RLS and Lexapro

[carolsond]

Hi!

I have severe RLS and recurrent major depression and ocial anxiety.
I am taking 300 mlg of Wellbrutin daily and 15 mlg. of Buspirone daily. Both of them, I believe have lost some of their effectiveness because my depression and anxiety haven't improved that much. My doctor prescribed Celexa for me, however, it just aggravated my RLS. Is anyone taking Lexapro? Has it made the RLS worse? I know everyone is different. Just checking it out.

Sincerely,

Carol Ann

[ViewsAskew]

I know you'll get responses of people who are currently posting, but we have people who come and go, and some who came and went, lol.

The most thorough answer is to do a search. Each person comes to this board with differing levels of experience using a discussion board. If you are new to this and not sure how to do a search, let me know and I'll walk you through it...

[psychick]

Carol Anne, I have taken SSRI antidepressants (the type that Lexapro and Zoloft and Prozac and many others are) for years, far pre-dating my RLS diagnosis (one year ago). I have taken Lexapro itself for a little over 2 years and it's been really good for my dysthymia (long lasting mild depression) and anxiety.

It probably impacts my RLS/PLM, all SSRI's are supposed to, but when it comes to balancing mental and physical health - I've found that I'm healthier making my mental health my priority over the impact on my RLS/PLMs. I'm sure there are some on this forum for whom the balance would tip the other way (ie - they would be better off weighing their RLS symptoms over their mental health sx).

I think, as many would advise on this forum, that you have to find a balance of what works for you. Unfortunately that can mean trial and error.
Good Luck!

[SquirmingSusan]

Hi Carol. As I understand it, Celexa and Lexapro are almost identical drugs. So my guess is that if one bothers you, the other would as well. Of course you'll never know unless you try.

I've taken both Effexor and Lexapro, and neither seems to bother my RLS. In the studies that studied RLS and antidepressants, less than 10% of people were worsened by antidepressants, so it's not a given that the antidepressants will make it worse. But if they do, then you need to decide how to handle it - not take the antidepressant, or take the antidepressant along with other meds to cover the additional symptoms.

Best wishes with it.

[ViewsAskew]

Susan, can you refer me to the study about RLS and antidepressants? Or is that in one of the books? I was trying to find it and couldn't.

Thanks.

[mackjergens]

I can tell you personally when I tried taking zoloft, it didnt bother my RLS but really made me have PLMD really bad, my arms, legs would just jerk right off the bed into mid air, I have actually had my arm fly up and hit the head board of the bed. There were a couple times where my whole body jumped totally up off the mattress. After stopping the zoloft, all that went away. I have very little PLMD now, just a slight jerk of hand or foot at times and that does not happen often. I was not actually depressed, my dr at that time just thought so, because I was so sleep deprived due to not sleeping because of RLS. So you have to be careful when thinking you are depressed, it could be from sleep deprivation. It was for me!
________________________________________________________
This was copied/pasted from www.rlshelp.org

3) Antidepressant Medication
This class of medications should be used with caution in RLS patients. Antidepressants can worsen RLS symptoms more often than help them. As depression is a common problem, especially in patients with severe and persistent RLS problems, antidepressants are often prescribed for RLS patients. RLS patients who are put on antidepressants and notice worsening of their symptoms should inform their physician of this problem immediately.

There are several different classes of antidepressant medication. If a medication in one class causes problems, then a medication from another class may be of more benefit. As with most RLS medications, much trial and error must take place to see if these medications are helping. Due to the long list of antidepressant medications, we will only list them in their appropriate categories.

There are no specific guidelines for using antidepressants in RLS, and generally they are used for RLS in the same doses as for depression. The oldest antidepressants, the tricyclics, tend to worsen RLS more than they help. The SSRI's will worsen RLS more often than helping but they seem better tolerated than the tricyclics. There is only one antidepressant drug, Wellbutrin, which has dopamine like effects, so it may benefit RLS. This however, has not been looked at systematically yet although there are some case reports of Wellbutrin helping RLS. Trazadone may not help RLS but it does not seem to worsen the condition.


Tricyclics & Combinations
Ascendin (Amoxepine)
Elavil (Amitriptyline)
Etrafon (Perphenazine and Amitriptyline)
Limbitrol (Chlordiazepoxide and Amitriptyline)
Norpramin (Desipramine)
Pamelor (Nortriptyline)
Sinequan (Doxepin)
Surmontil (Trimipramine)
Tofranil (Imipramine)
Triavil (Perphenazine and Amitriptyline)
Vivactil (Protriptyline)


MAO (Monoamine Oxidase) Inhibitors
Nardil (Pheneizine)
Parnate (Tranylcypromine)


Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's)
Paxil (Paroxetine)
Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Zoloft (Sertraline)
Celexa (Citalopram)
Lexapro (Escitalopram)

Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI's)
Effexor (Venlafaxine)
Cymbalta (Duloxetine)

Tetracyclics
Ludiomil (Maprotiline)


Miscellaneous Antidepressant Medications
Desyrel (Trazadone)
Wellbutrin/Zyban (Bupropion)


Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Medications
Luvox (Flovoxamine Maleate) - This is serotonin uptake inhibitor which is chemically different than the antidepressants above.
Anafranil (Clomipramine) - This is in the class of tricyclic antidepressants.

Noradrenergic and Serotonergic
Remeron (Mirtazapine) - This is the newest class of antidepressants. It enhances both the noradrenalin and serotonin systems. Remeron may have less side effects than the serotonin uptake inhibitors and the tricyclics, and it even seems to promote sleep. There are 2 case reports of Remeron causing worsening of RLS, so it should be used with caution in RLS patients.

[SquirmingSusan]

Susan, can you refer me to the study about RLS and antidepressants? Or is that in one of the books? I was trying to find it and couldn't.

Thanks.

I'm pretty sure it was one of the studies that you posted recently. It was a study specifically about the effect of antidepressants on RLS. I'll keep an eye out for it. Meanwhile, I just came across this one:

http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_medications_restless_legs_syndrome_000095_7.htm

Other Drugs

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Similar Antidepressants. Imbalances in the neurotransmitter serotonin have been associated with RLS. To correct these imbalances, some patients can try the common antidepressants known as SSRIs, which increase serotonin levels in the brain. One study found that SSRIs reduced RLS in 58% of patients and eliminated symptoms in 12%. SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil).

Very interesting...

[SquirmingSusan]

OK, I found it on the web, and since it has the same statistics as what I was quoting, this must be it!

http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm?id=8860&T=CFIDS_FM&B2=EM052108C

[ViewsAskew]

Thanks!

[psychick]

As I understand it, Celexa and Lexapro are almost identical drugs.
Best wishes with it.

Lexapro is derived from the same compound that Celexa is derived from, but it's a more specific drug (specific in the neurotransmitter effects), refined if you will, and is reported to have fewer unpleasant side effects than the less specific Celexa. Which may or may not have anything to do with RLS!

I've lent out my primer of drug action to a colleague taking the licensing exam so I can't give you the specifics, but that's my best layman's explanation of the difference between the two.

[sardsy75]

Hi Carol Ann

I am on a cocktail of drugs for RLS, amongst other things.

Lexapro (an SSRI) is one of my other drugs ... to handle my anxiety (so far only at 10mg per day).

Amitriptyline (a Tricyclic) is another drug I take to trigger the "off switch" in my brain at night when I'm trying to get to sleep.

Around this bunch (the board), i'm kind of a fish out of water as I am able to take both of the above drugs with no impact on my RLS. Yes, other long-time members will atest the fact that I am a kooky one from down-under who seems to like bucking the trend ... but they love me anyway lol.

Take care