Famotidine?

[Drls]

hello I have been prescribed Famotidine as an alternative to omeorazole. Does anyone know if this adversely affects RLS?

I have severely painful feet due to arthritis which is helped by taking meloxicam - however to take this some type of stomach protector must also be taken …….

I would be grateful if anyone could check this out fir me - thank you

[Joolsg]

academic.oup.com/sleep/arti...

It seems that famotidine does worsen RLS because it blocks iron absorption.

So you can possibly discuss further with your Doctor to ensure you protect your stomach AND keep iron levels up.

Perhaps an iron infusion every few years would help.

Or ask whether Gaviscon Advance would protect your stomach from the arthritis drugs.

[Drls in reply to Joolsg]

Hi, I already asked about gaviscon advance but apparently it doesn’t work on a protective basis.

I has an iron infusion on may 31st and my ferritin is 157 …. I asked prof walker about having another one since my RLS has got very bad again but was told it was too high to have another one. This left me confused since I feel might need my levels to be over 200….i would appreciate your views on this. I had the infusion privately anyway.

I think I will have to try the emoticons because the pain in my feet is stopping me walking.

Thanks Dawn

[Joolsg in reply to Drls]

If you paid privately for the iron infusion, you should visit the Iron Clinic to ask for another.The serum ferritin figure can be inflated if you are experiencing inflammation ( common with arthritis).

So get new full panel iron tests from GP and ensure you refrain from iron supplements or red meat for 48 hours before so you get an accurate figure.

Professor Toby Richards will look at your serum iron as well to consider if you can have another.

I had an infusion at St George's on the NHS when my serum ferritin was 145.

Another possibility is to start a daily probiotic like VSL or Symprove. Both are recommended by gastro enterologists. They can help protect your stomach and gut and may also help avoid damage. Take alongside the recommended protective gastric med.

[Drls in reply to Joolsg]

Oh thanks Jools, the probiotic is a good idea - I will also try to fully digest the article you sent me to try and figure out what is actually happening in the body when we take these medications.

( btw the predictive texting tool wrote emoticons instead of Famotidine in my last post. )

The iron clinic had already agreed to give me a further infusion but I had a pre- arranged call with someone in Prof Walkers team and the Dr I spoke to told me not to have another infusion. I didn’t think he was right but was waiting for the write up from my consultation to make my decision …..

As ever it’s like walking through treacle to get anything effective done - I will re- contact the iron clinic on Monday and see if another infusion is still possible. I’ll then try all the new meds and see what happens.

Best wishes Dawn

[Joolsg in reply to Drls]

Most neurologists are not trained in haematology. So the person you spoke to is probably not familiar with iron infusions. Or the levels needed for RLS.Most GPs still think serum ferritin of 15 is perfectly fine!

There are still doctors who were trained at a time when the old iron formulas killed or caused anaphylaxis. He's probably not aware that the newer formulas are safe.

So see what the written recommendations say, & in the meantime get new blood tests and make enquiries via the Iron clinic.

[Tildabri in reply to Drls]

I must admit that the idea of using emoticons to ease our pain did make me smile on this cold morning ☺️! I too, had terrible pain in my feet from arthritis, which was making daily life very hard - even just getting around the house. However, since investing in several pairs of barefoot shoes the pain has gone. They can be expensive, and they take a bit of getting used to, but I have now given away all of my other shoes, as if I try to wear them my toe pain returns. All the best.

[707twitcher]

I take 20mg of Famotidine in the morning, and it doesn't seem to affect my RLS, but everyone is different....

You might also ask your doctor about Misoprostol. (assuming you aren't in the US in a red state with the morality police in charge...) Mine prescribed it for me to take whenever I use NSAIDs as it protects the stomach. I don't take it very often, so I don't know if it affects RLS, but it does help my stomach.

[SueJohnson in reply to 707twitcher]

Interestingly that is used for a medical abortion in combination with another drug😀 But perhaps that's what you meant by being in a red state with the morality police in charge.

[ELLSBELLS]

I take 20 mg of famotidine am and pm and am OK with that (at the moment), but we are all different and also I have been OK with medicines in the past and then suddenly they cause RLS and I have to stop taking them. Sometimes you just have to try and if medication causes RLS stop immediately and it will usually get out of system pretty quickly.Good luck with finding a solution to your acid reflux.

[Healing2021]

I take famotidine regularly without any effect on my RLS.