As I went in to get my ferritin level checked and my magnesium level. My Gp could see how desperately down i was feeling and proceeded to prescribe me clonazepam 2mg. Says to take them for a few weeks at a time, then off, then back on to see how they work. Mainly to steer away from addiction.
Whats everybody's thoughts on this? My RLS is 24/7, affects me in arms, back, legs, sometimes even the face.
Only medication I have ever taken was 2 tablets of amitrypline at its lowest dose, spaced 7 weeks apart. never going down that road again.
Will these help me sleep or relieve some day time symptoms?
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ELMAGO_1
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Hi I have never tried clonazepan myself but hopefully someone will be along to give advice/opinion.Glad you have got your iblood tests sorted.Let us know how you go on your new med, good luck
My doc put me on clonazapan and it helps to get me to rest also use lyrica when use together it helps, most night but i don't drink every night as im afraid of addiction.
I am also on Clonazapan 2mg. But be careful, they are very strong and I usually split one in half when needed because otherwise you will feel totally drained most of the next day
At first you feel really dopey but your legs are still bad, and very unsteady on your feet. Eventually you will go to sleep but the next day, if you are anything like myself, you will feel completely drained.
It is so hard to say. Sorry that I can't be more specific. Some nights several hours and others no sleep hardly at all. All I know is after 2mg Clonazapan I feel drained of energy the next day.
I don't know about your symptoms with RLS but I get terrible muscle spasms in my legs and arms. I do not experience just tingling, and it worries me for the future.
I have never tried clonazepam. I take pramipexole, 2 tablets of .088mg each, each night. I find there are no side effects and I really do notice a difference. Recently I ran out and took several s=days to organise a new prescription. At first I thought I was fine, and could maybe even give them up, but then the legs started aching again, and it took a few days after retaking them for that to settle down. So now I shall do my best not to break for more than a day at a time.
My legs ache, to the point where the pain can be quite acute, though often quite dull. I have suffered from this since I was a small child, whe I called it cramp or growing pains. But unlike growing pains, mine were not confined to the usual periods of increased activity. My mother recalls me showing signs of pain when I was still in my cot (early 1950s), and the doctor was afraid for a while that I was developing polio as a reaction to the vacine, until she pointed out I showed the symptoms well before the vaccine. I wouldn't say it has been continuous throughout my life, but certainly intermittent, and much worse now than at any time since my childhood.
I have seen this happen before, someone forgets to take their meds that night and think, wow i was ok, i think i can stop them now. but they find out differently, they do still need to take them as it doesnt take long for the RLS is start up. For me, i couldnt even miss one night, i know i would be awake all night. Missing a dose if taking dopamine med means the dopamine level will drop, and that = RLS.
I have never tried clonazepam, but i know they are strong and have a long half life. ELMAGO, look on the website rlshelp.org at the treatment page it gives the meds used and the dosage and much more.
I would not take Clonazepam preferring medication more closely related to the treatment of Parkinson's, e.g. Pramipexole which worked for me for 10 years then Gabapentin. I have, however, added a non dairy diet and for anyone whose medication is not working I would suggest also trying dairy free for a few days. There are plenty of products out there which you can use as an alternative, e.g. Soya milk, lactose free cheese and anything from the FreeFrom range. However, they do have more sugar so I am trying a more natural diet and eliminating as much processed food as possible. I have been doing this in conjunction with Ritigotine patches successfully for 3 weeks.
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Did you start Ritigotine at same time as going dairy free? Wondered if it was patch rather than diet giving improvement?
Hi, I went dairy free when the Gabapentin stopped working. I was on 4 tablets and on a dairy free diet reduced it to two. My new doctor would not prescribe Gabapentin and switched me onto the patches saying I could increase to 2 patches after a week if needed. As long as I stick to dairy free meds work. However, I forgot to put a new patch on yesterday after taking the old one off. I put a new one on at 11.30 pm, horrendous RLS in spite of the diet regime, finally kicked in at 4.30 am. Unfortunately, I am having the bathroom refitted so no bath available to me at the moment.
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Thanks for reply but I would say it is the patch giving you relief .When you missed your patch your legs were horrendous despite the diet.You would need to go without the patch for acwhile to show its the diet giving you relief. Glad you doing well
Some people are saying their meds are not working which is what happened to me after nearly 20 years, 10 on meds. If the higher doses don't work now, what chance do we have in another 20 or 30 years time if there is no cure? I wanted to reduce my dosage so that it can be increased in the future if I need it to. I think therefore what I am trying to say is that a combination of low dose AND dairy free can give 24 hr relief from RLS even for severe whole body sufferers like myself.
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Yes I see where you are coming from.Any ideas or tips that helps anyone is always worth posting about you never know it may just help someone else.i have suffered rls for over 30 years it is a dreadful condition and soooo difficult to describe to non sufferers.This is why forums are so helpful at least others understand what you are going through and offer support.When I joined I was in a desperate state when the prami had stopped working and was actually making me worse in the long term.Different things work for diffetent people we are all different.Like you prami was a lifesaver for me at the beginning but for others it dosnt work at all.Sorry if I misunderstood x
No apology needed. This is a horrible disease which someone once described as torture, and it really is. I am being referred to a neurologist and if that appt sheds any more information I will post here.
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Yes please do.I am just protective as so many come on claiming something works which is great but wiol say its purely natiral then you find out much later on meds and they have been misleading(and I somecases even trying to sell ),so many cons.After rereading your post I can see from the start you said the diet along side your meds helped.Good luck with neurologist and do let us know how you go on.and ..welcome to site ..kim x
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Excuse typos taken my meds!
ELMAGO, do you take any over the counter medications for allergies or heartburn?
I don't. I have only ever taken to meds for this, spaced 7 weeks ago, they ere the smallest dose of amirtypline and i'm never using it again. First time I got a good nights sleep, but it made me too woozy the next day. The 2nd and most recent time it did nothing at all for me and maybe even aggravated my RLS.
I have the clonazepam but too frightened to take it. Going to wait until thursday week when I have a meeting with a rhumotologist for the first time.
Hi Elmalgo. I am having very bad time with PAIN, not movement EVERY NIGHT , from about 4 am with RLS, which then eases off as soon as I get up. Since I generally go to bed between 11 and midnight, and have to get up at at about 7.30, after tossing and turning for the previous few hours to try and ease the pain, feel incredibly tired ! I have been prescribed , for a couple of years or more now, 2 Clonazepam, 500 micrograms each tablet. These at least really help me at least to get to sleep. Are you sure you take 2 mg?? If, on the odd occasion I forget to take them, I simply cannot get to sleep for ages !!! I have recently tried taking 15 mg tablet codeine with two 500mg Paracetamol tablets at around 3 to 4 am, which after nearly a week, I think are helping fractionally. Don't know whether I can continue to take these permanently or not. I feel for you , having it in so many parts of the body- makes me feel quite lucky. Are you sure it is the RLS in all these parts of your body, not something else?! Hope things improve for you soon!! Buci.
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