Whether new to RLS or new to the site, we welcome you and invite you to share your history and experiences with RLS/WED, introduce yourself, and ask questions. Successful treatment starts with a solid understanding of this disease.
Welcome, even though you've been around for a while. Glad to hear the Requip is working for you. It's such a relief to find something that gives us relief. I'm doing a combo of Mirapex and Temazepam and it's working pretty well for me.
Very nice to have you on board!
Sole
"If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone."
I know you asked Pat about Sinemet, but I noticed your post Nephriticus, so, if you don't care, I will add my two cents worth. I was on Sinemet for a short while and did not have a good experience. It made me very dizzy and extremely nauseated. I don't know how it effected Pat. I'm sure you'll find out. I'm glad it works for you, but, as you know, medicine effects people differently. I now take Mirapex and Klonopin, which has been working for me for some time.
Yes, medications do affect differently. Without getting into lengthy details of how it transpired, my wife was on Prozac for three years for depression. She not only had side effects, but she was terribly depressed for the entire three years. She elected to wean herself off and, lo and behold, the depression largely dissipated. The Prozac was causing that for which it was prescribed:!:
Sinemet, for me, is benign except for the intended target symptoms, at which it works well for the most part.
Boy, I'm going to have to memorize how to spell your name! Ha! Can I ask you how many mg. of Prozac your wife was on? I'm curious because I take Prozac and I'm not so sure it's really helping. I've been on it before (I only take 20 mg.) and I wonder.......
Jan, you know better than that! Most antidepressants exacerbate the symptoms of RLS. There are three which do not seem to. Can you switch form Prosac* to one of these (see Warning! my recent post.)
Yes, I asked my doc about Wellbutrin (sp?) the other day. She hesitated, saying that she didn't think it helped as much, but I'm going to insist this time. I don't like taking Prozac, especially after you have talked about it so much and everything everyone else has said (see I DO listen!) Ha!. And, it really isn't helping. I'm going to call her and make another appt!!!
My wife took 10 mg for quite some time with no decided benefit. She went to 20 mg for a short period, which I could not handle. It was as if she was PMS every day of the month.
I guess I'll throw my two cents worth of experience in. A few years back, before I knew that RLS had a name, I took Paxil. It was a Godsend. It didn't exhaserbate the RLS at all but helped my depression and anxiety greatly. I stopped taking it, when I got married, and switched to Klonopin because there were sexual side effects with Paxil and NO newlywed needs sexual side effects!!
I had a VERY brief trial with Wellbutrin. I hated it! It made me edgy, made my hands shake terribly and man did I turn into a B*TCH! On the other hand, my sister had excellent results with it. Everyone is different.
For what it's worth.
Sole
"If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone."
No, Paxil is not one of the few that are recommended for RLS. However, I had success with it as did my best friend who suffers from RLS, Lupus and Arthritis.
I say it's worth a try, if the "acceptable" ones haven't worked for you. Everyone is different. If it doesn't work, you'll know soon enough!
Sole
"If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone."
I am only familiar with Remeron, which was taken by a relative for General Anxiety Disorder. She has taken it for a year and generally did not mind it. She HATED Prozac!
I do not know Serzone.
Perhaps someone ought to try Paxil?. Nothing is etched in stone! It is however, a serotonin uptake inhibitor, the same as Prozac. The worst are the tricyclics.
Remeron and Wellbutrin have dopamine-like effects and therefore they are thought to have a more positive effect on RLS
I just now got the computer back from my hubby. I appreciate the info Jumpy. Prozac is definitely not working!!! I might ask her about Paxil and see what she says. I could try it for a month and go from there. Then, if it doesn't work, or exacerbates the RLS, I will go with one of the others. Thanks!!!!!