Case Report: Prolonged DAWS in an RLS Patient Under Severe Relational Stress

This paper, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Vol. 9, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1613710), presents a patient-authored clinical case report describing a prolonged and severe form of Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome (DAWS) occurring in a patient treated with low-dose dopamine agonists for restless legs syndrome (RLS). DAWS is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, most often documented in Parkinson’s disease, but increasingly recognized in non-Parkinsonian populations. The report provides a detailed chronology of symptom evolution, therapeutic interventions, relapse episodes, and recovery trajectory over more than one year following dopamine agonist discontinuation. The clinical course included recurrent episodes of suicidal ideation and two suicide attempts, consistent with the severe neuropsychiatric manifestations described in the medical literature. Particular attention is given to the possible interaction between neurochemical vulnerability and severe emotional stress, which may have contributed to exacerbating the withdrawal syndrome. Potential mechanisms discussed in the manuscript include central sensitization, stress-related neurobiological amplification, and kindling-like processes, although causal relationships cannot be established from a single case. The manuscript aims to raise awareness among clinicians and researchers about the possibility of DAWS in RLS patients, even at relatively low dopaminergic doses, and to highlight the need for careful tapering strategies, integrated care, and long-term monitoring. It also discusses the broader neurological and psychological consequences of severe DAWS and calls for further research into risk factors, clinical phenotypes, underlying mechanisms, and management approaches. This OSF project hosts the preprint of the case report, together with associated materials intended to support transparency, documentation, and scientific discussion. Update (14 June 2026): Frontiers in Human Neuroscience informed the author of its decision to retract the paper. The journal’s retraction notice and the author’s statement regarding the retraction have been added to this project.