Restless Legs.Augmentation.

[zxc7fdsa]

I think that I am struggling with what I think is Augmentation.I have been on Ripoline for years however it now seems not to work and I think it is making matters worse.I am new to the forum and would be glad to hear of how other sufferers have coped.

[Doversoul]

If you have worse symptoms of RLS you probably suffering Augmentation.

I often had it - and the only way I could cope was to try and walk it off. I have a Labrador, and he knew when I was suffering bad RLS and would be only to pleased to go for a walk at anytime of day, night, early morning. I found that I need a 2 mile walk to settle the legs, but when experiencing augmentation, I would have to walk a lot further. I could feel the improvement as I walked (eventually, not straight away). When I returned home , often I would be able to sleep for several hours.

There were times when as I was walking the RLS was pulsing through each le.

My Rls always started in the L foot, then sometime later, it seemed to lessen but the r leg then went into full on mode.

I avoided Cinema, theatre etc. No way, could I sit through a performance, without my RLS taking over. Train journeys were a problem. Couldn't sit still in a confined space like a train seat, and unable to consider flights. I regularly travelled to and from London, pacing up and down the carriages, like a dement pensioner. I was able to drive a car, as long as the symptoms were bearable, but unable to drive for more than 30mins, and never when augmentation occurred.

Fortunately, I was eventually referred by a Neurologist to Guys Hospital, sleep disorders unit. On one visit to Guys my augmentation was so bad, that they decided that I had to slowly come off Ropinirole . Over a period of 8 weeks a reduced my intake of Ropinirole and introduced Pregablin. It was a difficult time. RLS continued and augmentation as well. I now take 150mg of Pregablin am, and at night along with75mg of Trazodone (150mg tab cut in half).

Occasionally, I suffer RLS - starting in the r leg (never the L leg !!!!). It's mild and standing up and walking around the house for 10mins and it has passed. I am now having a normal life. I can do all those things that for 10 years were impossible to consider. I regularly drive 6hrs without RLS and I am seated for train journeys.

I would never want to go back on Ropinirole or anything similar. Maybe in time the RLS will break through the Pregablin treatment. I will have to reduce the dose for a period, and then increase . I can live with that.

Get off Ropinirole and all similar drugs. I have had patches, and similar Ropinirole medication, plus add ons, like Clonazepam, Gabbapentin, and others I can't remember. Pregablin has given me back my life.

[nightdancer]

That is common with the dopamine meds. You cannot just stop them. Put Allaying Augmentation into the search box on here. It is an article written by the BEST RLS doctor I know, known him for 28 yrs. His word is golden , and he has the best explanation of Augmentation and how to deal with that exists. It is not easy to come off of dopamine meds, dopamine withdrawal syndrome sucks. BUT, you cannot just stop it. No one med works for everyone, so it is trial and error when the dopamine meds stop working. They can work for years for some people, and if the dose is upped over the years it WILL make things worse. What country are you in? Different countries have different names for

meds a lot of the time

[jumpy_legs in reply to nightdancer]

I've been taking Ropinirole for years. In the last year the RLS has been unbearable. I stopped taking it cold turkey last week. No apparent weirdness it ill effects from stopping. I didn't consult with my Dr. because though he tries to help, he's really quite unsure about the condition. The RLS is still present. Hoping it subsides.