Good evening all. Up until three weeks ago, I used to take my opiate right after dinner (6.30), but more often than not the RLS would begin immediately, along with extreme tiredness, yawning with watery eyes and a feeling of coldness and shivering. I would normally have to take another half a tablet before the RLS and the other symptoms settled down, and walk around.
Three weeks ago I changed dinner time to 7pm, and took my opiates 15 minutes before eating. Every single day since taking them before food the RLS has not developed until my next due dose at around 11.30. (the other things only occur in early evening after eating, though not now). My final dose is at around 4am, when I have to get up and walk around again.
There seems to be this relationship with food interfering with my drug dose in the evening, rushing on the RLS. I hope I have made all this clear and understandable. Any ideas? I am obviously very pleased with this development though the reason is a mystery to me.
Written by
lorrinet
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Foods can interfere with absorption of medicine. High fat is supposed to help opiate efficiency.
I used to find hot ( chillies) type meals would inhibit the opiates. Also magnesium may inhibit many medications.
I presume you know not to take alcohol or citrus products ( grapefruit and marmalade).
I find taking some Paracetamol when the effect isn't working , helps a lot- it strengthens the opiate.
I'm wondering what you are on that has to be taken every 4 or 5 hours? This is not good practise for rls control.
Most opiates have a long acting version, which means better control , better sleep and less inclination towards addiction.
As usual, there are also all the usual triggers at play for rls- high salt , sulphites , msg in all its nefarious forms , artificial sweeteners and so on and on and on and on.😢😢😢😢-"just because you are on medication , doesn't mean you are free!
Keeping a food diary can helppinpoint trouble .
It's great you have been able to effect an improvement - all the best in your future.
My opiate is Dihydrocodeine, and I've been taking the three doses, 4 - 5 hours apart for around 5 years. Prior to that, for about 9 years, I had two doses with a top-up of one tab at around 4am. The problem with the symptoms with the evening dose began about three years ago. My GP says I must not exceed 8 tabs per day, and although my total daily dose for years was slightly lower (leading to fears of aumentation), now, after taking the first dose before food, it is six to six and a half - never more, over a 10 hour period.
My diet is heavy with fruit and veg (I followed the Hay diet for years, and stopped smoking but neither made any difference to the RLS), and I don't drink, don't eat convenience foods and have only filtered water after dinner.
Do you know which opiates have longer-acting versions?
To be honest, I am very wary of suggesting any kind of change to my GP, with all the talk about opiates at the moment. I'm scared she'll try to put me on Ropinerole again, which I've managed to avoid. I can live with things as they are just now, especially with taking my first dose before dinner, as that has resulted in half a tablet less. I have been very grateful for these opiates over many years. A time a few years ago when they were not working properly (hence the Ropinerole suggestion) turned out to be the anti-depressents I was taking. I think I'll stick with how things are and see how I go on. Thanks.
What dose are you taking multiple times per day? I seldom sit more than 30 minutes, so other than when I go to a movie, RLS never seems to bother me during the day. I take 24mg of codeine syrup about 5 minutes before bedtime. Depending on various other variables, that usually works for 6-9 hours.
My dose is 60mg (two tabs), sometimes topped up. I too do not suffer RLS during the day unless travelling pm, or at the theatre, or lying down - keeping still in other words. I can do any of those things in the morning though. I am also an insomniac but even when managing to sleep the RLS wakes me at about 4am, though lately I'm finding that I can often get away with one and a half tabs for that dose.
When I have insomnia, I try to focus on seeing the shadows and strange shapes that are faintly visible with my eyes closed. It is very difficult to focus on them and takes all of my attention to do so. That means I cannot be thinking about the other troubling problems in my life. It is also very boring, which tends to help me to fall asleep quickly. Please let me know if this works for you. Maybe what I see is just in my imagination, but I suspect not.
Dihydrocodeine continus is the prolonged release version which I have always been prescribed and, for the most part, it works well. I have taken just two 60 mg tablets for years . On really bad nights will take an extra tablet but next day I am back down to my normal dose.
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