Olanzapine and RLS

[Bloodhound669]

I've been having trouble sleeping and was curious if Olanzapine is a good choice. Does it aggravate RL?

[SueJohnson]

It will make RLS worse and is not intended as a sleeping aid. I recommend lunesta.

[Bloodhound669 in reply to SueJohnson]

Lunesta is a prescription med. The OTC equivalent is Diphenhydramine which will aggravate RLS. Only in America, 😅

[SueJohnson in reply to Bloodhound669]

Diphenhydramine is actually a sedating antihistamine and yes it make RLS worse.

Olanzapine is a prescription medicine too.

OTC options include valerian, chamomile, hops, L-tryptophan, glycine, snakeroot, lemon balm,, Indian Pipe and GABA

[elsie1920 in reply to Bloodhound669]

Lunesta is not anything like diphenhydramine. Lunesta/Ambien/Zopiclone are more closely related to Benzos. And there is no OTC equivalent.

[Bloodhound669]

I would like to start over on this. I am still suffering from sprained ankles, I just placed my wife in a senior memory care facility 60 miles from here and now I have to sell my home of 40 years to move close to her. On top of the pain from the ankles and the overwhelming gloom I feel as of late I am about to see a Psychiatrist and it's my understanding that Olanzapine is the V.A. go-to for depression. As with Promexipole and other drugs that they have as first-line I don't want to go in unarmed and have them prescribe something for sleep that will trigger my RLS.

[SueJohnson in reply to Bloodhound669]

Olanzapine is used to treat schizophrenia. It may also be used alone or with other medicines (eg, lithium or valproate) to treat mania or mixed episodes that is part of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)

Source mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple...

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to Bloodhound669]

It is more likely that they will prescribe you an antidepressant that is sedating. Olanzepine is an antipsychotic not an antidepressant. I have found the supplement 5htp really helpful for sleep and as an anti depressant for myself with out any side effects. Perhaps others can comment on which are the best anti depressants to take with restless legs.

[Bloodhound669 in reply to Hectorsmum2]

Bless you, if this is correct. Hopefully, others will substantiate your findings on 5thp. I don't like to go to doctors as they will always prescribe an unnatural chemical for depression that is addictive or over-sedative at the least.

[DicCarlson in reply to Bloodhound669]

More on 5htp here... draxe.com/nutrition/5-htp/

Do try other natural sleep aids - sleep teas, Valerian Root, Passion Flower, Ashwaganda, etc

[Typicallygaslit in reply to Bloodhound669]

5htp is serotonin and a precursor to melatonin, it triggers my RLS. Also other sleep inducing supplements such as valerian. I’m fine with Ashwagandha but it doesn’t help much with sleep. L-theanine does help a bit.

[Bloodhound669 in reply to Hectorsmum2]

I mentioned Olanzapine as it was prescribed to my wife for manic depressive disorder. I guess I mistook this disorder for common depression. She has been, slowly, sinking deeper into dementia but is very vocal and upset often.

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to Bloodhound669]

sorry to hear about your wife. It all sounds very distressing. There is a website called 'food for the brain' that has some interesting ideas about dementia.

[Birdland in reply to Hectorsmum2]

5htp made my RLS worse also. It raises serotonin which can be a trigger. But, we are all different.

[Bloodhound669]

It appears that, as I thought all along, that the V.A. doesn't prescribe anything for my lack of sleep. Talking on the phone, prior to my office visit tomorrow, they said that they would most likely prescribe something for my being so agitated but nothing outside of a referral to a sleep clinic that I could get into a month from now. Now, that's odd because I know I am depressed and they won't give me anything for that but will give me something for my being agitated. I'm agitated because they won't give me anything for depression. Vicious cycle with the V.A. for sure.

I might add here that now that I am s-l-o-w-l-y getting my ankles in shape and having a small degree of relief, I think my RLS is starting back up, as I was suffering to a very small degree last night, for about an hour.

[intermk in reply to Bloodhound669]

When you write "V.A." are you referring to the U.S. Veterans Administration? If yes, I can tell you that they will give you the meds you seek but first you must jump through all their hoops and run their gauntlet. I've been with the VA for 30 years now and it has been a fight the entire time. They've nearly killed me three times! Never had any issues with the military health system nor the civilian. One of the things I did to get some proper attention and correct healthcare was to file a SF-95 complaint. Also, most of the meds I now get from the VA were first ordered by civilian doctor's. I've always had to prove to VA docs that I have a legitimate need for those meds by showing them the medicine bottle with a copy of the prescription and doctors orders plus nursing notes. Also, the VA has never provided a diagnosis for anything. I had a hypothyroid problem but had to get thyroid medicine in the civilian sector. My testosterone was running 25 to 175 on the best of days yet they have always refused testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). After they gave me a calcium based kidney stone by ordering me to double my calcium intake, they couldn't find the stone and told me numerous times that there was nothing wrong with me. They sent me to the psych dept for evaluation. The pain was so excruciating that it nearly caused me to drive into a wall one day. Instead, I drove into a ditch two days later. Ended up in an ER. They found a giant kidney stone within 3 minutes. And the RLS was also a civilian diagnosis. I entered the VA system with a 10 year history of severe RLS but they were like most doc's I've read about here. DA's first, then a couple other drugs, quinine water, excess calcium - causing kidney stones, etc. If you want to keep using the VA then you have to play their games but also keep fighting. Avoid switching doc's because each new doc will want to repeat all tests and start you on different meds. You definitely don't want that happening if you're on Buprenorphine (Bupr) for RLS or other controlled med such as Methadone or Oxycodone. Best of luck to you.

[Bloodhound669 in reply to intermk]

Thank you! I thought I was alone here. It's an absurd system fo sure. One case in fact is that I have to go to orthopedics now to get new x-rays and then get therapy. I've been x-rayed already and should just go straight to therapy.

[intermk in reply to Bloodhound669]

Well, now we definitely know there are at least two of us here. Since you are here I assume you have RLS. If yes, do you take anything for this nasty disease?

[SueJohnson in reply to intermk]

WOW !!! Unbelievable !!! You are lucky you can afford go to a civilian doctor first. Bloodhound669 has said he can't so he is stuck.

[intermk in reply to SueJohnson]

I'm sure he has Medicare as do I and of course the VA sends us out to civilian docs from time to time.