I am a 65yr old male. For many years I’ve suffered with poor sleep, basically tossing and turning from side to side in an attempt to sleep and scratching my head and other places in my legs. Basically I just have the urge to move after a few minutes. This happens regardless of whether I’ve worked hard in the day or just sat around. Over the past week it’s got significantly worse such that I can’t lat down for any time at night and get a couple of hours of sleep at 6am ish . I then found this forum in my desperation to understand what’s going on. I hadn’t heard of RLS before that. A couple of nights ago I didn’t get any sleep at all and was beside my self with worry and exhaustion.
I got a telephone consultation with a doctor. She prescribed Imipramine. I read that is a no no so haven’t taken it. ( yet). She gave me Temezepam to allow me to get to sleep. I could t get this quickly so took Zopiclone to get to sleep 7.5mg and that worked. The next night after an exhausting day of walking ( not drinking any decaf coffee that I normally consume or any alcohol all day ( ginger beer and apple juice only) with a steak and chips at. 2pm only) I tried to sleep naturally but couldn’t so took the Temazepam which eventually worked ( but not quickly).
I’ve got a blood test scheduled for 09.30 am in two days time
Question 1. Is it okay to take these sleeping pills if I have RLS. And if so should I take them in the evening and wait until I feel sleepy or take them and go to bed directly ( the latter doesn’t seem to work). I need some sleep. I can’t seem to get to sleep now naturally. I think Benzodiazepines like Temezepam are listed as okay short term solutions ? But Zopiclone isn’t a benzodiazepine
Question 2. Am I right to not take Imipramine and ask the Doctor to prescribe Gabapentin or Pregabalin ( medics don’t like being told what to do though so I’m coming to try to be as diplomatic as possible) I guess the blood test may show low Fe ?
I’m taking Boots Mg tablets in the morning 2x 375 mg. I’ve bought Fe Bisglycinate tablets but won’t take them until after my blood test.
I have read many of the posts here so know about ferritin levels and have read the list of medicines that aren’t recommended ( Zopiclone isn’t on it ?)
thank you for any advice.
Written by
Worriedanddesperate
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I take Simvastatin (40mg) each day. Question - Should I stop taking this immediately or consult my doctor. (maybe I can try to control my cholesterol a bit with diet and exercise instead ?)
I also used antihistamines like Piriton and Loratidine in this last summer. I won’t do that again.
Don't stop anything immediately and yes consult your doctor. Nexlizet (Nustendi (UK) is a cholesterol lowering drug that is not a statin, but I don’t know if it exacerbates RLS symptoms. Ezetimibe (Zetia) - reduces cholesterol although It doesn't reduce cholesterol as fast as the statins, but according to Chris Columbus it didn't trigger his RLS and then there is Triglide which seems safe. You might want to discuss these with your doctor. A more difficult way to reduce cholesterol is to go vegan. My husband lowered his cholesterol from 221 to 131 this way.
Zoplicon can’t really be taken more than 2 weeks at a time because it then starts to cause sleep disturbances. Benzodiazepines are great but highly addictive and hard to come off of. Take them sporadically and not at the same time of day
A couple of weeks ago I went on holiday and was ‘happy’ with alcohol every night for two weeks. ( I usually have 3-4 beers on weekend nights only). When I came home I had a cold so took night nurse but it affected me so I only took it one night ( used to help years ago but eventually I stopped using it as it made me uneasy in the night). I’m wondering if both these events were triggers to my recent increased RLS if I now avoid alcohol and NN totally should I revert to just poor sleep rather than complete lack of - ie will my RLS subside a bit ?
Joolsg - yes I will keep a log of what I eat, drink do each day. Thank you.
Night Nurse contains Promethazine which is a sedating antihistamine and as you found makes RLS worse. Most night time formulas contain diphenhydramine another one that makes RLS worse. Always go for the daytime ones.
I also have found Night Nurse to make things worse, it'll dry my nose if I have a cold (which of course helps sleep if your nose isn't running all night!) but then I almost certainly wake with RLS at around 2.30-3am, so it's counter intuitive to take it to help me sleep! I don't have problems with non sedating antihistamines, but something in the Night Nurse is a trigger and not worth taking for me, which is a real shame!
Temazepam can make you incredibly drowsy, but doesn't stop the awful leg sensations, or the urge to move, so be wary of falls in the night. Hopefully your appointment will go well. Make sure the blood test includes serum ferritin ( GPs have to ask specifically for it).
And let us know what results show.
Also, coffee, caffeine and alcohol are not triggers for everyone. Keep a diary to see what, if anything, food or drink wise, triggers it.
So is Zopiclone a better sleeping aid than Temezepam? When I took Zopiclone it got me to sleep eventually. Temezepam made me fell uneasy but worked eventually. So I guess the answer is obvious ?
To elaborate on what Joolsg said and you may know this since you said you know about ferritin: Improving your ferritin to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS and in some cases completely eliminates their symptoms. If not when you see your doctor ask for a full iron panel. Stop taking any iron supplements including multivitamins that have iron in them 48 hours before the test, don't eat a heavy meat meal the night before, fast after midnight and have your test in the morning before 9 am if possible. 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% and your ferritin to be at least 100. If they are not, post them here and we can give you some advice.
If you and your doctor decide you need medicine to control your RLS above all don't let your doctor prescribe a dopamine agonist like ropinirole (requip) or pramipexole (mirapex). They used to be the first line treatment for RLS, but no longer are because of the danger of augmentation. Instead ask your doctor to prescribe gabapentin or pregabalin. If you are prescribed gabapentin or pregabalin, check back here for more information on the best way to take it and what not to take with it.
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...
Meanwhile some things that can make RLS symptoms worse for some people are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, carbs, foods high in sodium(salt), foods that cause inflammation, ice cream, eating late at night, dehydration, MSG, collagen supplements, electrolyte imbalance, melatonin, eating late at night, stress and vigorous exercise.
Some things that help some people include caffeine, moderate exercise, weighted blankets, compression socks, elastic bandages, masturbation, magnesium glycinate, fennel, low oxalate diet, selenium, 5 minute shower alternating 20 seconds cold water with 10 seconds hot water finishing with hot water for another couple of minutes, hot baths, distractions, CBD, applying a topical magnesium lotion or spray, doing a magnesium salts soak, vitamins B1, B3, B6, B12, D3, K2, if deficient, and potassium and copper if deficient, massage including using a massage gun, vibration devices like therapulse, using a standing desk, listening to music, meditation and yoga. Keep a food diary to see if any food make your RLS worse.
Many medicines and OTC supplements can make RLS worse. If you are taking any and you list them here, I can tell you if any make RLS symptoms worse and if so may be able to give you a safe substitute.
A while back I was prescribed both of these and for sure they helped me fall asleep and they did not affect my RLS in any way. However, I recall that the sleep “quality” from either drugs was not good and I was fatigued the following day - especially from the Temezepam. They’re worth a try but I personally wouldn’t consider them for long term use.
Both temazepam and zoplicone might help short term but long term quite addictive and become inaffective. Hopefully your RLS with settle with some iron in time and you wont need sleepers anymore.
Hello. I take Temazapam 15 mg each night to help me sleep with no issues. I have been taking it for about 6 months. It seems to help a bit, but I still have nights when I can’t get to sleep. I also take 500 mg of Pregabalin for RLS. That seems to work about 8 or 9 nights out of 10. I had taken 600 mg, but it really made me groggy during the daytime. Good luck to you!
One note of importance as a follow up to my prior post regarding Temazapam……it can be a very difficult drug to stop. It is a Benzo much like Xanax and can have terrible withdrawal side effects. Something to consider.
Been taking zoplicone on and off for last 20 yrs. Currently being prescribed twelve 10mg tablets to use throughout the month. I've found they rarely work well on back to back nights, especially if you're coming off a previous good night of sleep. Works well to get me to sleep but often doesn't last. Upon Dr's suggestion I've divided the dose in two, taking the other half upon waking middle of night. Mixed results. Best for days you can sleep in. Tolerence can be a problem without breaks. Ive gained some weight over the years so 10mg doesn't hit the same as at a lower weight. Never had a problem quitting for months at a time. My own rule now is. If I dont feel sleepy at bedtime I skip it. My history shows it won't help me sleep. Sounds counterproductive to the end goal but it is what it is.
I've been doing some research and found that antidepressants that increase Serotonin will exasperate rls. I was taking fluoxetine for many years and have now gotten off of it. This has totally changed my rls. I was prescribed Mirapex for my rls and was taking at least 2 and sometimes 4 tablets a night. After getting off of the antidepressants I now am down to only 1 mirapex. Tonight I'm going to try to take only 1/2 a pill. I also use zopiclone for sleeping for about 8 years and it works ok for me. I take 1/2 zopiclone at bedtime and usually wake up at about 1am to pee and then take the other half. Hope this helps.
My blood tests showed Fe levels all as expected. After starting to eat only simple plain foods with no alcohol my RLS subsided and sleep improved. However after many weeks of checking my sleep (smart watch) and carefully controlling my diet by introducing one food at a time I have discovered that the bad actor in this is Chocholate. If I eat milk/dark chocolate then I get restless legs through the evening and at night. I did extensive tests of abstinence and careful reintroduction and know 100% it’s chocholate that triggers my restless legs. I can eat sugary foods sweets etc but that just keeps me awake but no restless legs. White chocolate is similar so I can eat that in moderation. So it’s something in chocolate, cocoa solids that is the trigger ? I have stopped eating chocholate now and am sleeping better than I have in many many years.
I tried reducing screen time, evening baths, Mg, Fe, digestive additives etc and nothing worked until I discovered the effects of chocholate. No wonder I was worse at Christmas.
I have found that eating one chocolate bar has the bad effect on me ( I’m not gorging on chocholate if that’s what you are thinking !! ).
Laughingly, when I was getting up in the middle of the night as I couldn’t sleep due to restless legs I was making a milky cocoa drink to help me sleep - everyone knows cocoa at bedtime helps you sleep right 😂
I hope this information helps someone. We all know that checking diet is importantly to find bad actors but it takes discipline and good method but it’s well worth doing to identify any food issues.
Incidentally, I had a food intolerance test but that showed no effect by cocoa !! Though I had stopped eating chocolate many weeks earlier.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
RLS CURE
Had enough
Ropinirole Cold Turkey
Waking up with RLS (need advice—taking pregabalin)
