About all

Benadryl and restless leg: Restless Legs Syndrome | Baylor Medicine

by alexxlab

Will Benadryl Trigger Restless Legs Syndrome?

Close up Bare Feet of a Young Woman Lying Down on a Blue Bed Captured in High Angle View.

People who experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) will go to great lengths to avoid it if they can. They describe RLS as a creepy-crawly feeling that is relieved only by moving the legs. It can be quite unbearable. This uncomfortable condition can make it difficult to relax. When RLS or the related periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) occurs overnight, sufferers and their bed partners have trouble getting a decent night’s sleep. Doctors can prescribe medications to treat RLS, but frequently they fail to warn patients about other drugs that could trigger restless legs syndrome. One reader made an independent discovery of such a drug.

What Drugs Might Trigger Restless Legs Syndrome?

Q. I never suffered before from restless legs syndrome, although it makes my daughter miserable. Last year, though, I had two episodes of RLS about a month apart. It took me a while to connect the dots, but eventually I recalled I had taken Benadryl both times right before bed to relieve hay fever symptoms. I haven’t touched the stuff since.

Does Benadryl Trigger Restless Legs Syndrome?

This is not the first time we have received such a question:

Q. The antihistamine diphenhydramine aggravates my restless legs syndrome (RLS). I have learned to avoid it and ‘PM’ pain relievers that include it.

Don’t assume your physician knows this. Several doctors I spoke with knew nothing about it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m allergic to these drugs, and that is what I tell the nurses when they ask.

A. There is little research about this link. Nevertheless, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke advises that diphenhydramine (the antihistamine in Benadryl and “PM” pain relievers) may aggravate RLS symptoms. This is especially alarming because so many people take this over-the-counter medicine at bedtime to help them sleep. It may disrupt sleep instead for those who are susceptible to RLS.

Many other medications can also trigger these uncomfortable sensations. Antidepressants, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants can intensify this condition. Readers report that stopping some medicines, like aripiprazole (Abilify) or tramadol can also initiate symptoms.

Soap for Restless Legs Syndrome:

For those whose RLS does not appear to be set off by a medication they can avoid, we suggest soap under the bottom sheet. It sounds crazy, but some people who have tried this remedy to ward off nocturnal leg cramps have found that it also eases restless legs syndrome.

Barbara reported:

“I had suffered with RLS for years on and off. I’d go a few weeks or months without symptoms but it always came back and lasted days or weeks. When it returned, it was like torture. I definitely knew I wanted no part of a prescription drug for it, so I tried creams, herbal supplements etc. Nothing worked. A friend told me about the bar of soap under the sheet and I tried it. It has been several months and NO SYMPTOMS at all. I didn’t even unwrap it!!!”

Rate this article

star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty

4.2- 139 ratings

Common allergy medication worsens restless leg symptoms — ScienceDaily

Science News

from research organizations

Date:
April 4, 2016
Source:
Houston Methodist
Summary:
Allergy season can be the worst time of year for people suffering with restless legs syndrome because popular over the counter medications can make symptoms much worse, say experts.
Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIN
Email

advertisement

FULL STORY

Allergy season can be the worst time of year for people suffering with restless legs syndrome because popular over the counter medications can make symptoms much worse.

“Patients with restless legs syndrome already have difficulty sleeping as their symptoms tend to worsen at night or with rest, but sedating antihistamines, such as Benadryl, can intensify the symptoms,” said William Ondo, M.D., a Houston Methodist neurologist.

Restless legs syndrome is considered a neurological and sleep disorder as patients feel uncomfortable sensations and strong urges to move their legs, which can sometimes be painful and often disrupts sleep. The American Sleep Association estimates that nearly 12 million people in the US have restless legs syndrome.

Many people take sedating and non-sedating antihistamines to help treat the symptoms of seasonal allergies, such as sneezing and a runny nose.

“We don’t yet understand why sedating antihistamines worsen restless legs syndrome, but we do know that non-sedating antihistamines do not affect the symptoms as much because they do not enter the brain as easily,” Ondo said. “It’s very frustrating for my patients when a sleeping pill like a sedating antihistamine doesn’t help them sleep, so I advise them to seek other allergy relief options, such as nasal sprays and decongestants. “

Ondo adds that some people who think they are allergic to Benadryl or other sedating antihistamines because it makes them feel hyper may have undiagnosed restless legs syndrome and recommends they consult with a neurologist.

advertisement

Story Source:

Materials provided by Houston Methodist. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Cite This Page:

  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Houston Methodist. “Common allergy medication worsens restless leg symptoms.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 April 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404170433.htm>.

Houston Methodist. (2016, April 4). Common allergy medication worsens restless leg symptoms. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 10, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404170433. htm

Houston Methodist. “Common allergy medication worsens restless leg symptoms.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404170433.htm (accessed June 10, 2023).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES

advertisement

Restless legs syndrome – causes, symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment

Causes

Classification

Symptoms

Complications

Diagnosis

Treatment

Restless legs syndrome is a pathology that refers to neurological disorders. This disease is characterized by discomfort in the lower extremities that occurs at night and leads to lack of sleep. The patient during rest or sleep experiences burning, tingling, goosebumps. This forces the patient to move the legs. Activity helps to reduce discomfort for a while.

To confirm the diagnosis, a specialist examination, polysomnography, ENMG and other examinations are required. Physiotherapy, rituals of falling asleep, as well as taking medications help to get rid of an unpleasant ailment.

Causes

The disease is rare among children, and in adults reaches 5-10%. Restless legs syndrome is especially common in older people. Statistics show that the disease is more common among the female half of the population. Chronic sleep problems are associated with the syndrome.

In most cases, the disease is primary. In this case, it manifests itself in the patient early. In 30-90% of all cases, the pathology is hereditary. External factors also provoke the development of the syndrome.

If the disease is secondary, it occurs in a patient aged 45 years. The development of the disease is preceded by metabolic disorders, damage to the vessels and nerves of the legs.

Causes of secondary restless leg syndrome:

  • pregnancy;
  • iron deficiency;
  • kidney failure.

Other factors that cause pathology are:

  • insufficient amount of magnesium, folic acid, cyanocobalamin, thiamine in the body;
  • amyloidosis;
  • diabetes;
  • porphyria;
  • alcoholism;
  • chronic polyneuropathy;
  • spinal cord diseases;
  • vascular lesions.

The nature of the origin of the disease in humans is not fully understood. There are suggestions that the pathology is based on dopaminergic dysfunction. This opinion is supported by the success of the use of dopaminergic agents as a therapy for the disease.

Classification

It is customary to distinguish three degrees of severity of the disease:

  • mild, in which disturbing symptoms occur periodically, do not disturb the patient’s sleep and do not bring significant discomfort;
  • moderate, when symptoms of the disease appear less than 2 times a week. At the same time, sleep and quality of life suffer;
  • severe, in which sleep disturbance occurs due to unpleasant signs of the disease, disturbing the patient more than 2 times a week.

By duration, they distinguish:

  • acute syndrome, which worries no more than 14 days;
  • subacute pathology, disturbing no more than 3 months;
  • a chronic disorder that lasts more than 3 months.

Primary restless legs syndrome develops in adults aged 30-40 years, does not depend on other disorders and diseases of the patient.

ICD classifies restless legs syndrome, Willis-Ekbom disease (G25.8), as a disorder of the extrapyramidal nervous system.

Symptoms

Restless legs syndrome has the following symptoms:

  • burning;
  • tingling;
  • numbness;
  • bursting, squeezing;
  • heaviness;
  • aching pains.

The patient complains of discomfort in the area of ​​the legs, sometimes the pain occurs in the thighs, radiating to the trunk. Signs of restless legs syndrome are usually symmetrical, in rare cases there may be asymmetric unilateral manifestations.

In most patients, all symptoms appear when they are lying down – resting or sleeping. Restless legs syndrome occurs in the evening or at night. Unpleasant signs of the disease decrease if a person begins to move, therefore, during the onset of the syndrome, the patient tosses and turns in bed, performs various motor movements.

Observations show that signs of pathology are related to the time of day. The symptoms are most acute in the period from midnight to 2-4 o’clock in the morning. If the patient has a severe form of the disease, then unpleasant symptoms can haunt him around the clock. The disease disrupts sleep, so many patients suffer from insomnia, fall asleep hard, experience frequent drowsiness, fatigue.

Restless legs syndrome in children is manifested by irritability, tearfulness, excitability, morning lethargy.

Complications

The most unpleasant consequence of the syndrome for the patient is insomnia. And this disease provokes anxiety, stress, mental changes. The patient is irritable and restless, as he often wakes up in the middle of the night, falls asleep hard. Usually, people suffering from this neurological disease quickly get tired and have low working capacity. The quality of life suffers from such violations and health problems arise. Against the background of the disease, women often develop a depressive disorder.

Diagnostics

If a person has unpleasant symptoms, manifested by burning, bursting, squeezing in the lower extremities, and this affects the quality of sleep, you should seek help from a specialist. A neurologist deals with this problem.

Initial examination does not reveal disease. The doctor is based on the patient’s complaints, the duration of unpleasant manifestations.

Restless legs syndrome diagnosis consists of:

  • polysomnography;
  • electroneuromyography;
  • tests to determine the level of iron, magnesium, folic acid, B vitamins;
  • determining the functioning of the kidneys;
  • Ultrasound of the lower extremities.

Thanks to polysomnography, specialists are able to record involuntary movements of the patient. This study helps to evaluate the treatment.

Treatment

If the doctor has identified the disease in a person during the examinations, it is important to start therapy. Many patients are concerned about the question: how to deal with restless leg syndrome? It is important to find the causes of the syndrome and work with them, and not with the symptoms of the pathology.

When iron levels are low, it is important to start taking products containing the substance. It is necessary to fill all the identified deficiencies in the body.

The use of drugs such as antipsychotics, antidepressants, calcium antagonists very often provokes the disease. Reducing the dosage or stopping these medications can help get rid of the pathology.

Other non-pharmacological treatments for restless leg syndrome are:

  • normalization of the regimen;
  • moderate physical activity;
  • walks before going to bed in the fresh air;
  • exclusion of caffeine;
  • sleep ritual;
  • quitting smoking and alcohol;
  • physiotherapy procedures.

When the patient has a severe form of the disease, drug therapy is required. In the case of mild restless legs syndrome, plant-based sedatives are indicated. If we are talking about serious symptoms of pathology, doctors prescribe drugs from the groups of anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, dopaminergic drugs to patients. Sometimes efficiency can be achieved by combining several groups of medicines.

In pregnant women with restless legs syndrome, the choice of drugs is always cautious, usually non-drug forms of therapy or sedatives are dispensed with. With a lack of iron or folic acid, appropriate drugs are prescribed.

Among the clinical recommendations for restless legs syndrome are:

  • timely treatment of kidneys, vascular disorders, spinal cord injuries;
  • replenishment of deficiencies of substances in the body;
  • normalization of the daily routine;
  • rejection of bad habits;
  • walks before going to bed;
  • moderate exercise during the day;
  • reducing or avoiding caffeine.

The author of the article:

Markelov Gleb Vladimirovich

neurologist, online consultations

work experience 4 years

reviews leave feedback

Clinic

m. Sukharevskaya

Reviews

Services

  • Title
  • Appointment, consultation of a neurologist primary 2300