Which anti depressant would i choose

[Oscarsaurus]

I have had various symptoms going on lately and myself and my gp decided on HRT patches which were increased a month ago . However i have had very low mood bouts some of which are more than i can handle. I saw my gp again yesterday and he mentioned that maybe i needed to consider anti depressants as i wasnt handling things very well. Obviously my gp has considered other options for me ie speaking to a counsellor and visiting various sites . However like everything when we suffer from RLS we have to put that first and what these drugs will do to to make our symptoms worse. Any help would be appreciated

[Madlegs1]

This is a quote from "rls blogspot"

"The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are commonly used antidepressants and can be very helpful, even for people who have RLS. The SSRIs sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa) may be a good start and are less activating, or stimulating, than fluoxetine (Prozac) or venlafaxine (Effexor), which may cause anxiety. In the end, individuals will have very different responses to different antidepressants, so you may need to try more than one medicine to find one that works for you"

He makes the point that it is more important to desl with the depression than with the rls.

Not sure if he fully understands the full horror of rls!😜

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Madlegs1]

Thank you for your reply and yes i agree , some people just do not understand how severe our symptoms can be

[marsha2306 in reply to Oscarsaurus]

Citalopram, amitriptyline and Cymbalta ALL made my RLS worse! I take Wellbutrin with no problem because it’s not an SSRI or SNRI.

[Draughtsman]

RLS friendly AD 's are Wellbutrin ( not available in the UK) or Trazadone

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Draughtsman]

Thank you

[Hidden in reply to Oscarsaurus]

Also Remeron is considered RLS friendly. if you look at this website and the treatment page and scroll down you will find a list of things to avoid including info on anti-depressant's, rlshelp.org

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Hidden]

Thank you i will have a read

[Draughtsman in reply to Oscarsaurus]

Romeron is is ok for some but sent my mums legs nuts.Worth a try though as some are ok on it

[Hidden in reply to Draughtsman]

I can be trial and error on which anti-d's will be suitable.

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Hidden]

Thanks and yes you are right . Its a risk that maybe i will have to take . My gp did say that the HRT patches i use can take afew weeks to really kick in but to just consider anti depressants if i was still feeling the same . Just a waiting game now

[Parminter]

Trazodone, Wellbutrin, Lamotrigine, carbamazepine, Depakote.

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Parminter]

Thanks

[Hidden]

I just wanted to say that I empathize with you and wish you luck.

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Hidden]

Thank you thats very kind. I think i have felt that maybe my dark moments will pass or that i could cope with them but obviously i cant. Its like my doctor said , i need to be the best of me and if i am having these bouts then im not the best of me

[Hidden in reply to Oscarsaurus]

Yep, I know what you mean. They are not easy to deal with, that’s for sure! Are you familiar with the different talk therapies (CBT, DBT, etc.)?

[martino]

I take nortriptyline for neuropathic pain. It hasn’t affected my legs

[Oscarsaurus in reply to martino]

Is that not in the amitriptyline family because it sounds similar or it is probably not connected at all

[CindyPatt]

Definitely NOT Cymbalta! Switched from Prozac to Cymbalta over a 6 week period and my RLS increased significantly! I was getting only 4-5 hrs of sleep a night and one night was only 1 hour until I realized it was the Cymbalta. It is also very constipating. I’m better on a low dose of Prozac-10 mg.

[Oscarsaurus in reply to CindyPatt]

Thanks i will definitely give that a miss

[martino]

Yes so I am very pleased that I am not adversely affected. Whilst this type of med can aggravate Restless legs not everyone is troubled. I have a small dose which I take about bed time as it helps me get to sleep. It may lift my mood but I have always been a half full person! I hope you get something to help. Citalopram is often used I know to elevate low spirits. I hope you get something to help

[Oscarsaurus in reply to martino]

Thanks and you are right , everyone reacts differently to different drugs but if there is that chance i really do not want to give it a go...i think sleep deprivation is the last thing i need at the minute

[martino in reply to Oscarsaurus]

So much for smugness! I was woken last night with my leg jumping. I am away on holiday at the moment. All my various meds are with me but something went wrong yesterday. I was in the pool so I am blaming that, eating later and caffeinated coffee (one mug). It is probably something else but being reacquainted with sleep deprivation is not much fun.

[Oscarsaurus in reply to martino]

Perhaps your anti depressants hadnt had chance to actually get into your system before but now they have . I am so sorry for you but my RLS actually kicked in last May when i was on holiday so i sympathize

[Hidden]

Something you might be interested in is the newest research into how your gut and its bacteria affect absolutely everything health related, and specifically your brain and depression. Here's a link with some info about that- gutbiome.net/gut-biome-and-... Our typical diets of processed foods with loads of refined flour and sugar destroy the gut leaving us with all kinds of health related issues.

The mainstream medical community won't latch onto any of this any time soon, I don't imagine, but lots of people are finding out, changing their diets and regaining their health. Doctors want to throw prescriptions at symptoms, but if you are willing to give it a go and haven't already, you might want to try a low carb high fat diet to greatly reduce if not eliminate grains and starchy vegetables, increase healthy fats, and start taking probiotics to help heal your gut and see what happens.

You have to do your own research since like I said, most doctors only know what drug companies tell them. Here's the LCHF forum here- healthunlocked.com/lchf-diet. It's becoming more and more clear that people can take charge of their own health by just changing how they eat, and depression is one thing that you have a good chance of overcoming. And I believe there are quite a few people on here that have experienced lessened RLS jerking around with a low carb diet; I'm one of them. I actually sleep through most of the night now. I am completely convinced that our modern, highly processed, grain-heavy diets are responsible for a huge chunk of our health issues. There have been quite a few posts here on SIBO- small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and its connection with RLS. There has to be something to all this. I wish you well!

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Hidden]

Thanks i did consider a high protein diet because i want to lose weight but at the moment i am constantly tired so i decided maybe not . Therefore i decided to try just low carbs which i am doing at the mo plus going to the gym when my not so good back allows. I am also having swimming lessons . I have read on here many times about various diets so i will look into them

[Parminter]

Oscarsaurus, have you had things like thyroid hormone checked? Including T3?

I wish you well.

[Oscarsaurus in reply to Parminter]

I had it checked not so long ago but thank you

[kirash]

I take Venlafaxine in the form of Effexor and my doctor reckons it could be contributing to RL but won't touch it. She has however changed a couple of other meds for blood pressure