Pharmaceuticals = The RLS vs. Antidepressant Dilemma

RLS occurs more frequently in certain populations, including people with end-stage renal disease, women during pregnancy, and people with iron deficiency. Also, RLS/WED in the elderly and children brings other challenges. Sharing your experiences may be extraordinarily helpful to others.
Metabolic wreck
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Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 4:31 am
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antidepressants

Post by Metabolic wreck »

Kimberly: I know you said you had tried Wellbutrin. I switched from Wellbutrin to Cymbalta last summer, because the Wellbutrin wasn't doing the trick. Now, I wonder...

Anyway, I ran across this article today. If you've already tried it, it's probably not of any value, but perhaps it will help someone.

1: Ann Pharmacother. 2009 Feb 3. [Epub ahead of print]Related Articles, Links

Bupropion as a Possible Treatment Option for Restless Legs Syndrome (February).

Lee JJ, Erdos J, Wilkosz MF, Laplante R, Wagoner B.

VA Connecticut Healthcare System Pharmacy Service, West Haven, CT.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of restless legs syndrome (RLS) successfully managed with bupropion. CASE SUMMARY: A 45-year-old female presented to a Veterans Affairs primary care clinic with a history of chronic insomnia. Her complicated history of treatment failure to sedative-hypnotic agents, continued sleep disturbances, and complaints of intolerable leg sensations fostered collaboration between a psychiatrist and pharmacist to identify effective treatment. Further review of her medical history and subjective complaints led to a diagnosis of RLS. Based on this new diagnosis, she was prescribed several Food and Drug Administration-approved and alternative agents recommended for the management of RLS. Unfortunately, each medication resulted in a variety of intolerable adverse effects, limiting the list of treatment options. Although not widely used for RLS, bupropion XL (Wellbutrin XL) 150 mg daily was initiated, resulting in resolution of RLS within 3 days. DISCUSSION: RLS can be an extremely disabling disorder and affects many people. For most patients, dopamine agonists are the treatment of choice for symptomatic relief. However, for patients unable to tolerate this drug class, small trials and case reports have identified alternative agents. This case supports findings from other cases suggesting a beneficial response with bupropion for the management of RLS. CONCLUSIONS: Bupropion may be a treatment option for patients who have RLS and are unable to tolerate dopamine agonists.

PMID: 19193596 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The Wreck
Do not take life too
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SquirmingSusan
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Post by SquirmingSusan »

Wellbutrin definitely helped with my PLMD, and it also helped with energy. It didn't relieve me depression, though, so I had to take it in conjunction with an SSRI. The SSRIs make me unbelievably fatigued, so I was also taking Provigil as wells to fight the fatigue and drowsiness.

Wellbutrin is a great treatment for depression, when it works. But as with all things, it doesn't do it for everyone. So you have to try it for a few months to really know.
Susan

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