RLS better but depression worse

So with my doctors help, I’ve decided to come off of Citalopram 40mg daily. My circumstances have greatly changed and I felt it was a good time to see if I could come off. I am completely weened off now. Surprisingly my RLS has been getting better but I’m now feeling that low mood and foggy feeling return again. I’m not sure what my next steps will be but I know that I will not be taking Citalopram again. Thoughts?

[Hidden]

I'm sorry it's such a struggle! I'm sure you've already thought of this, but have you told your doctor what you write here? I have depression as well, so I understand what a struggle it is to balance the two. I'm about to be weaned off of Lyrica because it's causing psychological havoc; I just hope it doesn't mess with my RLS too much.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I have told him. He is just not well versed on RLS and antidepressants that can be taken with it.

[RoadRunner44]

Aren't there other more friendly anti depressants available? I'm sure somebody posted a list of appropriate ones a while back. It might have been Manerva. If he's reading your post Im sure he will respond and advise you.

☺

[Hidden]

There are a few "RLS safe" antidepressants around. I'm afraid I don't know them all. Trazadone is one. Bupropion is another.

Bupropion is not that easily available. In the US you can get it as Wellbutrin.

I'm not sure how effective these are for depression however.

Your doctor should be advising you on non-pharmacological remedies for depression. As you're discovering, antidepressants often just mask it, not deal with it.

Antidepressants are best used as a short term measure for mild to moderate depression. They're not much use for severe depression.

Psychological therapies for mild to moderate depression are better in the long term.

Talking therapies e.g. counselling is helpful for single episode depression, usually due to a situation or event. CBT can help with recurrent or chronic depression.

If your depression is due to bipolar disorder, there are more appropriate medications.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I don’t suffer from depression caused by any circumstances. I don’t hold grudges with anyone, love those around me and am a very thankful person. I just struggle with energy and low mood. Feel pretty blah most of the time. No real highs and lows, just blah. I will ask about these mentioned.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I always think, but don't often say for fear of offense, but one man's depression is another man's normality.

Low energy and low mood is what most people might consider to be depression. If they're not, then I don't know what depression is.

What you describe about no real highs and lows could also fit in with what some ex opiate/cocaine users describe. These drugs damage people's physiological "reward" system which depends on dopamine, apparently irreversibly. Consequently, nothing is rewarding anymore.

[Hidden]

There are 3 anti-depressants considered RLS friendly. two that Manera mentioned, Trazadone, Wellbutrin and Remeron. One of them i hope will help you Or take the route manerva has suggested.

[Palamino]

I'm on sertraline and it's ok with my Rls I'm now on the nuepro patch which is also helping

[FluteE in reply to Palamino]

Beware of sertraline. It was the cause of my RLS. I had to come off of it so I could get some relief. The RLS was driving me mad! Off sertraline now and am taking Welbutrin. It doesn’t work quite as well as sertraline but at least I can function.

[Hidden in reply to FluteE]

Thank you for sharing!

[Hidden in reply to Palamino]

Thats' a tricky one. I had a course of an SSRI and I never associated it with my increasingly severe RLS. I srated on a dopamine agonist becasue it was so severe. If it hadn't been severe, I wouldn't have started on the DA.

Years later, now I've stopped the DA, I wonder if I'd stuck it out for a while after stopping the SSRI andf not started on the DA, then I wouldnt have become dependent on the DA for so many hears, suffered augmentation and chronic sleep deprivation because of it.

I wonder then, if I'd never started on the SSRI, then I may have never started on the DA.

[Pamsam]

Maybe just a lower dosage.

[marsha2306 in reply to Pamsam]

Regarding maybe a lower dose...Citalopram is known to be one of the antidepressants that make RLS worse. I was on 20 mg for years and had to come off for relief.

[DicCarlson]

Beware of dis-continuation syndrome when coming off anti-depressants - essentially your depression "coming back" but actually a reaction to discontinuing the drug. Depression and use of anti-depressants are temporary. Here's some strategies to help without drugs. I had a depression episode back in my 20s - before anti-depressants were invented - B Vitamins seemed to be the key to it lifting after a few months. drweil.com/health-wellness/...

[Hidden in reply to DicCarlson]

I had wondered how much of my fog was actually because I came off the drug. I’m beginning to feel a little clearer. Maybe I’ll see how things go. My issues for needing it in the first place was a low mood, lack of emotions, foggy throughout the day and very unfocused! I am a teacher so these things make life a little difficult some days. Like I said I’m feeling clearer the last few days so maybe I will wait and see. I’d rather not take anything.

[topaz70]

I am bipolar and had to come off all my medication including the ones for restless legs. My depression became severely worse. I started taking Wellbutrin about 6 months ago and this gave me some relief. I have read that Wellbutrin works for people with depression not related to bipolar. It might be worth talking to your doctor about taking this medication.

[Hidden in reply to topaz70]

I will speak with him about that. Thank you!

[bill54321]

I am 90 yrs old. Teach me why you have low moods. This is not a joke. I have war memories from Korea and lots of restrictions, but no low moods. Are you one to carry excess bad memories or can you let things go into one ear and out the other. If you give, do you expect any thing back.? If you want something, how do you go about getting it? Do you resent others or relatives from having more than you. I got up and used my up-walker and walked 1 block down a dirt road for the 1st time since Dec 2019. The sun will give me vit D3. I can not walk more than 5 feet without my small walker. If, I can walk 6 blocks by next Nov., I can go salmon fishing in Washington with 6 relatives. Are you planning something more than you can do now...Am I painting a positive picture?. Why not? Don't I deserve it?. Of course people are saying you are too old. Piss on that.I am going to live like Job and Soloman to 140 Yrs. old. They are just jealous. Why not.? Good food, exercise and 10 hrs sleep. Man, looking back is the pits. Please teach me how to get a gray low mood!!!!

[Hidden in reply to bill54321]

Thank you. I don’t suffer from depression caused by any circumstances. I don’t hold grudges with anyone, love those around me and am a very thankful person. I just struggle with energy and feeling emotionally void most of the time. It’s like somebody turned me down half way. My thoughts are foggy and I feel like my brain isn’t working right. I am thankful for what I have been blessed with and am as easy going as it gets. I’ve not had any trauma to speak of. I just want my brain to work right. I’m so glad you are pushing forward. My dad is a Vietnam Vet and I have a lot of respect for you vets! Thanks for fighting and still fighting!

[bill54321 in reply to Hidden]

I understand. Thank you. If I can help, let me know!

[Hidden in reply to bill54321]

I appreciate your story!

[Hidden in reply to bill54321]

Wonderful.

This shows how the way we interpret things and what we expect from the world and other people and ourselves, is an important determinant of how we experience things, how we feel and how we act.

This isnt a judgment, its an observation. The modern world seems to give us too many of the wrong messages about these things and I read that depression is on the increase, young people don't feel happy anymore , they just feel relieved.

CBT is a very useful tool in getting us to rethink our ideas about all those things that affect, basically, about how we feel about ourselves.

You can take drugs that artificially raise your mood, but they don't alter anything.

[marsha2306]

Citalopram makes RLS worse which is why that is better.

Ask your doctor if he/she will prescribe Wellbutrin (bupropion.) i had exactly the same situation.

[Hidden in reply to marsha2306]

Thank you. I will do that!

[agapepilgrim]

Wow. What a variety of responses. Some maddening, some sad, some frustrating, some hopeless. I am 73. Dealt with chemical depression, PTSD, bi-polar, anxiety disorder, major delayed sleep disorder, chemical imbalance depression, beginning dementia, short stay in mental health hospital, lost count of shrinks, counselors, etc. , all diagnosing me with different label and prescribing different psychotic medication. Latest one was neuropsychiatrist insisted by my neurologist who diagnosed me with chemical imbalances depression and neurogenerative disease bi-polar. He prescribed an anti epileptic med that made me suicidal. The shrink before that had a Genosight gene test done on me to see why all the meds I had tried caused suicide tendencies or fog or nothingness - except Celexa (citalooram). Sure enough I was missing some Alleles or something that made several drugs have negative effect on me such as Wellbutrin and Prozac and some others shrinks had insisted I try over the last 30 years. I have dealt with the “dark clouds” since childhood. Blame it on childhood abuse, etc etc etc (the shrinksvtokd me to write my survival story- I say why revisit it, God brought me through, that’s all that matters). But when a complete breakdown hit in ‘92 I started the meds. After much trial and error, Celexa is the only med that keeps the suicidal thoughts, crying, hopelessness, dark thoughts, hiding in a cave, low self- esteem, just let me die, Lord so the pain will stop, thoughts stay mostly bat bay. God and prayer and the Bible and inspiring books and this sight and outdoors and (when younger backpacking the AT trail,etc etc) did the rest. And 1 mg Xanax and low dose Lunesta and occasional Norco. Those meds didn’t start until MS and trauma go the best of me. My two brothers are also on an anti- depressant. It is scientifically proven some brains do NOT produce enough serotonin to stay in a level mood. They roller coast. People who say chill out or cheer up infuriate me. It’s like telling a blind man to see and the cripple child to walk. Or the MS patient to speak that word that just will not come out my mouth👹. No one understands unless they have walked a mile in our shoes. Chemical imbalance depression is as uncontrollably as a MS damaged CNS. So find a counselor who will give you the Genosight test for psychotic meds to see what doesn’t metabolize for you or had negative affects. Citalopram is the only one that works. I also take topamax (generic form) for RLS and migraines as side effect. Btw, this is just suggestions, not medical advice. My heart just goes out to you because of some of the response you received. I understand. You probably need an anti- depressant. Don’t give up

[Hidden in reply to agapepilgrim]

Wow, I'm sorry you've had such difficulties. It does seem to suggest that the guys that are supposed to be helping us with these kind of issues are just as mixed up and liable to depression as the rest of us In fact, apparently, more so.

[Hidden in reply to agapepilgrim]

Thank you for that. Blessings!

[Hidden in reply to agapepilgrim]

Thank you for sharing!

[Hidden in reply to agapepilgrim]

I’m so glad you continue to push on. Maybe writing your story isn’t necessary for you but it may be to others! I will ask about the test. Thank you for sharing!

[Sheridan55]

How long has it been since you stopped Citralopram?

It’s very hard to tell withdrawal mood changes from return to depression after a taper.

I tapered off sertraline 3 weeks ago. Besides the usual “brain zaps”, my mood disturbance was the most bothersome. Hopefully you can get through the mood changes (using all the healthy tools you have).

At some point, meds and RLS become a trade-off that you with your doc(s) have to decide.

[Hidden]

It’s been several months now. I actually am feeling better this week than last. I’m hoping that some of the fog is due to my body adjusting to functioning without the meds. Again, I had no RLS symptoms last night. That hasn’t happened in years and it’s happened multiple times over the last few weeks. My body is adjusting for sure. Don’t know where it will all end up but hopefully in a better place.

[LotteM in reply to Hidden]

Multiple times no RLS over the past few weeks.... Way to go meddersm! 🤞🏼

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Glad to hear it!👏

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

How are you doing today, Meddersm?