I write for Mum who is 85 and nearly blind. I am her main carer. Mum has had RLS on and off for about 20 years. She has been on just about everything there is to varying degrees of success. As you all know meds start OK then the effect tails off and then stops working, sometimes even making things worse.
Anyway, over the last couple of years her legs have calmed down quite a bit, now only play up once or twice a week. No idea why. Because she is on Morphine for a chronic back condition she decided up of the blue to take an extra dose one day when the legs started up. Guess what, the RLS stopped within 15 minutes.
Who knows why? Coincidence? Luck? It has worked several times so it is not a one off. She has only been on Morphine for about 6 months and she does not believe that it is her Morphine over this time helping because she takes a low dose and only when she needs it for the back pain.
Thought I would share this with you guys I know RLS suffers will do about anything for relief.
Hi it is certainly not a coincidence that your mums legs calmed down after the extra dose of Morphine as opiates are well known for treating the symptoms of RLS. More and more now the RLS experts are prescribing the strong painkillers as a first line of treatment because of the augmentation problems associated with the Dopamine Agonists meds.
Many find Codeine or Tramadol helpful (they are the weakest strength )opiates
I also take a low dose of Morphine for back pain which helps with my RLS
I am pleased that your mother is getting some relief. As an aside my mothers RLS improved dramatically without meds in her eighties
Pipps x
Yes, the same as pippins has said, its the morphine that is stopping the RLS. Strong pain meds seem to be a better option than the other meds for RLS. Thats of course if you can tolerate the opiates, i know some people cant.
Also, as I'm sure you are well aware , constipation is a byproduct of morphine and if she is taking extra doses- and nothing wrong with that at her age , - then she might need to take extra laxative.
It's possible she's already on something like Movicol---- magnesium oxide is a good supplement if needed.
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