Antibiotics and RLS

[Jelbea]

I am posting this information in case it may help someone else on the site. About two weeks ago I developed a patch of cellulitis on my right cheek. I was prescribed antibiotics by my GP. I am allergic to penicillin and so I was given Clarithromycin and metronidazole as a seven-day course.

After a couple of days my RLS became almost constant in spite of 800 mcg daily of sublingual buprenorphine. I have been unable to sleep - just about two hours each night. The RLS symptoms are also in my arms and body at times. The tablets were finished on Tuesday lunch-time but I am still suffering the RLS. The other side effects of these two drugs were nausea and dizziness +++.

I looked on the internet this morning to see what I could find and apparently a large percentage of antibiotics can trigger symptoms in the nervous system (which of course includes RLS). It may improve on stopping the drugs but sometimes does not. As well I have had two bad migraine headaches which have also been triggered by the antibiotics.

If anyone has any suggestions to help me I should be very glad to hear from you. I have started SYMPROVE probiotic to-day. This is the one which Joolsg finds very useful and I am hoping that this may help.

Anyhow I thought what I have found out may be of interest. Cellulitis, of course, can be a very serious illness and one has no option but to treat it. However, it seems very unfair that we RLS sufferers are forced to suffer even more and the doctors treating us have no idea or desire to help. Good Wishes to All

[Madlegs1]

Horrible experience, I do hope you get some relief soon.

All the best.

[Jelbea in reply to Madlegs1]

Thanks Madlegs. This morning I am feeling a bit better and certainly got a bit more rest last night.

[Joolsg]

Oh no! I really hope it settles down soon. Cellulitis is nasty.

[Jelbea in reply to Joolsg]

Hi Joolsg. Starting to feel a bit more normal and more sleep last night, so hopefully things going back to normal on the buprenorphine front. Good Wishes

[Strike26]

hi - unfortunately, I don’t have any suggestions beyond what you mention and increasing any meds or treatments that are safe to take. I am also strongly allergic to penicillin (nearly killed me when I was 5 years old) and antibiotics in general are a nightmare for me but occasionally the only option available. When I have to take them, all RLS meds cease to work. Then it is a case of waiting up to a week for them to kick back in. As an observation I find that strange as most antibiotics are short lived in the body so logically after 24 hours things should return to normal with Gabapentin (in my case) significantly reducing the RLS- just doesn’t work that way- I assume the med has to build up again but wonder why antibiotics seem able to kill it off so completely. Horrible experience- hope you are okay soon.

[Jelbea in reply to Strike26]

Hello Strike26 - Thank you so much for your response. Antibiotics are a nightmare for me also and I posted up the details in case it might be of help to someone else going through similar. I am really glad to say that this morning I feel more OK and did get better sleep last night, so hopefully things are going back to normal. Again thanks for your help and good wishes

[RLSLearner]

Sorry to hear this. Many people labeled penicillin allergic actually are not. Not for someone with Strike26 experience but I think there was a study released from Australia about a program working out, safely, if people truely are allegoric. But maybe you would have had the same experience with penicillin?

[Jelbea in reply to RLSLearner]

Hello RLSLearner - I am definitely penicillin allergic. This began when I was 21 (60 years ago). About 20 years ago I required an antibiotic and my then GP decided I was probably not pen. allergic and assured me that the "new" penicillins would be OK for me. I took one of the tablets and suffered the most horrendous migraine headache. I have suffered lots of bad migraines but this was in a class by itself. I was rolling round in agony with my husband and sister looking on and not knowing what to do and it lasted hours. When the GP heard after the weekend she said "yes you are allergic to penicillin and never take it again". It was a hard way to find out!

Fortunately I seem to be improving and really just posted up the details in case it would help anyone else with similar experience.

Thank you again and good wishes

[restlessstoz]

Hi, I'm just posing a thought here. With so much not known about the gut biome, I wonder if the antibiotics destroy the beneficial bacteria which are helping the gut absorb medication thus causing an increase in symptoms. Once the gut biome is reestablished, the foods/medications can be absorbed properly and symptoms reduce. May include things like iron as well...

[Joolsg in reply to restlessstoz]

Jelbea has just started Symprove, a really good pro biotic. Hopefully that will restore healthy gut microbiome asap.

[Jelbea in reply to restlessstoz]

Hi restlessstoz - Thanks for your reply and your thoughts would seem to have a good basis. As Joolsg has said I have started on Symprove and hope this will help to recreate a good healthy gut microbiome.

Hoping all these thoughts help anyone else going through the horrific 10 days or so which I have just experienced and good wishes to you

[Jeepgirl7]

ty for sharing. I thought I was crazy. I too am experiencing crazy nights of mania (insomnia) and RLS on Flagyl. I took it right when I went to bed to help get some sleep before waking with RLS about every 2 hrs on Flagyl. This adjustment was the only minor relief. I have never experienced a med increasing my RLS to this extent. It has been hell, and similar truths to what others wrote in. Took a probiotic (suggested by Dr) and it helped constipation of course, but also subsided the RLS a bit compared to other nites. I’ll be sure to avoid this one next time as I already have difficulty w RLS, and am med sensitive and can easily have sleep disruptions. Thank You so much for writing in, as I was up at 3 looking for info and connections on this.

[Myturn1st]

I am up searching the internet in hopes of finding anyone else that has made the connection between rls being made worse by taking antibiotics. So happy to find your post.. Its been a true nightmare not being able to sleep more then two hours at a time bc of the worse restless legs I’ve ever experienced. It’s like the med that I take for rls is useless right now. How are you now? Did the probiotics help?

[Jelbea in reply to Myturn1st]

Hi Myturn1st - I have answered your private message. The Symprove probiotic did not help and I had to stop taking it unfortunately. I am really sensitive to all medications and seem to develop all side effects. This was confirmed by a hospital pharmacist the last time I was in hospital.

Hope you are feeling better and things have settled.