Adenosine and RLS - again

[involuntarydancer]

I picked up this link from rls.org forum.

eurekalert.org/pub_releases...

Very little detail but it raises the whole adenosine/caffeine issue again. It could perhaps identify why it is that some people find a cup of coffee helps when their rls kicks off. It's a tricky area. I have tried dipyridamole (which affects adenosine) for my rls. I'm not sure that it provided much relief to the actual symptoms but I almost immediately felt better when taking it - much less tired and more 'myself'.

[RWick]

Was the dipyridamole taken in addition to a small dose of Pramipexol and gentle iron. I have reduced to .44 but it barely gets me through the night

[involuntarydancer in reply to RWick]

I have tried many combinations. When I first started dipyridamole I was not taking pramipexole. As far as I can recall, I was using kratom as my primary treatment. I was also taking about 150mg of pregabalin but pregabalin never had much impact on my symptoms so I was gradually reducing it and I eliminated it completely some time ago. A while after I started dipyridamole (about two or three months), I reintroduced a small dose of pramipexole (0.044mg) which after about 8 months I increased to 0.088mg. Later again, I tried eliminating the dipyridamole as I wasn't sure it was having much impact and I did not notice any deterioration in symptoms when the dipyridamole was gone so I haven't taken it since.

Dipyridamole definitely had a positive impact on my energy levels and general sense of wellness when I first started taking it and this has survived even after I eliminated it. I now take only pramipexole (0.088mg) and naltrexone (about 8mg). I take intermittent breaks from pramipexole in an attempt to avoid a re-emergence of the pesky augmentation. I was on a very high dose when I last augmented (1.65mg) so am hoping that the low dose will also help avoid augmentation. I do also take iron supplements. At the moment I am taking a heme iron polypeptide called ProFerrin, having read that absorption is higher from heme iron.

Pramipexole is a very difficult drug to reduce/eliminate. The last few mgs are the worst. You may need a mild opiate to boost coverage if you are reducing. If your sleep gets too disrupted, that can exacerbate symptoms also and you end up in a vicious circle.

[RWick in reply to involuntarydancer]

Wow! Thanks for all of the info. The possibility of so many different combinations either being prescription or supplements is kinda trial and error to work out. I just keep trying otherwise if you give in, the rls wins!

[involuntarydancer in reply to RWick]

I agree absolutely. Even if it's a battle I can't win, I am not going to lose for want of trying. I try to take some enjoyment from the self-as-guinea-pig process. I am fortunate that my GP is very facilitative and will prescribe more or less what I want provided I can back it up with some research.

[RWick in reply to involuntarydancer]

That is the very place I’m in at this moment. My ears perk up when I read about anything with a new source of information that just might be a key to this war on rls.

[DicCarlson]

Well, I can't believe that there's a journal called "Journal of Caffeine and Adenosine Research". Fascinating article, thanks.

[involuntarydancer in reply to DicCarlson]

You couldn’t make it up! It did occur to me to wonder how they manage to fill it on a regular basis. There must be a limit to the printable information on caffeine and adenosine.