RLS Onset with Citalopram Withdrawal

[Floozle]

Thank you to you all for your hard won words of wisdom. I am so sorry to hear of your suffering, I had no idea that RLS is so prevalent until I came across this website. Previously I have been an occasional sufferer that could be corrected by eating a steak & green veg. I have recently taken action to remove a long term stressor from my life & consequently recently stopped taking the anti-depressant Citalopram. Perhaps I did not reduce the dose slowly enough before stopping completely as I was launched into a weird visual disturbance and night time restless legs, the latter of which has been getting worse & I can feel it creeping into my arms. The visual issue has now cleared but the rls torments me at night. Increasing my water intake, stretching & Paracetamol & codeine used to relax me enough to sleep but not with this episode. So, your posts have been educational regarding dopamine & serotonin, remedies & medicines. I have now reduced my tea intake & loaded up with: Gentle Iron, Calcium & Magnesium, L.plantarum containing probiotic formula.

I take daily walks on the local hillside but at the moment this appears to be making matters worse. I have stiff joints due to previous inactivity (& poor diet) so I'm also trying a Turmeric remedy. I'll let you know how I get on.

Best wishes for 2017

[Joolsg]

Hi Floozie,

It sounds like you are taking the right steps to deal with the RLS. Maybe once you are off the citalopram the RLS will improve and the codeine/paracetamol will help once more.

I wish you a jumpy legs free 2017,

Jools

[Floozle]

My Citalopram experience-An update: Just for a laugh(!) I decided to restart the Citalopram to see if it reversed the daily RLS that it appeared to have provoked on withdrawal. Well blow me down, I had a good night's sleep!

I can feel the RLS lurking today especially in my knees. I have just taken another 10mg Citalopram so will see whether last night was an anomaly. If successful I will then need to have a pint/double G&T to see if I the fix is truly working. Fingers crossed.

If it is the case that Citalopram does indeed reduce/mask my RLS (I have been prone to episodes even when on the anti-depressant, however, eating a lovely iron-rich fillet steak would normally sort it) it will just go to show how different we all are & what works for one person may not work for another - A comment that is quite rightly stressed throughout many posts.

My body likes to be contrary!!

I have been feeling nauseous & with a strong metallic taste in my mouth* so am laying off the the iron bisglycinate for a few days. I am currently in temporary accommodation so haven't yet got a new GP in order to have serum ferritin, iron binding capacity, etc tested. It's on the 'to do' list.

*I think this taste may be exacerbated by the Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc complex I take so I may lay off this too.

Apologies that this post isn't really helpful to others especially those who have found Citalopram to exacerbate their RLS, however, it does help me to write the details & follow up on any helpful suggestions I receive from the community.

Best wishes.