new to list - Barbara

[Guest guest]

Barbara wrote:

" Has anyone heard that Prozac may interfere with Sinemet, or even exacerbate

the rls? "

Yes, we most definitely HAVE heard that quite possibly, and most likely,

Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil......many antidepressants.......as well as

antihistamines.......will exacerbate RLS.

" What is Mirapex? I finally saw a neurologist Last year and he wanted me to

take Clonazepam, but I haven't had the nerve to start. He also wanted me to

have a sleep-study to confirm the diagnosis. Has anyone had one? "

Many in the group have had sleep studies. This is not needed to determine

whether or not you have RLS.....but it will tell you if you have PLMD along

with it, or sleep apnea. Mainly, the study will rule out some dangerous

situations and give you an overall picture of your own basic sleep structure.

If you have insurance that will cover this, it is my personal recommendation

that you go ahead and have it.. My neurologist did not feel comfortable

prescribing RLS medications until he ruled out all possible causes of my

symptoms......and I agreed with this way of thinking. I also had an MRI of my

brain to rule out Meningioma, and a great deal of blood work.

Mirapex has been used by quite a few in our group this past year and seemed to

be the " latest and greatest " thing out there for RLS........at least, for a

while. We are beginning to hear reports of insomnia, nausea, occasional nasal

stuffiness.....that are making some of us who were ready to give it a

try......stop and reconsider. For some it is a Godsend........for others, it

is not. My opinion is that it is still in the running with the best of the

meds for this affliction....and that each of us will have different results

with it. In my non-professional opinion, I would think that your Sinemet has

done all that it is going to do for you and will just continue to cause more

problems with augmentation unless you take a controlled break from it or cut

way back. You really should check the sites, Jodi's is good, for a list of

all the drugs being used at this time.

Clonazepam or Klonopin.........I do not recommend at this time. I took it for

three years and had serious depression when I stopped. The drug has a long

half-life and makes some people very drowsy the next day. ( I did not have

this problem) I believe it is used mostly for PLMD and insomnia and not for

RLS.........it was always hit or miss with me in helping my RLS and mostly

worked only when used in conjunction with another med.

You would most likely benefit greatly from checking out the RLS sites on the

net......and reading the letters to the doctor at the Southern California

Support Group site.

There is also much information for alternative therapies if you decide to

persevere in that direction. The power of your will most likely will play an

important role here. After you have had your Ferritin level checked, which is

very important.......(not just your iron......your Ferritin).......it is

possible that magnesium, potassium, B Vitamins, Folic Acid........a variety of

supplements could possibly help you. Do your research and buy from a

reputable dealer. Jill Gunzel has a lot of information on her site about

alternative therapies.

Caffeine, sugar and exercise ...............different results with different

people. You will have to find out for yourself.

Most of all.......keep your sense of humor. Take all advice with a grain of

salt. Make the time to research everything yourself because it is highly

likely that your condition will get worse as you get older. A warm bath and a

cup of fragrant tea (without stimulants such as Ginseng) can be very helpful

for a mild attack. Don't hesitate to Bitch and complain and cry if you need

to.......that's what we're here for.......to support you. A lot of us have

nights when we just need to do this.......at least, I do.

Lastly, I recommend putting serious thought into some things to do that will

distract you when you have a bad attack in the middle of the night. Some

things that give you pleasure.......crafts, puzzles, games, videos,

etc,..........quite often, before you know it, you have calmed down enough to

go back to bed. It is also important not to allow the attack to get a strong

hold on you. Get up and move around as soon as you are able to........as I

did tonight at 2am. It is now almost 4.

I'm sure you will hear from many others in the group with their experiences

and recommendations. Hopefully, some of it will help you. I'll attach some

links for you to check out when you have time. And don't forget, there is a

chat from 9 to 10 Eastern standard time on Thursday evenings on AOL, that is

now accessible for everyone. Hope you are resting well!

Connie, 62, MD http://www.wemove.org/rls_pat.html " >WE MOVE - Restless

Legs Syndrome: Information for Patients

http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/rls.html " >RLS Links

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/somno/rlsrx.htm " >RLS

medications - Southern Cal

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/somno/rls.htmhttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/somno/rls.htm

http://www.netzone.com/~gunzel/rls.html " >Jill's RLS Page

http://surf.to/rlsinfo " >Jodi's RLS Links

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ " >National Sleep Foundation Home Page