Hello again wise people. Im hoping someone with experience with Kraton can help me.. I live in the US and its legal in my state. I am a 59 year old woman who has had rls for at least 30 years . I have successfully weaned myself off ropinerole by taking iron for very low ferritin levels. The problem is I still get mild to moderate rls 2-3 times a week even with the iron. I refuse to take DA drugs again. I'm almost sure my Dr will not Prescribe opioids so I'm considering Kraton after trying everything from Diet changes , supplements, oils even soap in my bed 😄 I have been researching Kraton and my concerns are the possibility of addiction ( would only need it a couple times a week) . I also suffer from terrible insomnia and read low doses of kradon cause wakefulness . I need sleep! Even when my legs are calm I have insomnia.. I did search this page for Kraton most of the posts were pretty old so I welcome any input. It's awefful how this disease can make a person desperate for relief
Please don't judge but....... - Restless Legs Syn...
Please don't judge but.......
It works on the opioid receptors and is MILD OPIATE type drug that many use to help get off more serious opiates like heroin!
If you only use it 2/3 times a week there will be no addiction as tolerance wont rise and you cna continue to take the same amount.
I took it daily for months as I had no other treatment and stopped immediately I got prescribed drugs with no problem. THAT SAID like any drug it can be misused and abused but it is less likely than codeine, tramadol or oxycontin all of which are routinely used to treat RLS., fair play.
Personally speaking I think you are taking the best approach getting off the dangerous drugs and taking a less dangerous drug only as you need.
Feel free to PM me if you need any support/advice.
Take care.
I am a 73-year-old woman and I have pretty severe RLS . I have been taking kratom for it for over four years now. I'm not sure if my RLS has just gotten more severe, or if I've developed a bit of a tolerance to it, but my doses have gone up. I'm guessing it's a bit of both.
At any rate, I am pleased with it, and don't take any other drugs. For me, a dose is one to two grams dissolved in a little cup of orange juice. Kratom is not water soluble, but does dissolve in an acidic drink: hence the orange juice.
Because the leaf does not have time-release properties, I usually wake up 2-4 times a night to get a little more. But then I usually go right back to sleep--although if the RLS is especially strong when I awaken, I may have to walk around for fifteen or so minutes. I don't think the kratom keeps me awake, as I usually sleep well except for the episodes of RLS. I use a red strain, red Borneo, at night, as it is supposed to be best at pain relief and helping with sleep.
I am sure I am not addicted, as I don't crave it at all--I just need the relief from the RLS. Perhaps you could say I'm dependent on it.
You might go on reddit and search the message boards there, as there are many postings about kratom.
Good luck. I was reluctant to try it as well, but tried it because it seemed to me that all of my options were bad, and this was the one that was least bad. The only side effects I've gotten are slight constipation, which I manage with some extra magnesium.
Good luck to you!
Great post, glad the Kratom is doing it for you, have you tried a higher dose at night to try and last longer?
"I am sure I am not addicted, as I don't crave it at all--I just need the relief from the RLS. Perhaps you could say I'm dependent on it."
That statement is spot on, I am dependant on Targinact and Neupro patch as I need them so my body doesn't dement me all the time, HOWEVER I am not addicted as there are no cravings or misuse. Unfortunately too many Drs are unable to make this important distinction.
Good suggestion, Raff. I think I will try a higher dose to see if it lasts longer. Thanks.
March1044 I have been successfully using kratom to treat my rls for about 4 months now. My dose is about 2 grams of red Borneo or red bent. I don't take any other medications so it's a lifesaver. In doing my research on kratom I came across the very best E book on amazon for treating RLS with kratom. The book was so helpful to me I read it more than once. I mentioned it because you remind me of the author!
Hi, could you tell me where you order your Kratom from pls? I will be a first time user, so want a well known site. Thank you in advance. 😊
Hi Leelee49, I order it from dekratomshop.nl in Holland. I think the quality of the kratom is fine though I've never had any from anywhere else. I get red vein borneo. It is much cheaper to order in larger quantities but in your shoes I would order a small-ish amount to start off with because it can induce nausea and I saw in some of your previous posts that you got nausea from ropinerole and, I think, tramadol so don't dive in too quickly with kratom.
I hope it works for you. I see that pregabalin is not cutting the mustard for you. I used a combination of pregabalin (mainly for sleep) and kratom to manage my rls for quite a while. It kept the symptoms under control although it is necessary to take the kratom a couple of times through the night as it only lasts about 4 hours. I did find I was quite tired during the day however. Kratom has an alerting affect for me at night time so that I had trouble sleeping (hence introducing pregabalin - I also take cannabis sometimes to induce sleep). I also think it can make you a bit tired during the day even if you do sleep with it - a bit like alcohol.
Are you planning to discontinue pregabalin? I found I got unpleasant side effects of all body restlessness when I reduced it too quickly so look out for that. I am now reducing at a rate of about 10% every week or so.
Thankyou for that, yes, I would like to reduce pregabalin at some point, won’t be stopping it all at once though. Will try kratom I think, nothing to lose I suppose have I. I think we all try something new, in the hope it will be the 1 that helps, without making you feel shitty aswell. Fingers crossed. 😊
I found Kratom immensely useful and still have it as my back up if all else fails. On top of all, the green strains have an alerting effect which can be very useful in the daytime if you are feeling exhausted.
It does give a nice buzz - a sort of mild euphoria - which I would admit to enjoying but I never found it addictive. I would be delighted never to need it again and I never crave it or look for an excuse to take it.
I hope it works for you. Keep us posted.
You have my sympathy. I am also an insomniac with severe RLS. My doctor allows me 10 Zopiclone a month to help my sleep, but I am tired most of the time - until I go to bed, then I'm wide awake again. This heatwave we have at the moment is making everything worse. Last night I was up just after 3am and again at 5.30. I seldom achieve more than four and a half hours even at the best of times.
I have been on opoids for around 14 years. They have been a life-saver for me, though they are not working so well recently and I am trying to (unsuccessfully so far) to get a blood test for ferritin level.
My advice is to try asking for opoids. At your John Hopkins in Baltimore there is a professor who has used these drugs for his RLS patients successfully for many years.
hopkinsmedicine.org/neurolo...
Try taking some of this info to your doctor.
That's the doc I go to at Hopkins. Amazing man. I had the iron infusion in March and am now only taking 300 mg gabapentin & sleeping 9 hrs a night!
I quite frankly don't know how I could abide without kratom. My normal dose is 4-7 grams, taken 2 or 3 times a day, in preparation for attempts at sleep. It's legal to buy on the internet in all but six states. I'm paying $110 per kilo at my favorite site; it gets more expensive if you buy in lesser amounts. I haven't really felt addictive-type cravings and only use it for RLS relief, which seems to last for about 5-6 hours per dose. I've been using it for 7-8 months, so can't vouch for whether it's a viable longterm "solution", but I'm hoping. There's certainly a potential for developing a tolerance; I've been rotating "strains" which perhaps slows down such an occurrence.
Good luck if you try it--don't be afraid to ask back if you've more questions. I never fail to be edified by the empathy and helpfulness of fellow sufferers who post here.
OK - here's the real deal. I have exactly the same problem - RLS "cured" with iron supplements - or rather the extreme horrible symptoms have gone away. We are left with excess Glutamate - the excitable neurotransmitter and not enough GABA - the calming neurotransmitter. From Johns Hopkins...“We may have solved the mystery of why getting rid of patients’ urge to move their legs doesn’t improve their sleep." So - how to target the excess glutamate or glutamate receptors and/or increase GABA. If you don't sleep well and you're not sleepy during the day - it's excess glutamate - excitable during the day and right into the night. forums.phoenixrising.me/ind...
Thank you DicCarlson! I think this is my problem. I'm wired but tired . I have said so many times if I could just shut my brain off maybe I could sleep. I am defiantly researching this more and trying the suggested supplements. Can you tell me what has worked for you?
I have been on turmeric but I just upped it to 3 x day, same with the NAC. Just started the flax oil also. Looking into Kava Kava and NAG. I have also started trans-dermal Magnesium - having had paradoxical reactions in the past - excitable not calming. Curious - when awake in the night I could take an ibuprofen and return to a deep sleep. Turns out ibuprofen is a glutamate blocker. Here's another thread with more suggestions. I might try glycine again at bedtime. forums.phoenixrising.me/ind...
I am with you. I find that the iron has taken care of the RLS and I am down to one pill before bed rather than two. I too find that Ibuprofen is a good sleep aid, Always have.
Ibuprofen and most Non Steroid Anti Inflammatories have been linked to increased heart issues. I quit the iron many months ago - no RLS, but Insomnia remains, but waning. I think my RLS was triggered by a concussion - a year after - inflammation in the brain. RLS is a very complicated biochemical affliction.
Great article, will have to implement them - I can be so exhausted I cannot move but my mind is still whizzing, thanks for the link.
I have reintroduced 50 mg of pregabalin to my regime since I read that it helps to induce deep sleep. It is hard to tell for sure but I think it is helping with the insomnia (it was never any use against urge-to-move symptoms) - I seem to be falling asleep more readily. I still also need some cannabis which I take as an edible.
I also take kratom every night - it has been a life saver for me as can't take opioids due to central sleep apnea and have augmented on dopamine agonists. I take about 6 grams before bed - mostly I need a second dose in the early hours and occasionally also a third one. I do not find it addictive - I don't find myself craving it or wanting to take more and more. I do notice that I gradually require a larger dose to deal with symptoms but have had no problems stopping it for a month or two to reset my sensitivity.
I am really sad to think that it was actually legal where I live up until a year or two ago. I hate having to take an illegal drug.
i use red leaf kratom. i skip every other day. yes i think it is addictive so i try not to use it too much. it does relax me at the same time it gives you some energy without the rls. if you do it too much though you will not get the results you want you may get tired with too much red leaf.
I have been using the red leaf kratom almost every night . It stops my rls and relaxes me but does not help me sleep. i think I will only take it when the RLS starts and see how that goes. If I take it to early it wears off and I am awake with RLS. I'm sure it can become addicting but I never crave it and I hate the taste. I'm not on any medications anymore so it has been a lifesaver for me.
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