Hi everyone. I think I have posted here but can't seem to find it.
Anyway, I have tried everything over the counter for my rls. Actually the only thing that helps in my norco (vicoden) I gave in and asked my dr for a prescription for it. He gave me clonazepam. Anyone have good or bad experience with it? I was on some medication that was a total nightmare to wean off of and that's what I am afraid of. Can anyone give me any insight?
Thank you so much in advance. 😊💤💤💤💤💤
Clonazepam is a sleeping pill relief for rls- but can affect you for the next day- a better one might be Ambien- it shouldn't leave you dopey next morning.
The codeine would have been effective- as you found out , but if the clonazepam works for you, then ,good.!
There is a good introduction to rls treatment options on the Hopkins university website.
Also on rlshelp.org site.
Good luck.
Clonazepam surely helps. Have you tried gabapentin? It has been a lifesaver for many RLS sufferers. Ask your doctor about it. The klonipin will help you get to sleep but the gabapentin seems to address the issue. I'm about to take a dose now!
Find the lowest dose of clonazepam that works for u. I can get 6 hours sleep on 1/4 mg. Take a day or two off a week to prevent tolerance and addiction. I go like this for weeks, then switch to 300 mg Gabapentin for a while until it does not work as well. If you take more than these amounts for a month or more taper off instead of stopping all at once. Also, larger amounts can cause bone thinning in some people.
Clonazepam has always worked for me when I needed relief from RLS. Valium works for me too. I only take either one if I absolutely need it. My normal routine is to go to bed without taking any medication. If I have RLS I'll give it about 1 hour to see if it subsides enough that I go to sleep. If not, I get up and take 1/4 of a pill. Not sure how many mg that represents. After taking I feel relief and am usually sleeping within 1/2 hour. I agree with previous poster - take as little as possible while still gaining the desired result.
Clonazepam is a muscle relaxant offten prescribed for Epilepsy. I have been taking it for five years with mixed results. Finding the best dosage was difficult. I have take enough to suppress the rls enough so i get some sleep without feeling really bad the following day. I was told that it is addictive and have found that to be true. No Clonazepam = no sleep for me now. I asked if i could try one of the other types of medications i read about here but the consultant said no because i am on various anti depressants. I still get some nights a lot worse than others with no sleep and much more violent rls. I keep a food and exercise diary and cannot find any pattern - it is so random.
clonazepam did nothing for my rls but everyone is different and if it works for you that's brilliant.
The drug which was a nightmare for you to wean off was probably a dopamine agonist like ropinirole so stay away from those.
Gabapentin has helped my RLS but like all drugs has unpleasant side effects, but when you're caught between a rock and a hard place you'll try anything that works.
codeine seems to help a lot of people too.
Take care
Jools
Initially when I first saw the doc with RLS symptoms he gave me clonazepam and I got up to 4mg. When I saw a neurologist, having tried pramipexole and ropinirole he told me to get the clonazepam down to 0.5mg by 0.25 a week. I got down to 1 which I am still on. I also have 600mg of Gabapentin three times a day plus 200mg of extended release Tramadol. I tried to come off the tramadol but my legs were all over the place. The neurologist has added 1 mg Neupro patch on top of everything else. Mostly all this is ok but I am a bit concerned about all the stuff I am taking. It does seem to be trial and error but my instincts at the moment is to stick with what I have. I hope all this rambling is of some help.
The dose of gabapentin is very high for RLS. Usually, it's 900mg a day maximum. 1800mg a day is more usual for pain. Do you get any side effects from it?
Jools
It was because of the pain that the dose is so high. The doc did think of going to 2700 but we agreed that there would be little benefit. I understand that the efficacy of Gabapentin does not move in a straight line so that, at a point, it starts to flatten so you have a benefit curve. I think the use of a gaba drug with a dopamine agonist is being helpful. Thankfully I don't have any side effects apart from tiredness!
And a Merry Christmas to you!
Thank you everyone for replying :). I took half a pill (which is 1/2mg) and the first night it worked wonderfully. Did it again last night... not so much. I also started using my tens machine on my lower back. I will give this med some time and see what to do next. I appreciate all your words of help. 😊
Good luck McMomof3 - I understand how you are feeling having suffered with RLS since I was 13 and am now 51. Having some good relief from Pramipexole and codeine right now, I see you have already tried that. The Neupro patches worked for me for a while, but moved on from them in the summer. Take care.
I've tried Clonazepam, Ativan, and Ambien. They're all great for sleep but they all gave me bad side effects, such as severe drowsiness, impaired motor skills, feeling/acting/sounding like I was drunk (family and even doctor took notice). Hopefully it works better for you than it did for me, but Norco has been best for me. My doctor put me on that immediately once he realized how the Klonopin were affecting me. Good luck!
So sorry it didn't work for you....So far actually it's working great. I am so afraid to get addicted I am skipping days periodically... the days I take it. I have no problems until about 5 am. I'll take that!! I am also only taking 1/2 a pill still which is .5 mg. I am trying to cut back on the norco. But also this medicine (clonazepam) works so much faster. So I will definitely enjoy it while it lasts. 
My Aunt has been taking clonazepam for RLS for last 25 years or so. She takes it every single night before bed. She is 88 years old and seems to have suffered no ill effects from taking it nightly. I only take it if I absolutely need it because some nights I don't have RLS. It's random.
Glad to know it helps your aunt so well. 😊 When I have it. It's every night and it's bad... but then I'll get a week or 2 off. Then boom a month or more every night. I wish I could find that miracle cure (that's not a prescription) but for now I'll enjoy my 5-6 hours of sleep with this medicine 😊
I didn't have any relief with clonazepam, put me into a trance all the time. I think, reading all the many posts here, a drug may work for a while then you might need to change , so perhaps a drug that worked a while back , but then stopped working, might now work once more.
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