I took Sifrol O.375mg for two nights

[John_au]

How long would I expect to see it before it completely leaves my system? I don't think it made any impact on my symptoms. I took it at 7pm both nights, will that mean at at 7pm after the last tablet the medication will be completely out of the system?

[Madlegs1]

The likely outcome is that you don't have rls.

If you had, it would be sorted immediately, unless the dose is not high enough.

I'm not certain of the equivalent dose for Sifrol as opposed to pramipexol, so you might up your dose a notch, just to make certain.

There is no risk of withdrawals fr a few days trial.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

How long a substance stays in your blood stream depends on its "half life".

This is the time taken for half of it to disappear, usually measured in hours.

This means after a number of hours half of it will have disappeared, then after the same number of hours half of the remainder will disappear ( a quarter), then after the same number of hours again half of that (an eighth) and so on.

The half life of pramipexole is, I believe about 6 hours so the amount of it left after 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 hours is 50%, 25%, 12.5%, 6.25%, and 3.125% and so on. You can see then it can hang around for quite a few days.

Additionally, I believe you took the extended release version. Theoretically then, with this, if you've taken it several days, then 24 hours after taking it, the level in your blood stream is still as high as when you took it.

So if you took it at 7pm on day 1, it's still as much at 7pm on day 2 and will only start declining after that. At 7pm on day 3, 6.25% will be left.

As previously stated you may or may not get some withdrawal symptoms 48 hours after taking the last dose. Probably not. If you do, these will be RLS symptoms.

This might help you realise, you don't have RLS.

I appreciate that not being certain you have RLS or not, now not knowing what effect withdrawing from pramipexole might have and not knowing what your symptoms are really caused by (if not RLS), are anxiety provoking.

However, I suspect that you are overanxious and this in fact may be contributing to your symptoms. This is especially so if your anxiety isn't just a reaction to this current situation, but more about the typical way you react to stressors.

This isn't to say you don't have a physical problem which might be remedied by some physical treatment. I'm NOT saying "it's all in your mind".

However, based on my observation of the pattern in your responses I would say you have an anxiety problem, as well as, or contributing to your symptoms. Perhaps even causing them.

[John_au in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I appreciate that I sound very anxious and I am. I have found this whole process with the neurologist very scary and him just shutting me down. He said he doesn't want to see me again, and to continue with the sifrol

[Hidden in reply to John_au]

Perhaps you can say why you find it so scary. What are you scared of?

Although, it doesn't sound as if there's any point in seeing that neurologist again. What will you do?

It might be worthwhile you seeing a doctor about your anxiety. If you deal with that, you may find your symptoms improve.

[John_au in reply to Hidden]

I'm scared of having RLS and having an unbearable life. The diagnosis is so terrifying to me that I considered suicide. Is RLS that unbearable or is it my anxiety telling me that?

[Hidden in reply to John_au]

We get anxious about things that we perceive as threatening. You obviously have a perception of RLS as being horrendous and unbearable.

However, there are probably many people who cope quite well with their RLS. In which case they don't really have much motive for joining this forum. This forum gives a distorted picture of RLS.

It can be horrendous like other conditions that other people bear and live with. I find my first cancer, it's possible recurrence and my possible second cancer anxiety provoking, but I have ways of dealing with it It does put my RLS into perspective.

If you're getting your ideas by exposing yourself to the bad experiences and problems people write about on here, it will not be helping you to have a less negative perception of RLS.

Especially since you don't appear to have RLS anyway, my suggestion is you leave this forum and stop reading this that make you anxious.

Seek help with your anxiety.