Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

I've been on bupropion for about 10 years. Occasionally I'll miss a dose or two and not really notice any decline in mood so I thought I'd try to get off it. I didn't take it for a few days (yes I know, not advisable w/o doctor supervision) and my mood pretty much stayed the same. However, my RLS symptoms really took off and it happened much earlier in the day. You know what's it like.

I didn't increase my pramipexole because I don't want to take more than 1mg at bedtime so the RLS was excruciating for a few days. I wondered if stopping the bupropion had anything to do with what was happening so I started taking it again. The RLS stopped quite dramatically (I'm still taking the pramipexole) with hardly any symptoms the last couple of days. I don't think the two events (stopping the bupropion then starting again with resulting RLS effects) are coincidental but I could be wrong. I'm very skeptical of some RLS solutions I've read about and somewhat so with what happened to me but gotta say something made a huge difference.

I've searched this board and found a few references to bupropion being helpful but also not helpful for RLS. Not consistent at all. I suppose the response to bupropion is an individual thing.

So I'm posting this in case it's useful.

Google search says buproion is a dopamine agonist. Maybe you have found an alternate treatment for RLS.

It is the first AD that the experts recommend because it can be helpful for some, neutral for most, and only very rarely causes RLS/WED to worsen. it isn't usually prescribed specifically for RLS/WED as it doesn't seem to be that effective for most people alone. But, as I understand it, it is the best first drug to try for depression if you have RLS.

Thanks for posting that it was helpful for you.

It is mentioned on Buchfuhrer's website & in the little green book (2nd edition is blue) as possibly helping, because of its mild dopaminergic properties. The converse is mentioned too - that dopamine agonists can be effective against depression.

my doc who prescribed wellbutrin says it helps with some but not all her rls patients.... but my doc says it helps with pain perception so i guess if your rls is painful, that might help a little

my pain worsened slightly when i cut the wellbutrin dose but no changes in mood. hope this helps