Allergy season can be the worst time of year for people suffering with restless legs syndrome (RLS) 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, MD, a Houston Methodist neurologist, in a release.
RLS 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.
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 says. “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 RLS and recommends they consult with a neurologist.
I’d love to learn what the interaction turns out to be. Singulair was prescribed to me two days ago for allergy, and I believe it reacts similarly to benadryl. In any case, I’m not taking it again. Is there any information on those two drugs and ropinirole?
Ropinirole absolutely does work! But you need to be careful when you take it. Take it and go directly to bed…I mean directly to bed. One of it’s effects is that you can fall asleep walking across your living room! Weird but it happened to me. It sure does help the legs though! Benadryl makes my RLS worse too. Good Luck:-)
I get nightmares from Singular. I couldn’t find it. Did you take it when you were here? My NP insisted I take it, & gave me the kids version. Have you been taking that?
The main ingredient in over the counter medications for sleep, colds, allergies, is Diphenhydramine. it is poison to 99% of people with RLS. Become a label reader, keep a medication journal, and track how your RLS symptoms go. You will know the first night or day when you take one, because the Diphenhydramine will kick in almost immediately, and will make most of us feel like jumping out a window, it can make RLS so much worse. over the counter meds for sleep, like some of the Unisom formulas, and all the PM meds will most likely have this ingredient, and we need to be vigilant. Knowledge is POWER.
I’ve always known diphenhydramine makes my RLS worse. But I’ve taken it for years to help me fall asleep. Just recently I had to take Nyquil for a cold and it made my RLS even worse, too! It had never done that before. I’ve spoken to my doctor about something else for sleep and the only thing he would prescribe was Trazodone. I hated how it made me feel, so I won’t take it any longer. I’m going to talk to him AGAIN at my next visit and be sure he is aware of this information.