Supplements

THC/CBD reduces RLS severity in patients with multiple sclerosis and idiopathic RLS

Treatment with 2.7 mg THC/2.5 mg CBD significantly improved International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLS) scores after 1 and 3 months (p < 0.001), with sustained improvement at 1 year (p = 0.000) in patients who continued therapy. Wake after sleep onset (WASO) was also significantly reduced (p = 0.015).

Last updated: Jul 11, 2026โ€ข0 RCTsโ€ข๐Ÿ“– Read as article โ†’

Evidence Score

Evidence Score34/100
Human RCTโ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†
Meta-analysisโ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†
Mechanismโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…
Safetyโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol in the treatment of restless legs syndrome.

observational

Lillo Triguero L, Pilo de la Fuente B, D&#xed;az D&#xed;az J, L&#xf3;pez Riolobos C, Aladro Benito Y ยท Journal of neurology (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: 3 months (with 1-year follow-up)
Intervention: 2.7 mg ฮ”9-Tetrahydrocannabinol/2.5 mg Cannabidiol (THC/CBD) sublingual or oral formulation, with dose titration at week 4 if required
Outcome: IRLS score (primary), WASO, sleep latency, sleep efficiency (secondary)
Effect Size: N/A (only p-values reported)
Population: 18 patients with RLS (16 with multiple sclerosis, 2 with idiopathic RLS), mean age 51.87 years, 55.5% women

Result:

PubMed: 42387200DOI: 10.1007/s00415-026-13975-y

Mechanism Graph

Cannabinoids inhibit glutamate release in the striatum
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Reduced glutamatergic excitotoxicity
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Modulation of sensorimotor pathways involved in RLS
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Result: Decreased RLS severity and improved sleep continuity

Limitations

  • โš Open-label design with no placebo control, limiting causal inference
  • โš Small sample size (n=18) and heterogeneous population (mostly MS patients), reducing generalizability

Frequently Asked Questions

What dose of THC/CBD was used in this study?โ–ผ

The starting dose was 2.7 mg THC and 2.5 mg CBD, with possible dose titration at week 4.

Did the treatment improve sleep quality?โ–ผ

Yes, wake after sleep onset (WASO) significantly decreased, but sleep latency and sleep efficiency did not change significantly.

How long did the benefits last?โ–ผ

Improvements in RLS severity were sustained at 1 year in the 66.66% of patients who continued treatment.

Was this study conducted in patients with multiple sclerosis?โ–ผ

Yes, 16 of the 18 participants had multiple sclerosis, and 2 had idiopathic RLS.

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References

  1. 1.Lillo Triguero L, Pilo de la Fuente B, D&#xed;az D&#xed;az J, L&#xf3;pez Riolobos C, Aladro Benito Y. "Tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol in the treatment of restless legs syndrome.." Journal of neurology, 2026. PMID: 42387200 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-026-13975-y
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.