Have You Tried a Dopamine Agonist?

[Izzybelle22]

HI all. I suffered from RLS before doctors were even familiar with the term. I had heard about restless legs syndrome on TV and wanted to try the new drug (Requip) they were advertising to help people suffering with the symptoms mentioned. I found a Dr. who had heard of it and prescribed it for me, starting at the lowest dose and working up to a maximum allowed of 4 mg a day. I have been on Requip (ropinirole) for 20 years and it has been a God-send for me. Mirapex (pramipexole) is another good one! Both the generics and brand names are drugs called dopamine agonists and although fantastic for a lot of people, they are not for everyone because there are side effects with every drug. Again, I consider myself very lucky to have found one that has worked successfully for 20 years.

Opioids are also very effective, but extremely hard to get from a Dr. given our society's current drug addiction rate. I had them along with ropinirole while I was in the hospital stuck in bed not moving, a situation in which my RLS should have been its worst but it wasn't and I contribute that to the opioids. There is no other explanation.

[Madlegs1]

You are correct in all that you say.

[Joolsg]

You are very lucky to have been on ropinirole for 20yrs without getting augmentation. That's brilliant.

Take care

[Izzybelle22 in reply to Joolsg]

Thank you Joolsg! I think it is simply 'dumb luck' but I will certainly take what I can get.

[connie50]

hi lbf206 I was taking repinarole(its marvellous for people with RLS)but after awhile had to come of it because of augmentation, weaned myself of it.took me weeks but I did it, I know take the patch was taking 3mg but had to wean myself of this (was getting augmentation) know down to 1mg + I also take Targinact this is an opioids drug (only just been released) the last few weeks have been horrendous, I have not slept a wink for 1week,plus my legs have been going mad, the first few days of taking the Targinact was brilliant, BUT know for some reason its stopped working, but last night I had add enough so I took my patch of & took 1mg of repinarole, it stopped (RLS)straight away, so I think I am going to go back on repinarole for awhile anyway.

[Izzybelle22 in reply to connie50]

Hi connie50. Since getting opioids of any type is next to impossible at best, I am glad to hear that there is something new on the market (Targinact) that might be effective. I am glad that you broke your will and took the ropinirole and it gave you some relief. I hope you are able to catch up on some lost sleep because I know that feeling is horrible. Good luck!

[connie50 in reply to Izzybelle22]

thanks but I didn't want to go down that rd. again (taking repinarole) but I had to get some sleep & this is the only med that works for me, the Targinact is brilliant as a painkiller but for anything else it doesn't work like any dopamine does. Such as repinarole.at the moment I am on the patch having weaned myself down from 3mg to 1g but this as no effect anymore, so that's why I am taking repinarole.

[ELLSBELLS]

So glad ropinarole has worked so well for you and for such a long time but for me dopamine agonists are the devil's drugs. Opioids work well for me and I am just so happy that I have found a drug that works well most of the time. Wishing you continued success with ropinarole, we are the lucky ones who have found a solution to this horrible medical condition. I live in dread that one day dihydrocodeiine will stop working.

[Izzybelle22 in reply to ELLSBELLS]

Ellsbells, I wish you the very best of luck and I feel just like you..."I dread that one day..." Here's to hoping what works best for us continues to do so.

[ELLSBELLS in reply to Izzybelle22]

Thanks for your reply and let us hope more of the community find something to ease their suffering. RLS sounds quite harmless but it quite literally drives me mad.

[Whitebuffalo]

LBF if you don't mind me asking, what were you in the hospital for?

[Izzybelle22 in reply to Whitebuffalo]

Unexplainable distended stomach, gastritis and apparently, pancreatitis.

[Whitebuffalo in reply to Izzybelle22]

Ouch. Hope you're over that problem.