These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Question: I have what we call Crazy Legs. I see now that it is finally being
acknowledged as Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). I was first put on
Sinemet to help ease the movement in my legs but didn’t care for the
side effects, so my doctor has since put me on Clonazepam. I haven’t
noticed any major effects except that I have gained some weight.
Is weight gain a common side effect with this drug?
I have been on the Clonazepam
since July. If this is a common side effect then I believe
I need to explore another route for controlling my Crazy Legs.
Answer: Restless leg syndrome is common and difficult to treat. There are several treatments listed.
This usually means that nothing works very well. I have had patients improve with oral iron
supplements, sinemet (one of your options), klonopin (another of your options), and mellatonin. I
would personally try the mellatonin, then the iron supplements. For some reason, women tend
to get restless leg if iron deficient. Hence, treatment may be helpful (but constipating). I’m really
not aware of weight gain with klonopin, but if that’s you so be it.
