Glutamate?

[doety]

Here's some quotes from the mid-May publication:

The results of the (Johns Hopkins) study could lead to developments in the way RLS is treated, potentially helping to eradicate sleepless nights for people with restless legs syndrome.

Dopamine-related drugs do work for many people with RLS, yet some lose benefit and require ever-higher doses. If the dose is too high, medication can aggravate symptoms to a state worse than that prior to treatment.

Dr. Richard Allen points out that despite drugs already being available that can reduce glutamate levels in the brain, such as the anticonvulsive drug gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant), they have not been given as a first-line treatment for RLS patients.
Is there stuff about this on the board? Have you'all heard about it? Sounds like you want less glutamate in your system rather than more.... Intriguing.

[Polar Bear]

doety - I saw this article this evening.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264143.php

[doety]

That's the same article I got those quotes from. This is exciting. I was also glad to see that they understood augmentation. I've been doing what I can to investigate-- since I'm using Google, I'll have to separate the wheat from the chaff. I've always made fun of the gluten-free craze, but omg, maybe they're right.
I will certainly post what I find, and I imagine were going to see lots more articles about this.

[badnights]

Links to the published pilot study and discussions of that and the ongoing study are on this board under General, in a few threads.

You are correct, the idea is that glutamate levels are higher in WED brains and that this causes wakefulness (hyper-arousal).

This theory offers an explanation for why some of us still can't sleep even when our sensations are treated. However, it doesn't explain the positive effect of opioids on us, so even if the research confirms a link between high glutamate and poor sleep in WED, it will not explain everything.

[veldon7]

I read it in the General section, it's very interesting. I asked the Psychicatric Nurse Practitioner at my job about Glutamate, since it's considered a neurotransmitter and a flavor enhancer (MSG). I Googled Glutamate and read that it is in dairy, protein, soy sauce, even walnuts, also that wheat is 35% Glutamic acid. The Nurse Practitioner said that what we eat, or (metabolize) makes up the Glutamic neurotransmitter. I thought that was interesting, I know that I eat a lot of salt and wheat products. I really need to eat healthier anyway, more fruits and veggies.

[crl363]

There are glutamate inhibitor drugs available but they have not been applied to RLS yet (except gabapentin). Scientist have used glutamate inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson’s’ disease for some time. RLS is in the same family of PD. The great thing about Dr. Allen’s clinical trials is if the results confirm the need for a glutamate inhibitor there are already some available which eventually may help.

[veldon7]

I read that there are other glutamate inhibitors besides Gabapentin, my Neuro. gave me Gabapentin a yr. ago to take along with the Mirapex, 100mg to 300mg in the evening, but I only take 100mg at bedtime, otherwise I get too sleepy and I already feel tired the next day from Mirapex and I only take .5 mg.

[Chipmunk]

There are glutamate inhibitor drugs available but they have not been applied to RLS yet (except gabapentin). Scientist have used glutamate inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson’s’ disease for some time. RLS is in the same family of PD. The great thing about Dr. Allen’s clinical trials is if the results confirm the need for a glutamate inhibitor there are already some available which eventually may help.

What are some of the other ones that you know of?

[ViewsAskew]

There are glutamate inhibitor drugs available but they have not been applied to RLS yet (except gabapentin). Scientist have used glutamate inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson’s’ disease for some time. RLS is in the same family of PD. The great thing about Dr. Allen’s clinical trials is if the results confirm the need for a glutamate inhibitor there are already some available which eventually may help.

What are some of the other ones that you know of?

I looked this up before when the research first came out. Here are some sites that provide some answers. Not sure of the veracity of the info.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/glutamate-blockers.html

http://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/ni ... ng-in-rats

http://www.uab.edu/news/uab-magazine/it ... r-and-more

http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=7376

http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/8/3/189.full

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2496957/

I think part of the problem is what was identified earlier - we don't know if we need less glutamate, we need to block its transport or it's production, if we need to block it in a certain area, if we should eat less of it, if eating less helps, and so on.

[crl363]

These are some glutamate inhibitors and there are others. Keep in mind that we don’t know what the results of Dr. Allen’s clinical trials will show. We don’t know if it will even confirm the need for a glutamate inhibitor. Finally, we don’t know if any of these drugs can be applied to RLS/WEB or if they would even help.

Memantine--Used for the treatment of Alzheimer's. It is an NMDA receptor antagonist, which works by regulating the activity of glutamate. FDA approved.

Riluzole--Marketed for Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Glutamate antagonist. FDA approved.

Amantadine-- Used to treat Parkinson's disease. Primarily an antiviral but is also a weak, non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist. FDA approved.

[ViewsAskew]

Keep in mind that we don’t know what the results of Dr. Allen’s clinical trials will show. We don’t know if it will even confirm the need for a glutamate inhibitor. Finally, we don’t know if any of these drugs can be applied to RLS/WEB or if they would even help.

Absolutely agreed!

[badnights]

From the dana.org article

The glutamate in MSG (monsodium glutamate), used in some foods, is related to brain glutamate but does not appear to get into the brains of adults very well. It can get into the brains of infants and be toxic to brain cells, however, which is why the FDA has not approved it for use in baby food.