Accidental relief from rls...dare I hope?

HighKicks · Post by **HighKicks** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:13 pm

I'm one of those Seasonal Affective Disorder folks. A couple months ago during my annual physical, I was discussing the med I've been taking for it for the past six years (Celexa) with my internist, and how I wanted to try something different, due to the side effect of weight-gain. She wrote me a prescription for Budeprion SR.
So, after slowly weaning off Celexa as recommended, I start on the new stuff around the beginning of June.. All well and fine...but I gradually discover that for the past two weeks for so, I haven't had one episode of rls. Now, I can't think that the Celexa had caused it, or enhanced it, because I've had jumpy feet since I was a teenager.
Tonight will be the "acid test." Husband and I will be watching a movie on tv at 8:00. Normally around the half-way point, I have to give up and walk around the block, or try to finish the movie, squirming all the while. I'll report my findings tomorrow on this board.
Strange!

Post by **Polar Bear** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:29 pm

Hikicks, that's brilliant.

We will be interested to hear how it goes watching the movie tonight!! :lol:

maddielouise1 · Post by **maddielouise1** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 4:44 pm

HiKicks,

How great!

It will be interesting to see your results. Since Budeprion is one of the few antidepressants they say doesn't exacerbate RLS, it's still great to see it verified in "real-life." I had to look it up and be reminded that this is better known (or commercially sold) as Wellbutrin. Even though you've had RLS since your teen years, the Celexa may still have been aggravating it. I'm sure that Cymbalta probably makes mine worse, although I've been off AD's and still had RLS symptoms also.

Thanks for letting us know!

Sincerely,

Maddie

SquirmingSusan · Post by **SquirmingSusan** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 5:09 am

Hi Highkicks. That's great that the bupropion is helping you. I've taken that off and on and I know that it has helped me, mostly with the myoclonus (the muscle jerking). Unfortunately it seems to disagree with my brain. I get "episodes" that seem just short of absence seizures, so I quit taking it.

I hope it keeps working for you and that it's all you need to keep the RLS under control. That would be great! Bupropion is also used for weight loss, so it may help you lose the weight you gained from the Celexa.

HighKicks · Post by **HighKicks** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:34 pm

I'm back with my (unscientific) findings.
I made a point of not consuming alcohol, chocolate, or late coffee last evening, in order to avoid skewing the results.
We settled in to watch the movie (The Spiral Staircase.) Everything's fine...no twitches! Even my husband commented on my relative calm.

Another movie started at 9:30 (The Paradine Case.) At the 10:30 mark, I noticed a bit of rls. I mentioned it to my husband. He asked, "Did you take your evening dose?" (meaning my second daily pill of Budeprion SR.) Lo and behold, I had forgotten to take it! So I quickly took it, and finished the movie standing up, while waiting for it to kick in (heh). It didn't help that courtroom dramas are a bit boring...I thought sleep would overtake me, messing up my experiment.
So results are inconclusive, due to my failure to take my second dose in a timely manner. However, when I got to bed (around 11:30) I didn't give rls a second thought; went right to sleep.
That's all for now!

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:25 pm

Highkicks, that is wonderful!

I think, if I remember correctly, that Dr Buchfurer has noted that buproprion can actually help RLS in some cases. It is almost always a good SSRI for not making it worse, which we all appreciate, but it's even nicer when it actually helps.

I've been contemplating discussing taking this with my PCP. While the methadone keeps my daily/refractory RLS in check most of the time, some times of the month are worse and any unexpected thing can throw it out of whack. I've also had much difficulty losing the weight I gained on Mirapex. My hope is that this would help on both fronts....your results are encouraging me to bring it up with her.

HighKicks · Post by **HighKicks** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:06 pm

Update:
It's now one week later. I take budeprion SR twice daily, 9am and 9pm as prescribed.
I have not had one episode of RLS.

maddielouise1 · Post by **maddielouise1** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:56 am

HiKicks!

Fantastic! Any start up side effects?

Sincerely,

Maddie

HighKicks · Post by **HighKicks** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:47 pm

^ In response to maddielouise's question:

Please know that I've been prescribed budeprion SR for Seasonal Affective Disorder, nothing else, and I've been taking it for less than a month, so it hasn't really "settled in", if that makes sense. So I hesitate to list side effects at this early stage. I have noticed that I'm a bit more short-tempered than usual. Give me three more weeks or so, and I'll be more confident in reporting side effects.

maddielouise1 · Post by **maddielouise1** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:13 pm

If you aren't having side effects right now, then by week four there shouldn't be any. You should start feeling even better. Sometimes start-up se's can last the 4-8 weeks it takes for your body to start getting used to the drug. Of course they can last much, much, less time or you many not have any. If you are only feeling a little edgier, then sounds like you've got it made.

Sincerely,

Maddie