I’ve been taking Amitriptilene for RLS and Insomnia but had dreadful side effect, despite a very low dose!
Now another doctor tells me Amitriptilene has links with dementia and has put me on Pregablin instead! Has anyone experience of the effectiveness of this drug and side effects, please?
Many thanks !
Pregabalin or Gabapentin are both now used as first line meds for RLS.
They do have side effects, but as with all medications, they vary according to person.
You will be starting at a low dose and going up, so will be able to see how you get on.
There are very few alternatives for RLS, so do try to weather out any initial distress. Usually it gets better after a few weeks.
Also Keep in mind that rls has "side effects"-- so - which is worse?🥴
Do read any of Sue Johnson's replies to posts over the last while. They have a huge amount of great advice for sufferers.
Basically - check ferritin levels, and keep a food diary for possible triggers.
All the best.
Pregabalin can be very effective. It will take 3 weeks before it is fully effective. After that increase it by 25 mg every couple of days until you find the dose that works for you. Take it 1 to 2 hours before bedtime. Most of the side effects of will disappear after a few weeks and the few that don't will usually lessen. Those that remain are usually worth it for the elimination of the RLS symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS: "Most RLS patients require 200 to 300 mg pregabalin daily." If you take magnesium don't take it within 3 hours of taking gabapentin as it will interfere with the absorption of the gabapentin. Check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know including about its treatment and refer your doctor to it if needed as many doctors do not know much about RLS or are not uptodate on it at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a...
Improving your ferritin to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS and in some cases completely eliminates their symptoms. When you see your doctor ask for a full iron panel. Stop taking any iron supplements 48 hours before the test, fast after midnight and have your test in the morning when your ferritin is lowest. When you get the results, ask for your ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) numbers. You want your transferrin saturation to be over 20% but less than 45%. If your ferritin is less than 100 or your transferrin saturation is not between 20 and 45 post back here and we can give you some advice.
Are you taking any other medicines or OTC supplements. If you list them here I can tell you whether any make RLS worse and perhaps can provide a safe substitute.
Thanks for your reply.
I am taking....
Apixaban
Rosuvastatin
Tildiem (calcium channel blocker for AF)
Fostair inhaler
Vit D
Rosuvastatin, while not being as bad as Atorvastatin, exacerbated my RLS and made me tired. (Some people report no issues with Rosuvastatin: depends on your sensitivity to statins)
My GP switched me to Ezetimibe, which while being probably slower acting against cholesterol than statins has fewer side effects and doesn't trigger RLS for me.
All statins and calcium channel blockers are bad for RLS unfortunately. The other two are probably OK.
I take Diltiazem ( a calcium channel blocker ) for high BP. There is no alternative for the 3 tablet combination I am on as all alternatives have been tried & have been on them for 30+ years. My RLS did not start same time as starting diltiazem. I tested it out for several weeks not taking it a few years ago & it made no difference to my RLS at all. Everyone is different. The risks tabs are risks but not definites but worth of course thinking about
amitriptyline can cause/make restless legs much worse for some people.
weight gain perhaps
read up on magnesium it works great! You could be deficient.
Amitriptilene made my RLS far worse so I am now on gabapentin.
I started 50 mg pregabalin 3 days ago. Gabapentin made me so dizzy, felt like a rock rolling around in my head. Pregabalin makes me slightly fuzzy. Guess need to take it earlier as some nights I'm already rubbing my legs together like a cricket before it kicks in. Will wait 10 days to see if things improve, then up dose. 11 days off pramipexole.
pregablin from Gabapentin 
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