• Yuna Seo, Chul Jin, Bo-Hyoung Jang, Jin Pyeong Jeon, Ye-Seul Lee, Seung-Bo Yang, Woo-Sang Jung, Sang-Kwan Moon, Ki-Ho Cho, and Seungwon Kwon.
• Department of Cardiology and Neurology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Aug 6; 100 (31): e26800e26800.

RationaleDopamine replacement is currently the standard treatment for restless leg syndrome (RLS); however, various adverse effects are associated with long-term therapy, and the benefits disappear upon discontinuation. To overcome these limitations, interest in traditional East Asian medicine has increased.Patient ConcernsA 72-year-old Asian woman originally admitted for an intracerebral hemorrhage presented with complaints of an unpleasant sensation throughout the body that appeared at night.DiagnosesThe patient was diagnosed with chronic persistent RLS based on the 2012 Revised International Restless Leg Syndrome Study Group Diagnostic Criteria.InterventionsThe patient was treated with extracts of the traditional herbal medicines Dangguijakyak-san (DS) and Shihogyeji-tang (ST). After 47 days of therapy, all herbal medicines were discontinued, and symptoms had not returned by the last follow-up 244 days after the initial treatment.OutcomesOne week after initiating herbal treatment with DS and ST, the RLS symptoms began to improve, and the total hours of sleep had increased from 2 to 9 hours by day 21, with a Korean version of the international restless legs scale score of 11 points. On day 36, ST was discontinued, given the continued improvement of symptoms. On day 47, symptoms had disappeared (Korean version of the international restless legs scale score: 0), and sleep disturbances caused by RLS had completely resolved. After day 47, DS was also discontinued. There were no adverse effects associated with the administration of DS and ST, and the symptoms had not recurred by the last follow-up on day 244.LessonsIn this case, RLS related symptoms, which had been present for approximately 60 years, were improved using only the traditional herbal medicines DS and ST (without dopamine replacement), and no symptoms recurred for 244 days. This case suggests that if replacement therapy is difficult or not desired, herbal medicinal therapies may be an effective alternative. This also suggests that the effect of herbal medicine on RLS might be semi-permanent. Further investigations, including clinical trials, are needed to confirm these effects.Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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