BBC2's Horizon 9pm last night was about dopamine overload in the brain and the use of anti-psychotic drugs to reduce it.

[Pramipexoleaddict]

After watching this I'm wondering If this means that RLS sufferers should avoid anti-psychotics? I was put on Motivil (spelling maybe wrong) for suspected IBS, at the time when my RLS was getting worse around 10 years ago whilst on a low dose of pramipexole.

I only took the Motivil for a couple of weeks because they were making me incapable of staying awake and I didn't have IBS anyway!

Am I right in thinking that these drugs were working against each other, and is it possible that taking these exacerbated my RLS or am I just a confused old man😳

[Pippins2]

Hi yes anti psychotic meds will worsenRLS but unfortunately sometimes they are necessary .Do you mean Movicol? X

[Pramipexoleaddict in reply to Pippins2]

No definitely Motivil, an an anti-psychotic. movicol is sometimes prescribed for IBS I know, but not for me

[2everett]

Akathesia

I saw a documentary about this condition on RT news two days ago. I believe it comes from anti-psychotic drugs. It remember me very much of my RLS symptoms. I have taken anti/depressants and wondered if there could be a link.

[involuntarydancer]

It sounds more like your doctors are confused than you ... treating you with a drug for IBS when you don't have it

[Pramipexoleaddict in reply to involuntarydancer]

Yes indeed!

Thankfully I have relocated and am now with a different practice. Not that the doctors there are any better!

Strangely, I've never thought about this before - ever wondered why they are called "practices"? Suddenly its all become much clearer!

[nightdancer]

On this thread it does need to be mentioned that there are some anti psychotics that CAN be used with RLS, and some that will make it 100 times worse. Suggest you see the drugs to avoid list on rlshelp.org on the treatment page. It is based out of the US., but has med treatments and non med ideas, as well as the classes of drugs to avoid when you have RLS. Some antidepressants are ok, and some are not, like the SSRI's, the tricyclics, and so on. The true anti psychotics can cause Akathesia, which MAY look like RLS, but the anti psychotic effect is involuntary movement that you cannot control. My nephew has many issues, and one of those is being schizophrenic, and we have been thru the mill with him, as far as the anti-psychotics. Caused dramatic head and neck movements, and he bashed his head against the wall, but it is involuntary. Not the URGE to move that you cannot ignore that you get with RLS.