Prozac and Restless Legs at night

Posted by mshrink66 @mshrink66, Aug 5 3:16pm

I started generic Prozac 10 mg two weeks ago and have developed very restless legs at night. Emailed my doctor about it and has suggested taking Trazadone before bed. I really hate having to take another medication to treat the side effects of another one!! My question is…has the restless leg syndrome ever just improved on its own with time for anyone? Maybe once I’ve fully adjusted to the medicine? Thanks for any feedback!

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I've had RLS for MANY years. The only thing that helps me is the
prescription medicine pramipexole 0.5mg.

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@mshrink66
I have had RLS for most of my life. I do not take Prozac, but other anti-anxiety / depression med and trazodone for sleep. For me, trazodone did nothing for RLS so provider prescribed gabapentin to take at bedtime in addition to trazodone. It definitely help with RLS. I hate to take one more med, but I also need sleep.

You could try trazodone as your doctor suggested and see if helps. If does not, contact your provider for alternatives.

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Hello. I’ve been on Prozac for 14+ years.

For some reason, I also suffer from that. Some people just have restless legs, period. I only know how I’ve had them for so long and one doctor wanted me to try Lyrica. I’m a nervous patient when it comes to any new drugs. She wasn’t happy when I gave the samples back.

Now about 10 years ago a health food place recommended Kalmassure. A pure magnesium capsule of maybe 400+ mg. I took 4 at night and now sleep peacefully with taking 3 pills. 2 pills didn’t do the trick. If nobody has suggested magnesium to you, just ask. I don’t believe they are harmful except you may need to adjust the dose if 4 makes you feel tired the next day.

I hope this helps. Restless legs are the worst. Good luck❤️

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I have taken Prozac for +25 years. Ridiculous I know, but it works and better the devil you know.
I share your concern with medication to treat medication but at my age quality of life and sleep is more important. Pramipexole is a game changer for me.

Strange but true, please feel free to Google it. Research has shown and many sufferers concur that instant relief from RLS is a shot of dopamine to the brain. Easiest and most natural way is an orgasm, by any means.

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The only thing that eases my RLS is prescription medicine pramipexole 0.5mg.
It's no cure but does let me get some sleep.

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Gabapentin before bed cured restless legs for me.

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@harrietgate

Gabapentin before bed cured restless legs for me.

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@harrietgate
Welcome to Mayo Connect, after suffering with RLS for years, my provider recommend gabapentin in addition to the trazodone I was already taking for sleep. The combination made a big difference.

In addition, if I keep my iron levels up (Ferritin) it also helps RLS.

Is that the first medication your provider has suggested for RLS?

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@roch

@harrietgate
Welcome to Mayo Connect, after suffering with RLS for years, my provider recommend gabapentin in addition to the trazodone I was already taking for sleep. The combination made a big difference.

In addition, if I keep my iron levels up (Ferritin) it also helps RLS.

Is that the first medication your provider has suggested for RLS?

Jump to this post

Thanks for the welcome, Laurie.
I have been taking Gabapentin for a long time for an unrelated reason. This summer I was overseas and I ran out of pills for a few days. I don’t think I ever understood what RLS was until then. It was fairly ghastly, I must say. Thank goodness it wasn’t many days without pills. If I ever decide to discontinue Gabapentin it will doubtless be an extremely long and gradual process.

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Good morning @mshrink66. When I took generic 10 mg Prozac about 5 years ago I developed shakiness/unsteadiness in my legs that did not go away after a few weeks. It was not RLS (restless leg syndrome) but these are listed side effects. My internal medicine doctor took me off Prozac because he said those side effects can become permanent. There are so many other SSRI’s available, I am of the opinion that one should try something different rather than add another medication to try and mask a side effect. I tried hydroxyzine after that and it did cause RLS. You may want to try another SSRI such as Zoloft or Lexapro.

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