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What Causes A Uncontrolled Movement In Feet, Ankles And Legs?
Question: I'm having uncontrollable movements in my feet, ankles, and legs, mostly wiggling my toes, only when I try to go to sleep at night. I will feel really really tired in my head, but I can't fall asleep because of it. I take seroquel, lamictal, wellbutrin, and topamax. I took depakote 1000mg for 20 years. On Dec. 1st, I started on Topamax and went down to 500mg of depakote. Two weeks later, I went off the depakote and a week after that I was up to 100 mg. of topamax. My head began to feel extremely clogged up and hurt. I didn't know if it was from getting off the depakote or from increasing the topamax, so I decreased the topamax and went back on the depakote and immediately felt better, but at the same time, that is when these movements started. I went down from 100 mg. of topamax to 25 mg. in 1 week. I have been taking 25 mg of topamax for about 5 or 6 weeks now and I just, once again, went off the depakote. (I had only gone back on a small amount of it.) The movements have gotton worse, I think. What is causing this and what should I do? I tried taking a very small amount of depakote last night, in case it was some kind of depakote withdrawals that was causing it, but it didn't help.
Brief Answer:
it is restless leg syndrome likely, it can treated
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
The symptoms you described are suggestive of restless leg syndrome(RLS). It is common condition with prevalence rate of 8-10%.
Common cuases are genetic-heriditary, neuropathy, iron deficiancy and some medications.
Antidepressant and anti psychotic medicines are common causes of RLS. I also found out that topamx also can cause RLS in few cases and particularly in female aged 40-49.
You are already taking wellbutrin(antidepressant), seroquel(antipsychotic) and later on topamax added. These three can cause RLS.
Depakote is sometime used to treat RLS as second line drug. So when Depakote stopped and topamax started RLS was precipitated in your case.It is difficult to judge role of seroquel and wellbutrin but in my opinion they are also responsible up to some extent.
Requipe- ropinirole is the best drug to treat RLS.Your doctor has did right thing.
You should just wait. If problem continues, search for other causes also as I mentioned earlier and treat accordingly.
If no cause found out, topmax is stopped and still problem continues we can check first by decreasing seroquel and later on wellbutrin.If anyone of them culprit stop/replace the same.
We can again also move back to start depakote in optimum dose.
Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
it is restless leg syndrome likely, it can treated
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
The symptoms you described are suggestive of restless leg syndrome(RLS). It is common condition with prevalence rate of 8-10%.
Common cuases are genetic-heriditary, neuropathy, iron deficiancy and some medications.
Antidepressant and anti psychotic medicines are common causes of RLS. I also found out that topamx also can cause RLS in few cases and particularly in female aged 40-49.
You are already taking wellbutrin(antidepressant), seroquel(antipsychotic) and later on topamax added. These three can cause RLS.
Depakote is sometime used to treat RLS as second line drug. So when Depakote stopped and topamax started RLS was precipitated in your case.It is difficult to judge role of seroquel and wellbutrin but in my opinion they are also responsible up to some extent.
Requipe- ropinirole is the best drug to treat RLS.Your doctor has did right thing.
You should just wait. If problem continues, search for other causes also as I mentioned earlier and treat accordingly.
If no cause found out, topmax is stopped and still problem continues we can check first by decreasing seroquel and later on wellbutrin.If anyone of them culprit stop/replace the same.
We can again also move back to start depakote in optimum dose.
Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I'm going to try the requipe - my husband just went to pick it up. In the meantime, my condition has gotton much much worse. It is no longer just a bedtime thing. It is the middle of the day, and as well as my legs, I am rocking. I think it's akithesia? But don't know if it's from some sort of withdrawal from depakote - as I said, I just went completely off of it 3 days ago, or if it's from the topamax, or if it's from going off of the topamax too fast. I feel like it is caused by one of those things since those are the changes that have occured since this has begun to take place. Can you give me an updated response?
Thank you.
The medicine says to take 2 or 3 hrs. before bedtime. it's not even 3:00. When I talked to my doctor, within a period of 5 minutes he went from telling me to trying to go off the topamax, to taking a topamax, to taking a depakote, and any of the above. Could you narrow that down for me?
I guess you already answered my question. I will stop the topamax and start the requipe. thank you for your thorough reply. In my feelings of desperation, I did not read word for word. If you have any other feedback please respond. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
The medicine says to take 2 or 3 hrs. before bedtime. it's not even 3:00. When I talked to my doctor, within a period of 5 minutes he went from telling me to trying to go off the topamax, to taking a topamax, to taking a depakote, and any of the above. Could you narrow that down for me?
I guess you already answered my question. I will stop the topamax and start the requipe. thank you for your thorough reply. In my feelings of desperation, I did not read word for word. If you have any other feedback please respond. Thank you very much.
Brief Answer:
Wait for ropinirole response
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Sorry for delayed response.
If movements is throughout the day persist even after ropinirole, it may be akathasia. Akathasia due to seroquel has been reported rarely.So in your case it may be the least possibility.
However considering your history and narration it may be your anxiety due to this RLS problem.
Wait till ropinirole shows response. After improvement further strategy of your all medicines depends on your baseline diagnosis and points I have narrated in previous answer.Discuss with your doctor what I have explained and go ahead.
All the best and take care.
Hope I have answered your query. If still any query there, I will be happy to answer. If not, you can close the discussion and if feasible give your feedback so I can improve service. In future you can contact me directly on this site if you wish with this link: http://bit.ly/drchintansolanki
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Wait for ropinirole response
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Sorry for delayed response.
If movements is throughout the day persist even after ropinirole, it may be akathasia. Akathasia due to seroquel has been reported rarely.So in your case it may be the least possibility.
However considering your history and narration it may be your anxiety due to this RLS problem.
Wait till ropinirole shows response. After improvement further strategy of your all medicines depends on your baseline diagnosis and points I have narrated in previous answer.Discuss with your doctor what I have explained and go ahead.
All the best and take care.
Hope I have answered your query. If still any query there, I will be happy to answer. If not, you can close the discussion and if feasible give your feedback so I can improve service. In future you can contact me directly on this site if you wish with this link: http://bit.ly/drchintansolanki
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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