clonazepam

[jinolke]

I have had RLS for 3 or 4 years now and have tried different drug therapies. I have been on gabapentin for more than a year or two but was not happy with the side effects (fogginess and inability to concentrate). At my most recent visit with my neurologist he recommended that I try clonazepam. I have been on it for about a week and the side effects are much worse than any with gabapentin. I feel very anxious and on the verge of depression. Does anyone in the RLS community have experience with this drug as a therapy for RLS?

[amrob123]

I have used it for periodic limb movement disorder as a supplement to pregabalin and only ever at a low dose (0.125mg - 0.25mg). I quite like it except I can feel lethargic/ overly sedated the next day.

What dose of gabapentin were you on?

Are you off gabapentin completely? Did you reduce slowly as withdrawal can induce a whole range of symptoms including anxiety and depression?

[jinolke in reply to amrob123]

Yes I am off the gabapentin for about two weeks. My dosage was 1500mg total taken three times in the evening.

[amrob123 in reply to jinolke]

Coming off cold turkey increases the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms. The recommended method is to reduce by 10% of your starting dose each month. It may be, but i'm not convinced it's the clonazepam that's causing your depression/anxiety. In fact clonazepam is sometimes used to treat anxiety. It may take time for these symptoms to settle.

[jinolke in reply to amrob123]

Thanks amrob123 for your insight.

[SueJohnson in reply to jinolke]

If you didn't wean off it slowly the side effects you think are from clonazepam are probably from the gabapentin withdrawal.

[jinolke in reply to amrob123]

My dosage on the clonazepam was .25 mg once before bed time.

[SueJohnson]

It has been suggested by doctors to help RLS but research has not indicated it is effective. It is basically a sleeping pill but has a long half life on 40 hours and can make one tired the next day. Even after a week you may need to wean off it.

[NJB71 in reply to SueJohnson]

I beg to differ that Clonazepam is basically a sleeping pill. The NHS website describes Clonazepam asbelonging to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines.

It's used to control seizures or fits due to epilepsy, involuntary muscle spasms, panic disorder and sometimes restless legs syndrome.

It works by increasing the levels of a calming chemical in your brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This can relieve anxiety, stop seizures and fits or relax tense muscles.

If taken at night it does induce sleep but that is not its primary purpose.

[SueJohnson in reply to NJB71]

That is true except for the restless legs syndrome, but most people take it as a sleeping pill.

[SueJohnson]

Another one to try is dipyridamole. You might want to discuss this with your doctor. It has helped some people on this forum and another forum I am on and has completely eliminated RLS in some. In the winter 2022 edition of Night Walkers, the publication of RLS.org there is an article by Sergi Ferre about dipyridamole discussing the effectiveness of it in a 2 week double blind placebo controlled study showing it completely ameliorated all symptoms. The study was by Dr. Garcia Borreguero movementdisorders.onlinelib... sciencedirect.com/science/a...

Take it on an empty stomach. (fats inhibit absorption) about 1-1/2 to 2 hours before bed. If you have headaches they tend to disappear or lessen after around 5 days.

[jinolke in reply to SueJohnson]

Thanks Sue for the post. I will discuss with my neurologist.

[Alifromthegalley]

I recently weaned myself off clonazepam as wasn’t helping the RLS and made me very “spaced out” in the morning.

[Wordsworth99]

Hi Jinolke, I used Temazepam for a few months about 9 years ago. It’s in the same family as clonazepam (a benzodiazepine). I found it helped against RLS very well and not just as a sleeping pill, but I needed to keep increasing the dosage. Also, it caused me to feel anxious and on the verge of depression, so I stopped it. With Benzos, I’m also afraid of the link with cancer (google benzodiazepines and cancer to find out more). So I avoid them unless it’s very short term. I could not take Gabapentin either by the way, for the same reason as you.

If you try dipyridamole, I suggest you try a really small dose the first time you take it. When I tried it I was very ill the next day with vomiting and a severe headache (on just half the dose that was prescribed!) and I don’t think I have EVER felt so rotten!

[Delilah162]

Hi, I was put on clonazepam for severe rls and plmd. It was dreadful for me, I was like a zombie wondering around the house all night in a state of sleep/wake limbo I also found food wrappers dotted around the house as was eating food and not knowing. I soon came off it!