Getting off antidepressant to help rls

[yellow41]

I have been on Prozac for 35 years. I have had restless legs for the last 7 or 8 years. I am trying to taper off Prozac to see if it helps my rls. Has anyone gotten off their antidepressant and found that it helped their rls? Or reduced their antidepressant and found it helped? Thanks

[Rustsmith]

Last winter I was put on an antidepressant because my poor sleep was causing depression. My reaction to the AD was VERY severe. My RLS was so bad that I wasn't able to sleep for the next seven days and could only sit for about 30 seconds at a time. My RLS has never been that bad. Obviously, getting off of it reduced my RLS symptoms although it took a couple of weeks with higher doses of my RLS meds to return to normal.

[QyX]

If you have RLS, SSRi antidepressants almost always make it much worse. I would give it a go and see how it is without the Prozac.

You can also try treatment for RLS but that might not work properly Prozac present. I guess you should see a doctor about this. Stopping SSRi can be real pain, especially after so many years but Prozac also can be easier to stop than other SRRis. Still, this might be a rough experience and you should research the experience of other patients who stopped SSRi antidepressants before you start reducing the dose.

[badnights]

It might be wise also to have in mind an alternative anti-depressant, in case you need one after you've gotten off the Prozac. This is something you would discuss with your doctor - first research what to expect getting off the Prozac, then discuss it with your doctor making your goals clear
for example, main goal is to remain anti-depressant-free, if possible, but if that doesn't look like it's going to work, then secondary goal is to find a different AD, one that won't cause WED/RLS symptoms.

Meanwhile consider taking oral iron supplements. It can take 3-4 weeks for the effect, but might help reduce or eliminate WED/RLS symptoms. Please ensure you're not in any danger of iron overload before you take iron pills, but you don't need a prescription.