amitriptyline

[Lynda231]

Hi all, I'm new on here. I've had Rls for years but didn't mention it to a doctor as my Mum always said it was in our family! I used to get it occasionally but it's getting worse. My doctor has prescribed amitriptyline, it helps me sleep but still have the Rls , has anyone else been given this drug?

[Hidden]

Ii Lynda welcome to the site.Well your mum is right it very often runs in families, this is called primary restless legs and also the type I have.That does not mean though that you shouldn't get treatment.

Now the Amitriptyline oh my that makes restless legs much worse for most sufferers and is a definite no no for the vast majority of us.The night I tried was one of my worst ever.You will most likely find your symptoms improve if you come off it.You may need to wean off this drug so get doctors advice about this.Sadly many doctors do not know much about rls so I suggest you go to RLS UK website and print off some information or go to rlshelp.org , go to treatment page.Scroll down for meds to avoid.

Get your ferratin iron checked it needs to be above 70 for rls sufferers.

If your GP doesn't know how to treat RLS and is not prepared to learn and read the information you print off then asm to be referred to a Neurologist.

Have a look through some of the old posts on here too.Good luck ..kim x

[Lynda231 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Kim, thanks for replying. When I told my doctor my symptoms he sent me for full blood tests . They came back fine except that my kidney function was low , he did print me off information from patient.co.uk about RLS. I was happy to take the amitriptyline because when I had a bad muscle pain I took my daughters for a few days and noticed I slept better. I was also taking a tramadol though so it might have been that. My doctor said pain killers can affect my kidneys so that may be why he avoided giving me pain killers, I'm back with him in two weeks. I've already tKen the amitriptyline tonight but if I'm bad again I won't take them anymore. I will ask to be referred to a neurologist, thanks again. Lynda x

[Hidden in reply to Lynda231]

It is very unusual for amitriptylene to help someone with restless legs to sleep, Although it causes drowsiness it usually makes the symptoms so severe that keeping still is impossible. You may be the exception as one thing we alwayscsay is we are all different and can only speak generally. I wouldn't take it again for a lottery win but your choice

[nightdancer in reply to Hidden]

That was one drug that I was given for migraine prevention years ago and it was what drove me to the doctor to get an RLS diagnosis, because it worsened my RLS more than anything else I was given. It is a tricyclic antidepressant and it really is not a good drug for 99% of RLSer's. A few can get away with it, but it has even caused RLS in some people. Doctors really need to do their homework. That is always a sign that someone is not too up on RLS and the treatments out there for it. Amitriptiyline does help promote sleep in some people, but that is usually people without RLS. If it makes your legs worse, and it has never been a treatment for RLS. Drives me crazy that doctors still prescribe that for people with RLS. RLS is also hereditary in about 65% of all cases, so it is not uncommon, but definitely needs treatment if you are not

getting sleep. Both my sisters, my 2 nieces, and niece's kids all have RLS. The gene was passed down by one parent, but the gene was never triggered in

them , so they do not/did not have RLS symptoms.

[Lynda231 in reply to nightdancer]

Thanks nightdancer. As I said I took the amitriptyline last night but it didn't help. I got up and took a tramadol, the RLS went after about an hour but tramadol gives me an energy boost so I lay awake anyway, but that's better than Rls. I know I'm ok if I take the tramadol during the day. Problem is my doctor won't prescribe them, a friend gives me a couple of hers so at least I can sleep a couple of nights a week.

[Lynda231]

I won't, thanks x

[Hidden in reply to Lynda231]

You may need to wean off so check it out before just stopping x

[Lynda231]

Up olive only been on minimum dose 10mg for a week, so should be ok, I'll check x

[Kaarina Administrator]

Hi Linda

I am one of those people where Amitriptyline did seem to help my RLS. I was prescribed it for something else and that is how I noticed the difference. I hasten to add that my RLS is not severe and comes and goes and I take no medication for it - just suffer when it occurs. I only took the Amitriptyline for a year for the other ailment and it was a low dosage. As Kim says for most sufferers it makes RLS worse but I was in the minority.

Kaarina

[ookla]

If a Dr prescribes an anti-depressant to treat rls, they might as well also hand you a piece of paper that says "you should see someone else about this."

Although, the first thing my gp prescribed was tramadol and it worked great. When I started going to the rls "expert," I had to go through all the dopamine agonists and benzodiazapines and anti-convulcants and miscellaneous shots in the dark before finally coming back to the opiods / opiates.

[Hidden in reply to ookla]

Hmmm definitely agree with your statement at the start there ookla!.I went to a GP for something to help me wean off mirapex and was given amitriptylene! Can you imagine if I had taken them withdrawing from a dopamine agonist plus ami, doesn't bare thinking about does it? Luckily I knew not to take them as I had tried them years ago at beginning of treatment .Others may not have known though and that combination would be enough tonsend someone insane! Needless to say never went back to that particular doc again.I now have a GP who accepts it when I say those meds are a no no and accepts andcreads info I take in.

X

[Jumpey]

As others have said this drug is not good for RLS. I used it one night at my doctor's suggestion and it sent my leg symptoms through the roof.

[Buzzyleg]

It appears i am one of the few amitryptiline combined with Tramadol works for. I have had RLS for 20+ years . At the start I thought I was unique in the symptons I had and didn't know RLS existed and would say doctors never gave it as a possibility . I ended up having a back op because they said I had a disc that had a tear which would have been leaking and therefore irritate my nerves. The op had no success ... I was then guinea pigged on many tablets before officially coming on widespread market ie Gabapentin and alike. Iin that time they tried me on amitryptiline which was a definite no go but in recent times (2 yrs) I was put on a low dose amitryptiline (I was very hesitant in agreeing but finally agreed) plus a dose of Tramadol and 95% time I get a good night sleep . My partner says my arms and legs still twitch but luckily I'm fast asleep..

I learnt that my father had it and now my son has it so def heriditary in my family.

Good luck in finding something that works for you..

[Lynda231]

Thanks everyone, Tramadol definitely works for me but my doctor won't prescribe it, I'm taking my daughters, 100mg a day works perfectly as long as I take them before midday otherwise I'm full of energy and can't sleep. Trouble is when they run out! I'm going to ask to be referred to a neurologist x