Anyone use DAs intermittently?

[Lapsedrunner]

I’m finding this community really informative and supportive, thanks for your input so far!

I have been off pramipexole now for 2 weeks, and my augmentation has improved.

Hopefully it’s still early days but despite having started Gabapentin my sleep is still a bit rubbish.

I’m not planning on going back to DAs as regular meds but my question is, do any of you use DAs for the occasional guaranteed nights sleep?

[Gmc54]

I haven’t, but I did once wonder about alternating between one type of drug one month, and another type the next month. To try to stop the augmentation.

[Vinyard]

What are DAs please ? Diazepam ?

[Lapsedrunner in reply to Vinyard]

Dopamine agonists

[Vinyard in reply to Lapsedrunner]

Thanks for your response.

[rls_optimist in reply to Vinyard]

Further info: DAs are one main class of drugs used to treat RLS. They include pramipexole, ropinerole and the rotigotine patch. They are very effective, but often they lead to augmentation, which is when the drug starts to lose effectiveness and the symptoms can get worse, or start earlier in the day, than before the drug was started. Therefore, they must be used with caution and at the lowest possible dose, if at all.

[whiteleye]

I am on a dopamine agonist nightly; however, my daughter uses one occasionally rather than full time, for long airplane rides.

Good luck. One gets desperate for a good night.

[Whippetmama]

I do. After augmenting fairly quickly on a nightly dose, I weaned myself off almost a year ago. I now take it on especially bad nights. Either 1/2 a tablet of a full tablet when especially severe. Usually, marijuana and tramadol control it well.

[Franklin123]

Hello - I have not had prami, and from what I read on this great site do not intend to do so, but have tried gabapentin which didn`t do anything at all except maybe cause some sight problems. I do rely on ripinirole (smallest dose I can get away with. I put out a 0.25 tablet at night in case of need only. The reports on augmentation on here are scary!! How do you tell if it is augmentation?

[Lapsedrunner in reply to Franklin123]

Hi, thanks. With augmentation symptoms happen earlier and become worse ( I found that my RLS started late afternoon whereas before treatment it woke me, and also came back at night after being controlled)

[Lapsedrunner in reply to Franklin123]

Also Ropinerole is a dopamine agonist, but augmentation only happens with regular use I believe. I must say I had no idea that coming off even the lowest dose of pramipexole (0.088mg) would require weaning and clearly my GP didn’t either!