups were assessed using the index of RLS(IRLS),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) and Visual Analogue Scale/Score(VAS),respectively.The levels of ferritin,parathyroid hormone(PTH),Ca and P in two groups were measured before and after treatment.Results:After 8 weeks of treatment,the order of severity of IRLS,and scores of PSQI and VAS in observation group decreased significantly(P<0.01),the order of severity of IRLS,and score of PSQI in control group decreased significantly(P<0.01),but the difference of VAS score in control group was not statistically significant compared with before treatment(P>0.05).The decreasing degree of three indictors in observation group was more than that in control group(P<0.01).The levels of ferritin in two groups increased after treatment(P<0.01 and P<0.05),and the changes of the levels of PTH,Ca and P in two groups were not obvious(P>0.05).No severe adverse reaction in observation group was found.Conclusions:Gabapentin combined with hemoperfusion can significantly improve the RLS symptoms and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients,which has no significant adverse reaction.