RLS and Medication

[Josana13]

Madlegs, Sue Johnson, Joolsg,Ladies, first I wish to thank you for all the help you give us. You are heaven sent angels

I have been having RLS every night. I have to keep walking all night. It lasts till 7 AM.

It was recommended that I discuss my medications with you ladies.

The following are all the medications that I am taking for Thyroid, blood pressure, depression, and severe pain.

Levothyroxine Thyroid Hypothyroidism

Busperone. Depression and sleep

Chromium. Energy

Lisonopril. Blood pressure

Bupropion Depression

Gabapentin. RLS

Amiodipin. Blood pressure

Hydralazine. Blood pressure

Famotidine. Nausea

Quetiapine. Sleep

OxyCodone. Severe pain

Calcium

Iron

D3

Magnesium

Multi Vitamins

I pray that yous can tell me if any of the medications affecting RLS. Thank you again for all your help.

[Madlegs1]

Hi Josana.That's a long list of medications.

I can give you a tip to check for yourself.

Type into your search engine ( Google or opera or whatever you use). The "medication and rls"

This will give you a broad range of situations of which meds have a bad effect on RLS.

In general, most antidepressants and antihistamines set the fizzies off.

There is a list on the RLS UK website and I'm sure there is also one on the USA site.

Good luck with your travelling!👍

[Josana13 in reply to Madlegs1]

Hi Madlegs1, I forgot what I was going to ask you. This not sleeping bull messes with my memory. I will get back at you if I remember. You are awesome Madlegs1, you help so many people and I Thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you and kept you safe.

[Pippins2 in reply to Madlegs1]

Madlegs another member imagining you dancing in your kilt as you are referred to as a lady 😅

[Madlegs1 in reply to Pippins2]

Ah! I didn't want to embarrass them!😍👍Keep well yourself. 💚

[SueJohnson]

Levothyroxine - makes RLS worse

Did you mean Lisinopril - if so probably OK

Did you mean Buspirone - if so it is OK

Did you mean Amlodipine - if so not OK . It is a calcium channel blocker and they make RLS worse.

Bupropion - OK

Hydralazine - can't find anything

Famotidine - interferes with absorption of iron - several people of the forum have said it makes RLS worse. Safe ones are Kytril (Sustol, Granisetron, Sancuso), Anzemet (Dolasetron), and Zofran (ondansetron) .

Quetiapine - makes RLS worse - for insomnia I would suggest ativan or ambien.

A safe blood thinner is dipyridamole but you need to ask your doctor if that is appropriate for you.

[smilingjane in reply to SueJohnson]

OMG SueThis is the first time that I have read Levothyroxin makes RLS worse.I started taking Levo' when My thyroid stopped working 33 years ago.

My RLS has been with me ever since. ( I did have it to a smaller degree before that). I am going to research now. Do you have any evidence of studies regatding Levo' and RLS? I would be greatfull if you could pass them on. I am shocked.

Jane 😊

[Butterflysun1 in reply to SueJohnson]

hi all, a couple of comments. Not all antinausea meds are equal, their use depends on the reason for the nausea which has many causes. Famotidine works to reduce acid in the stomach.

Levothyroxine I don’t understand though I would never discount a personal experience. It is a direct substitute for the thyroxine the body no longer produces. Obviously there is no way it can be stopped, otherwise the body stops functioning.

Calcium channel blockers don’t all make RLS worse eg Amlodipine. I take Diltiazem ( different type ) & tried without it & it made no difference.

A good idea to ask for a general medical review of all prescribed meds. Some of them look like much more likely culprits than others eg quetiapine

[smilingjane in reply to SueJohnson]

Sue, had a thought.

Not sure if you will know the answer.

I take Levothyroxin and have RLS ...

I also take Liothyronine for my underactive thyroid. Do you know if that too exasperates RLS ?

This knowledge re Levo and RLS has completely shockeed me.

Is there anyone else out there that has swopped thyroid meds for NDT for example because of this?

🤔

[Hidden in reply to smilingjane]

if you look at RKM7’s response below you will see she takes her pills in the morning and avoids the problem.

[smilingjane in reply to Hidden]

SalemLake, I spotted that. Unfortunately I have RLS 24/7 which is unusual. So I need to take meds to cover that.

I am going to research and try to establish whethet Liothyronine is also an issue for RLS sufferers.

😊

[SueJohnson in reply to smilingjane]

Thyroid problems don't cause RLS although they often exist along with RLS and can make RLS worse.

[smilingjane in reply to SueJohnson]

Hi Sue Yes. I realise the potential to co-exist.

I want to establish if Liothyronine medication can exasperate RLS.

If Levo' can then can Liothyronine?

If this is the case I may be looking at trialing NDT.

😊

[SueJohnson in reply to smilingjane]

Yes it can make RLS worse for many.

[smilingjane in reply to SueJohnson]

Do you happen to know if NDT also may exasperate RLS?🤔

[SueJohnson in reply to smilingjane]

What is NDT?

[smilingjane in reply to SueJohnson]

Natural Desicated Thyroid. (Pigs thyroid glands). It's what people took for underactive thyroid glands before Levo etc was invented. Pigs glands sare pretty much bio-identical to humans.

Many people prefer to use that instead of Levothyroxin. I think the change to synthetic Levo' was swopped by the medical model around the 1970s.

Its generally as far as I know only available privately now.

😊

[SueJohnson in reply to smilingjane]

I have no idea.

[RKM7]

I agree! This forum is a lifesaver and the people you listed are highly informed and helpful!

I can only share my experience with Levothyroxin and Losartan (blood pressure med).

I take levothyroxin first thing in the morning and thankfully don’t experience any restless legs. However….timing is everything! I took my levothyroxin before bed one time because I had heard it was more effective when taken at that time. HUGE mistake! My legs were terrible and I was up all night. Learn from me…only take it in the morning. For those of us with hypothyroidism and RLS we don’t have many options.

I also take my blood pressure medicine (Losartan) in the morning. Same reason….no problem if taken in the morning but up all night if taken in the evening.

[Hidden in reply to RKM7]

Hi RKM7, are you still off the iron and berberine and only on Gabapentin?

[RKM7 in reply to Hidden]

Hi SalemLake, I’m no longer taking the berberine. I’m still on the Gabapentin and iron. My experience is that any strong trigger like levothyroxin or Losartan in the evening are not relieved with the Gabapentin or iron.

[Hidden in reply to RKM7]

Holy you know what. Do you have any idea how many people who are predisposed to RLS, but otherwise asymptomatic, take certain medications (in some cases simply at the wrong time) and then go on to be prescribed DAs or opiates? Then you know the rest. They down-regulate their receptors and have to struggle to get back to baseline. Do you feel the berberine helped to up-regulate your receptors or simply time?

[RKM7 in reply to Hidden]

Sadly yes! I will always wish I had never taken ropinerole! At this point it’s hard for me to say with absolute certainty that the berberine helped to up-regulate my receptors but I have felt improvement over time. I am definitely glad I tried the berberine.

[Josana13 in reply to RKM7]

I took Pramipexole 1.5 mg for many years and then i augmented. What is berberine?

[Hidden in reply to RKM7]

Hi RKM7, we are badly in need of an update from you. Your story will give so many hope.

[Josana13 in reply to RKM7]

This is amazing. Where else would have I found this information? . I am taking Amiodipine. Is that the same Losartan? Thank you so much for your post.

[Josana13 in reply to RKM7]

Is Losartan the same as Amlodipine? If so, I just started taking Amlodipine and RLS through the roof. Can't even sit. Almost have to run in place all night. So I get on stationary bike. It is so hard to keep sane from not sleeping. I think I already have brain damage because I forget everything and do the same thing over again. I have a jewelry home business that I am screwing up. I did inventory, forgot I started it and started again, go figure.

[Madlegs1 in reply to Josana13]

I take Amlodipine 5mg in the evening, with no bad effects.Mind you, I'm also on 25mg of opioids, so that might wash over any rls effect of the Amlopidine.?

[Butterflysun1 in reply to Josana13]

Amlodipine & losartan are completely different. Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker, Losartan is an ACE inhibitor. Both reduce BP ( amongst other separate actions ) but both do it by a completely different method & can be prescribed in combination

[Josana13 in reply to RKM7]

Thank you so much. I took them this morning today. Let's see how things go tonight.

[Butterflysun1]

hi, see my reply after Sue’s message.

I would advise you now ask for a full medical medication review to see if your drug regime can be altered but all the alternatives suggested might not work for you as will depend on the reason you have the condition you are on it for.

I mentioned the calcium antagonist Diltiazem doesn’t appear to affect my RLS but there are people who can’t take it due to other underlying conditions - it slows heart rate for a start.

It will be a bit of a painstaking process coming up with a new regime & making sure that the new treatments in combination don’t interact with each other

[Josana13 in reply to Butterflysun1]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will do that.

[nick-the-turk]

Can't help you with your medications but 100% agree that these on here are ANGEL'S and I applaud you for all your help

[Meeemeeee]

Hi sorry I'm replying a bit late. I was on quetipine and had horrendous rls. My Dr changed me from normal quetipine to the slow release quetipine and also gave me 80mg of propananol to take at night with the quetipine. I also take 1000 of magnesium supplements. My rls only occasionally flares up now. I also find cooling my legs helps when it does 😀👍