Is restless leg (RLS) related to serotonin syndrome? Tips for relief?

I feel your pain.I have had RLS since childhood, genetics play a strong role. I did the pramipexole for 2 1/2 years with very good success, but then started augmenting . I had to quit cold turkey a month ago, which has made sleep impossible. I joined the RLS Foundation and have gotten invaluable information.
I started taking 400 mg of magnesium glycinate, which they recommend. It has helped to ease the symptoms somewhat, but since I also am an insomniac (lifelong) I also started using gummies with THC. All those plus .25 mg of Xanax and sleeping on a hard floor have given me some respite. Definitely get your iron ferritin levels checked. What’s considered normal for others is not good enough for RLS sufferers. Your level should be between 75-100.
Hopefully you can get some relief, but I highly suggest you check RLS Foundation webpage, the information is very helpful.
Best of luck

I have had RLS off and on until a myelopathy (spinal canal) attack last February, when my RLS became Really Severe - more like spasms - RLS on Steroids!!! In the hospital I was given gabapentin, now 600 mg am and early PM, 1200 at bedtime; also a muscle relaxer flexeril - worked for very short time - then changed to a different muscle relaxer baclofen 10 mg in am, early PM, and bedtime. These meds make me lightheaded, but the RLS problems were much less. then a PT person suggested Theraworx foam (magnesium, but worked much better than diclofenac gel) for muscle spasms and a weighted blanket. I use the Theraworx several times a day and the combination at night (in addition to the meds above) and usually can sleep all night. Yay!!

My nights are becoming nightmares while one leg or the other jerk, twist or move uncontrollably often along with my whole body convulsing. Before it starts I get jabs of pain in my feet or legs that feels like someone somewhere has a voodoo doll of me and they are sticking pins in me. Often the crawly spidery feeling creeps around my feet and legs. It is always just one leg at a time that tortures me or sometimes one arm. I take Ropinerol at 8:30 pm with 500 mg of Magnesium and hope I can get to sleep but it lasts until 4:30 am then starts in again, jabbing first. A Heating pad sometimes is effective at staving off the worst of it. It all got much worse after a bout of Co Vid last January along with a diagnosis of Long CoVid with brain fog, some memory loss , vision changes, headaches and fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell. I had a TBI after a car accident in 2015 and have been treating that in one way or another ever since. Help me!

Hello @lakelifelady. I am so sorry to read about your struggle at night.

You will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion on restless legs which you can now find here:
- Is restless leg (RLS) related to serotonin syndrome? Tips for relief?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/restless-leg-syndrome-3/?pg=5#chv4-comment-stream-header

Have you had any bloodwork done to test your ferritin, thyroid hormone, blood cell counts, hemoglobin, etc.?

i have the same thing for yrs and along time ago my doctor prescribed PRAMIPEXIPEXOLE 1mg and it has helped and still is helping me....hope this is something that you can take too.

good luck
andrea

Thank you.😊

you are very welcome

@lakelifelady if you don’t mind my asking do you exercise and do you stretch your body before bed? I had somewhat similar issue with my legs and feet. When I increased my home exercise program to upon waking and before sleep my issue mostly stopped. Now that it’s getting cold in northeast I have to wear socks to bed. If my legs or feet are cold I get cramps. Funny though I have peripheral neuropathy and can’t feel most things.

jenatsky yes I do quite a bit of exercise. Being in MN it is very cold and I wear socks at night too. Our lake home is three levels so I go up and down stairs many times a day. Plus I do stretching and walking. I find that no exercise brings on a severe bout of RLS. CBD cream on the bottom of my feet help with neuropathy at night. Thank you for your helpful comment.

Yes, my PC ordered bloodwork and now take magnesium at bedtime along with Ropinerol and B Vitamins in am. I am checking on serotonin. Thanks for your helpful reply.