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Restless Legs Syndrome

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High Doses

TimmyTonga profile image
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Hello everybody, I'm new here, and just wanted to talk/ask about augmentation. When I started suffering about five years ago Pramipexole gave me immediate relief. My dosage quickly rose over the next couple of years to end up at 0.6gm a day, alongside 600mg of Sodium Valproate (I don't know if you have that Stateside). At which point my quality of life was so poor with symptoms starting earlier etc that I asked to be switched to Rotigatine patches. The dangers of augmentation were not flagged up and certainly not linked to high dosage. Now I am on 8mg patches and faced with the prospect of a nasty comedown, but I'm grateful I discovered this board. With my health professionals not seemingly well-informed enough, even neurological consultants, I would not have otherwise realised the exact nature of the problem with dopamine agonists. I now start the long and painful quest for some other classes of drug which will allow me to get my doses down to where they should be.

Any advice welcome. I picked up some Pregablin today, and so it begins.

Best wishes/T

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TimmyTonga
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4 Replies

I will never understand why some doctors increase a med beyond the recommended dosage. I am sorry you now have to go through detox and it wont be easy even with a backup med to help you. Most people get a strong pain med from their doctor like Tramadol and wean down very slowly from the dopamine.

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+1 on all Elisse has said. Some Drs!!!!

Anyway speak nicely to the Dr and ask for a decent opioid to help - if you are in the UK Targinact can be used.

Annieapple profile image
Annieapple

Feel for you Timmy as that is a very high dose to come off. Take the advice to come off slowly using painkillers & drink as much water as you can.

TimmyTonga profile image
TimmyTonga

Thank you for your responses. I have a very understanding doctor, and he has given me Pregablin and Targinact. He also took a blood sample to assess my iron levels, and I'm going to ditch caffeine, wheat, alcohol and dairy. Full on.

I'm just plucking up the courage to start.

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