Has anybody else experienced worsening RLS symptoms when taking Gabapentin ?

[E-bunny]

I have been on gabapentin now for 1 week, and the pain from the RLS has gone from annoying to agonising, and it has done nothing to allieviate the thousands of bugs crawling under my skin sensation..

[E-bunny]

Hi Romany, Thanks for your quick reply =)

I forgot to mention that i am also on medication for meniere's disease, RTL epilepsy and depression, could any of these be interacting with the gabapenting to make my symptoms worse ?

I have been on these medications for a long ime now, so dont blieve any of them have caused my RLS

[Hidden in reply to E-bunny]

Ah, maybe the other meds could be interacting with the Gabapentin...But the person who would know that is nightdancer. Or its just the Gabapentin doesnt agree with you..

Sorry i am not more helpful...

It would help if you could name your other meds....hopefully nightdancer will see you post soon and hopefully can give you more input.

[Hidden]

yeah.... me like most meds i've tried Gabapentin made mine worst as Romany said not everyone suited to some meds , hope you find the right ones for you

[E-bunny]

Hi guys. thanks for your replies =) my meds are :

Lamotrigine 150mg twice per day

Clobazam 5 mg twice per day

Betahistine 16mg 3 times per day

Mertazipine 15mg per day ( upping to 30 per day )

Gabapentin 100 mg 3 times per day

I think thats it.. my memory sucks lol.. will edit if ive left anything out

[nightdancer in reply to E-bunny]

is that CloNazepam? I take that, same dose as you.

[nightdancer in reply to E-bunny]

I also take mirtazapine, which is an antidepressant in a class by itself and does not seem to bother my RLS at all, and if it conforts you any, my dose is 3 x your upped dose, and still does not bother my legs. Has helped tremendously with panic attacks that used to be a daily occurance and now they are gone, or I can talk myself out of one pretty quickly. rlshelp.org is great web site to read all about your meds and what might and might not bother RLS. The treatment page (minus the blood pressure med info) is golden, and also the list of "Drugs and Foods to Avoid" is on that list. It shows a lot of options.

[peterk]

Hi there. Clobazam is a very difficult drug to come off and I was given it when I first had RLS. Its a benzodiazepine so I wouldn't think it could make it worse. If you look on your Gabapentin leaflet it states that it can worsen the condition. Also lamotrogene is an older anti epileptic medication often used for nerve pain. I came off my anti depressant over 14 months ago and it was making things worse so I would look into that. The one you are on is also used for sleep problems and could be making it worse. I don't know anything about Betahistine. I would suggest that you go back to the doctor for a discussion but you could well be correct.

[Hidden]

Oooo, you are lucky romany, as antihistamines can bother RLS for alot of people...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I use it a lot ( betahistine) as i get very bad hayfever, it doesnt bother my legs either

[nightdancer]

Betahistine is the problem I see on that list. Also, clonazepam (is that the right spelling?) is not usllay used for epilepsy any more. It is more for "calm" as it is a benzo and helps my RLS. It is not uncommon to be on that med and Gabapentin. However, lots of your meds are also used for mood disorsders for one of their uses, and we have to watch mixing those all up. Gabapentin is probably just not working for you. It never did for me. Different "epilepsy" meds are also used for differebt things that they are more suited to, so that part does not bother me. Betahistine is usually a trigger. I take Meclizine for vertigo and it does not bother my RLS, but that is an iffy one, too. Hard to tell, but have you ever tried the dopamine meds yet? I am catching up here, since I had a wicked stomach virus the last week. OMG, it was awful.

[Hidden in reply to nightdancer]

well i take betahistine also, and no bad reaction to my rls either !!

[E-bunny]

Sorry for not getting back sooner, I have been taking the betahistine, clobozam and lamotrigine for a long time now, and the RLS is a very recent thing !

I have had to stop taking the gabapentin as i started experiencing severe pain from the neck down and im sure its more than a coincidence that it started within a day of starting the gabapentin..

Although, Even though i have stopped taking it, ( for just over a week now ) the pain is still as bad even though my gp and pharmacist have said the drug should be well out of my system after 48 hours of stopping =S..

I had to go to a family funeral on Monday, and everytime someone tried to hug me, or even just brush past me it was excrutiating.. At my whits end right now, I cannot sleep average 2-4 hours a night and the RLS is now affecting me quite badly during the day and night.. combind with the pain its getting too much to bear