Help. Need advice

[Crazyleggs]

My birthday is coming up. My daughter, God bless her, tried to surprise me She has booked a trip to Paris for for my birthday. I'm am so excited and terrified at the same time. How will I make that 12 hour flight and bare the RLS pain ??? We are leaving on Sept 19 - flying at night. I have had few good evenings since I reduced down to 2 doses of Pramipexole but how will I make it on a 12 hour flight. Maybe I could knock myself out somehow. No joke. Any suggestions

[LotteM]

Hi Crazylegs,

I remembered we were quite recently in a - your! - post on combining drugs. You don't give much info now, but I read between the lines that the addition of gabapentin while reducing the pram hasn't helped enough - if at all???? I found that only after stopping the DA completely, my rls got much better. Still at nighttime, bit no longer during the rest of the day.

Given rhe flighttime of 12h to Paris, I assume you are in the US. This may make it harder to try and do what I did.

I was cutting down on ropinirol, had received gabapentin, but that didn't do much. Based on all the info here I decided to stop the ropinirol and ask my GP for Tramadol. Temporarily, I said, to help me through withdrawal.

The combination of 50 mg trama and 200mg gaba works for me: no rls and quite good sleep. I am even beginning to look less tired than I have done over the past too many years. Although last night, after a 3h journey on the train and another 5h of intermittent walking and standing and some sitting (shopping with my 13y old daughter) I had my 2nd serious rls in the evening after taking the meds. Adding 1000mg paracetamol didn't help, butadfing another 50mg of tramadol did. And of course walking/stretching/miving it out until the meds "hit". And the rls gave in 2+hrs after it started.

No idea whether 1) this approach of stopping DA (your pram) and adding gaba will work for you, and 2) given that you are in the US, your GP or other doc will prescribe you the Tramadol as easily as mine did. Giving your doc the whole story (bday, Paris trip) and stress that you want it only temporarily, may help. Note: the less strong codeine didn't work for me.

Good luck with finding relief and keep us posted.

Btw Paris is wonderful. I like just walking around, but also the Rodin and the museum D'Orsay in a former trainstation with paintings from mid 19th century until early 20th century - both far more surprising than the famous Louvre.

[LotteM]

Oh, and Jess will probably recommend support stockings. Would not harm, I guess. I saw footless ones yesterday in an outdoor sports shop.

[Hidden in reply to LotteM]

Hi. How'd you guess? 😁

Yes, I recommend trying support stockings. The tightness that they provide help calm my movements.

[Crazyleggs in reply to LotteM]

Thanks Lottie. Taking your advice bought some support hose

[LotteM in reply to Crazyleggs]

You'd better thank Jess!! I simply 'stole' her suggestion.

Honour where honour is due. (Is that the correct saying?)

[Jumpey]

I hope ou will find a way to enjoy your celebration and not let the RLS take that away from you. An opiate could be the answer.Codeine or Tramadol. If you are not used to them they make you drowsy. Good luck.x

[John_naylor]

Tramadol if you can get some.

[Crazyleggs in reply to John_naylor]

Thanks John i have hydrocodone from pain management doctor and I will see PA before I leave. I'm wondering if Xanax would help. I've never taken it before. So not sure what it does

[Hidden]

I would go with LottieM *& John's suggestion of Tramadol. Might be worth going to your Dr, telling them your concerns and ask for a short term course of whatever it is you think will work best - if you had say Diazepam in the past and it worked go for that, personally speaking I think an opiate like Tramadol should be good - get the slow release one.

If you can get it, Kratom would be fantastic, (check its legality in your area; as far as I am aware it is legal in France). I used it going to the US, Spain and Portugal it helped immensely.

Cannabis - obviously I am not suggestion you roll a couple of joints for the plane or to take to France with you but a strong bun made with cannabis infused butter can be great and last quite a while. If you could eat it just before going into airport and given it could take up to 2 hrs to work and last for maybe 6 it could see you in to the home stretch, (not so good for the return as you wont have any unless you get it in France).

You could also contact the airline and see if you can get a seat at the emergency door - more leg room, or ensure an isle seat. If I can get an isle seat I tend to stand and hunker beside it while say chatting to whomever I am travelling with. If I can't get an isle seat I ask the person in it can I swap explaining my situation, if they swap I get them a wee drink when the air hostess come round as a thanks.

I tend to stay awake the night before travel to ensure I am good and tired and therefore more likely, (although not guaranteed ) to sleep.

I word of warning on the above be careful you don't end up too sedated/stoned/exhausted to navigate the airport! I am sure you would hate to be sitting looking at all the planes taking off only to realise the one climbing into the sky at that moment is the one you should be sitting on! If you are travelling with someone it can be great as they can keep you right.

Hope you have a great time in Paris and Happy Birthday.

Take care.

[Hidden]

Oh, and make sure to get an aisle seat (and get one with more leg room).

My husband and I do long hauls twice (sometimes three) times a year from Norway to visit family in Texas and it it is not fun. Do you have a layover? If so, make sure and use that to stretch the legs. The bigger the layover airport the better since my legs are normally pooped by the time we get to our next gate!

Happy birthday 🎉 Have a great time in Paris!

(BTW, want to make a detour to Oslo? 🙂 I'm eager to host people)

[Crazyleggs in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Jess - got an aisle seat and thank you for the invitation. We are booked on non- stop flight Norwegian Airlines out of LAX. Guess I'll just have to walk up and down aisle when I can. I'm an artist and am a featured artist in a French magazine called Pratique des Arts the Aug/Sept issue so timing will be fun to see it on the Parisian newsstands I will be 80 on my birthday and I am taking my paints and will paint some too while I am there. You said you visit family in Texas hope they are ok. Such a terrible disaster. Prayers go out to them.

Hugs

[Hidden in reply to Crazyleggs]

Thank you kindly! Apparently, the bridge near my old house partially collapsed and there are rescue boats everywhere. My brother just put a video on Facebook showing the flooding from a rescue boat (they were out rescuing others). My family has been very lucky, but we have friends who have not been so lucky... My other brother is housing a family in their guest room.

Have you ever flown Norwegian before? They are a good, low-cost airline. Very international, which was surprising to us when we first flew with them and discovered that no one in the crew was Norwegian! I was all set to surprise them with my Norwegian, too! (I'm from the US, live in Norway, and am learning the language)

That's neat the you paint!

[Crazyleggs in reply to Hidden]

Wow. Your family has been lucky and God bless them for doing what they can. I have never flown Norwegian before. It will be a new experience . Thank you Jess. I'm feeling good this morning.

[Hidden in reply to Crazyleggs]

You're welcome! Forgot to mention: you may want to try rubbing magnesium oil on your legs at home or take it to the airport and apply just before takeoff. I know the rules are only 3 oz. bottles (and mg oil comes in bottles much greater than that amount), but you might be about to buy the oil, buy a 3 oz. bottle, and transfer. I could be wrong about this, so hopefully others will be able to suggest something. Since every airline has it's own policy I would check re the made-up bottle of mg oil.

Glad to hear you're doing well.

[Graham3196 in reply to Hidden]

Is Norwegian airlines really Norwegian? I went for a cruise on a similarly named cruise line and I think its just an American company playing on the idea everyone has about Norwegians being so good. I wont give details or my opinion here but I won't be traveling with them again.

Graham

[Hidden in reply to Graham3196]

I don't think so. It's a real misnomer, isn't it?

[Retren]

Crazy legs what a wonderful gift I always took my medication on a flight often taking before takeoff or alternatively during the flight.I personally take tramadol.I would ask your GP to give you something to tide you over.Enjoy Paris it is a lovely time of year to visit and so much to see.

[Retren]

Crazy legs I saw mentioned tramadol makes one drowsy as it is a synthetic narcotic one would expect that it causes me to have insomnia but put up with that as it is preferable to the debilitating legs.

[Graham3196]

In the past when I had bad RLS I was able to fly by walking up and down the aisles. It gets a few harsh looks from other passengers who seem to think I am spying on their TV habit or something. I don't care about that but a few hostesses have suggested that I might like to sit down. I don't bother with the long story and just say I have bad cramps caused by the inadequate seat spacing. That's almost true but it matters not if I lie about such a thing.

Of course if you are feeling playful you could give them the complete RLS story and pass a few hours. I think they will quickly leave you to the other host/ess

Since I have been on the diets I haven't had any problem with flying - except that with or without RLS their seat spacing is horrible.

Cheers

[Hidden]

Just to add to Graham's comment:

One of the speakers at the AGM had a funny story about her husband (?) who, on a long haul, was doing "acrobatics" in the aisle. His justification for putting on a show was that he'd never see his fellow passengers again (and vice versa).

[Retren]

The R L S organization US have a card they issue for sufferers to present on boarding a plane for information why an aisle seat is required and other things.

[Hidden]

Hi! One of the things brought up at the AGM conference in London were the elements of distraction and anticipation in connection with "attacks". The more you anticipate an attack, the greater the chance of it happening. I know it's easier said than done, of course. This plays right into the distraction part. Do you have an activity that you enjoy so much that it will get your mind off your legs (a riveting book, adult coloring books, etc.)? I suggest bringing lots of things to do. Distraction brings about decreased anticipation which brings about a decreased likelihood of an attack.

I am giving you suggestions as they come to mind, so I might be back. If not, have a good flight and enjoy Paris!