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Posted by Kim Stewart on August 03, 1999 at 05:52:18:In Reply to: RLS & No Sleep posted by Joan on August 02, 1999 at 20:15:54:
The fact that your doctor put you on an anti-depressant means that in his opinion your sleep is disturbed due to stress and depression. This is very common - many, many doctors think RLS is basically a psychological or emotional disorder. Yet many people suffer from RLS that do have depression or a high stress level (although both can occur as a result of long-term RLS).
RLS has been linked to the same disorder as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. These occur mainly from a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. These disorders (oddly enough) are treated successfully in many cases with stimulants (Ritalin is a stimulant) rather than depressants.
So -- after failure to find any relief after 20+ years I started taking a stimulant that is sold in health food stores call ephedrine. This helps me focus during the day (I have an even WORSE time being still than I do sleeping) and then at night I zonk out within 5 minutes.
I have never experienced anything like it, and this has worked for almost 6 months with no increase in dosage.
Caution - I only take 100 mg. a day, NEVER exceeding the dosage. Plus, there can be side effects in individuals sensitive to it (high blood pressure, increased heart rate, etc.) so you would want to take a look around on the Web at some of the ephedrine information.
It's crazy - but it has the exact opposite effect on me that it is supposed to have on people -
If anyone else tries this I would like to know the outcome.
P.S. Be careful, some of the ephedrine compounds are loaded with caffeine too. Don't use more than 100 mg. - if that doesn't work, increasing the dose won't help.
Good Luck!
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