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Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:36 pm
by Polar Bear
Steve, having read of your experience in ER I would never go near it. It would be better to have a horrendous (and it must have been truly hellish) weekend at home until we could contact our own doctor than to risk the inadequacies of someone with more power than they can handle.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:51 pm
by Rustsmith
PB, I think that part of the reason why my psychiatrist was so upset was because the ER doctor and psyc tech failed to follow normal procedure with me. I am hoping that my attorney's letter to that hospital is going to result in changes there as well as RLS education for the entire staff. As for the psyc hospital, that is another story and will have to wait for my complaints to be resolved, which could take several years.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 10:37 pm
by Polar Bear
:thumbup: I applaud what you are doing
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:24 pm
by homer001
Hello to everyone from Australiaxstill really new to this forum so my aplogies for any dumb questions that have been answered previously. I am 67 and been battling anxiety and depression most of my life with most success with the antidepressant doxepin. Long story short restless legs became a serious issue five years ago and like so many have gone down the path of sifrol and subsequent augmentation which is currently being mitigated with Gabapentin. On advice from my doctors i discontined anti depressant and beta blockers and relying pretty much unsuccessfuuly on benzos to control anxiety. After two really awful cold turkey withdrawal experiences with the sifrol my doctor is currently waiting for methodone approval. To get to the question my doctor has now prescribed amatryptilin as an interim solution but I am concerned with the potential for this drug to make my restless legs worse. Has anyone had a positive experience with this drug or another anti depressant that might offer me some short term relief.
Sorry it took me so long to get to the point anxiety not the best tool for clear thinking!
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 11:12 pm
by Rustsmith
Homer, not problem with raising old questions. Sometimes it is easier to ask than to do a lengthy search.
Amatryptilin (aka Elavil) is a very old tri-cyclic anti-depressant (TCA) and it has the potential for aggravating RLS as much as the newer SSRI and SNRI anti-depressants. The only anti-depressant that is said to not be a problem for RLS is Wellbutrin (Bupropion). Wellbutrin did not work well for me, but I think that this had nothing to do with my RLS and everything to do with a sensitivity to pseudoephridine (Sudafed), which I am highly intolerant to. Wellbutrin and Sudafed have very similar chemical structures.
There is one other option that you could propose to your doctor. Tramadol is a medication that is a mild opioid, so it helps with RLS, and it is also has the chemical structure of an SNRI anti-depressant. Its chemical structure is very similar to the anti-depressant Effexor. So tramadol might be a way to kill two birds with one stone. The drawbacks to tramadol is that it can rarely cause augmentation (the only non-DA that does that) and it is used to treat premature ejaculation in men, which can be a negative if you don't have that problem.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 12:03 am
by homer001
Thanks Steve i feel humble reading the experience of other members in that my issues seem minor in comparison and I have the advantage of not having to work which makes it much easier to manage symptoms while keeping medications to a minimum. I am only on 0.5 mg of sifrol and 600 mg gabapentin which I am hoping will make withdrawal a little easier. My biggest problem at the moment is drug induced neuropathy the gabapentin is controlling restless legs for the moment but reducing dopamine in my brain but I am hoping after sifrol is gone these symptoms will subside. My emg and nerve conduction tests are normal so it was a real relief to cross polyneuropathy off the list.
Thanks for your time
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 1:11 am
by Rustsmith
I am only on 0.5 mg of sifrol and 600 mg gabapentin
0.5mg of Sifrol is the maximum dose recommended for treating RLS (Parkinsons can go to 4mg). As for the gabapentin, it isn't strong enough to cover the Sifrol withdrawal. Earlier this year I slowly dropped to 0.125mg while taking 900mg gabapentin and the gabapentin did nothing to help when I finally stopped. I was also taking a low dose of an opioid at the time and still had to get up several times each night for the first few nights to soak my legs in a very hot bath. Only an opioid is strong enough to cover the Sifrol withdrawal symptoms. It doesn't require much and you can cut back after about 5 days, but that is the only thing that is going to help easy the miserable nights.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:12 am
by IThinkImInTorture
My RLS was under control with 1000mg of Magnesium Glycinate and 10,000mcg of Biotin unless I exercised prompting the addition of two Aleve, but RLS was manageable. Then I started taking 25mg of Zoloft and my sleep has really been negatively impacted due to RLS symptoms. I need the Zoloft as I am very irritable and my family appreciates that I take it. Why does Zoloft impact RLS and does this interaction tell us something about the cause of RLS?
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:19 am
by IThinkImInTorture
Rustsmith wrote: ↑Fri Oct 02, 2020 11:12 pm
Homer, not problem with raising old questions. Sometimes it is easier to ask than to do a lengthy search.
Amatryptilin (aka Elavil) is a very old tri-cyclic anti-depressant (TCA) and it has the potential for aggravating RLS as much as the newer SSRI and SNRI anti-depressants. The only anti-depressant that is said to not be a problem for RLS is Wellbutrin (Bupropion). Wellbutrin did not work well for me, but I think that this had nothing to do with my RLS and everything to do with a sensitivity to pseudoephridine (Sudafed), which I am highly intolerant to. Wellbutrin and Sudafed have very similar chemical structures.
There is one other option that you could propose to your doctor. Tramadol is a medication that is a mild opioid, so it helps with RLS, and it is also has the chemical structure of an SNRI anti-depressant. Its chemical structure is very similar to the anti-depressant Effexor. So tramadol might be a way to kill two birds with one stone. The drawbacks to tramadol is that it can rarely cause augmentation (the only non-DA that does that) and it is used to treat premature ejaculation in men, which can be a negative if you don't have that problem.
I was on Tramadol for years and near the end of the day my RLS symptoms were worse than when I had no medication in my system. It seems the RLS symptoms get really bad when the Tramadol is metabolized out of the system requiring a new dose. I eventually weaned off of it which was a traumatic event prompting me to declare I will never take Opioid medication again. With that said I can't see my self recommending to others to take an opioid medication as it will enslave you to it as weaning off of it is so traumatic. Others who take opiod medications who don't have RLS notice RLS symptoms when weaning off opioid medications. When I asked my Neurologist for help weaning from it he said "I don't have the training, go see a pain clinic", a new low in the level of respect for AMA establishment.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:57 pm
by SleepyBhamster
As I just (re-)started Lexapro today, I wanted to take a look at the brochure mentioned, but the link doesn't work.
Tried Wellbutrin for 4 days and was a zombie: couldn't think straight, felt highly sedated, bit of a stomach ache, nauseated. Psychiatrist is unreachable, but PCP told me to go back to 10mg Lexapro which is what I used to take for years. Only went off it when I was trying to find someone to order iron infusions for me. Thought it might be exacerbating RLS. Since I got infusions soon after, no way to tell if Lexapro had anything to do with my symptoms.
I'm a little woozy on this first day, but hoping that disappears soon. I don't recall any problems taking it in the past. Just hope I can keep from gaining any weight.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:59 pm
by ViewsAskew
SleepyBhamster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:57 pm
As I just (re-)started Lexapro today, I wanted to take a look at the brochure mentioned, but the link doesn't work.
Tried Wellbutrin for 4 days and was a zombie: couldn't think straight, felt highly sedated, bit of a stomach ache, nauseated. Psychiatrist is unreachable, but PCP told me to go back to 10mg Lexapro which is what I used to take for years. Only went off it when I was trying to find someone to order iron infusions for me. Thought it might be exacerbating RLS. Since I got infusions soon after, no way to tell if Lexapro had anything to do with my symptoms.
I'm a little woozy on this first day, but hoping that disappears soon. I don't recall any problems taking it in the past. Just hope I can keep from gaining any weight.
Things get moved around. The Foundation now has a lot of items for members only - this may be one of them. If you are a member, search on depression and you should find the brochure.
Hope the escitalopram (Lexapro brand in the US) works for you.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 7:13 pm
by SleepyBhamster
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2021 12:25 pm
by SleepyBhamster
Just to follow up: I've been able to increase my dose of Lexapro to 20mg and have not had RLS symptoms. Mood is much better.
Re: RLS, Depression and Anti-depressants
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:26 pm
by ViewsAskew
SleepyBhamster wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 12:25 pm
Just to follow up: I've been able to increase my dose of Lexapro to 20mg and have not had RLS symptoms. Mood is much better.
