My Buprenorphine/subutex which its called here in Australia.
I still appear to be the only person in Australia who has been able to access buprenorphine sublingual. I know people who have tried unsuccessfully to access this medication.
My Doctor is blown away at something new that has transpired .
For 16 years I have been on blood pressure medication which my Doctor has stopped because my blood pressure was to low.
For the last 3 weeks I did blood pressure readings 6 times a day to see what it was off the blood Pressure medication was totally normal.
My Doctor thinks because I now sleep at night my blood pressure has normalised
Img Buprenorphine has allowed my to stop the following and only costs me $30 monthly.
20 mg Oxycodone slow release
2 x 10 mg Endone daily
Stillnox
Mizart Blood pressure medication
Apart from the fact I have Zero RLS breakthrough and I sleep like a baby,
My blood pressure is perfect also and look at all the meds I know longer tax my liver with.
I am also going to email Professor Winkelman and Professor Richard Allen at John Hopkins , Dr Glen Brookes in NYC to let them know about this positive health effect regarding my blood pressure.
I am not saying this would occur in every patient but it makes you stop and think.
Professor Winkelman said to me that RLS is far more dangerous than Sleep Apnea No wonder.
I think of you all -all the time.
Although I am well it breaks my heart knowing there are so many people desperate for sleep and in pain with this insidious disease.
My thoughts are with you all.
Written by
Shumbah
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I am Austrian and have now switched to Buprenorphine sublingual 0,2 mg (taking only half of it = 0,1 mg). In this country it is named Temgesic.
I am still taking Sifrol/Pramipexol (0,13 mg) with it but try to come off it ( I am cutting off bits of it every day, so just now I am taking about 0,08-9 mg).
The Sifrol reinforces the Buprenorphine , but once I have weaned it off altogether, I hope the opioid alone does the job. Dr. B. wrote that when I stop the Pramipexole, I will likely need much higher doses of Bupr. for a few weeks, but then I should be able to get back on a low dose.
Since taking Buprenorphine I have been sleeping every night without any RLS interruption, and nothing in the afternoon and evening which I experienced before.
And it causes no constipation so far.
I am still not daring to think too much about it (so that the gods might not have their attention drawn to me . It seems like a miracle.
First - I am Austrian, Austria is a small country in the middle of Europe (Vienna, Salzburg etc). And I have already written in Health Unlocked on Buprenorphine before.
As you surely know, Dr. B. uses Belbuca (which seems to be a film to be applied on the gums inside the mouth) and which he applies very very low (75 mcg ! which is 0,075 mg). He writes that he prefers Belbuca because of the possibility of low dosing. Maybe he uses - according to what the patient needs - also somewhat higher doses (it comes in 150, 300, 450 to 900 mcg).
Here in my country Belbuca is not available, the nearest low dose is Temgesic 0,2 and 0,4. mg.
Even at the low dose of 0,1 mg Temgesic I have success (I am very sensitive to meds). Maybe that is also due to still taking Pramipexol with it. We shall see what happens once I stop the Pramipexol altogether.
A further advantage seems to be that Buprenorphine has an anti-depressant effect which is what my prescribing doctor says. An effect which Targin (oxycodone) does not seem to have.
Hello, I read you're "cutting bits off it every day", that is pramipexole. Please be careful, you need to reduce the dose of pramipexole very slowly to avoid withdrawal effects.. Normally I'd suggest that you taper from o.o8 mg to zero in 6 to 8 weeks.
Thanks for the update Shumbah. How wonderful that your blood pressure has reduced and you can stop taking so many meds.
I live in hope that the dinosaurs at the Association of British Neurologists will learn the basics of RLS and start prescribing Buprenorphine here in the UK.
That will be up to the surgical team. They have their own preferred meds for spinal surgery.As previously mentioned, the average dose of Buprenorphine for RLS is 0.5mg of sublingual.
Discuss with the sugical team fully before surgery so they're aware of your severe RLS. You will need to continue your RLS meds and make sure you're given safe anti nausea meds with the anaesthetic. Zofran is RLS safe.
Hi Shumbah, Just to add to your knowledge, Norspan patches come in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,30 and 40 mcg/hour. I started on 10 but it wasn't enough so moved to 15 which is where I am now.
For me it's been a miracle and I now have a mostly RLS free life. It's side effect seems to be shallow sleep but I still sleep more than previously regardless and am blissfully relaxed and cosy. I do also have occasional sweats but I honestly prefer that to the tortures of RLS.
If constipation is an issue which it seems to be settling, I use Movicol which is gentle and effective. Your campaign to educated doctors is inspirational and I wish you every luck with it. My GP who has been wonderful, prescribed the patches and is happy to continue to do so, in spite of the new rules in Australia.
Two nights ago I commenced Buprenorphine 200 micrograms
(As hydrochloride)
In Western Australia it is sold under the label Temgesic Sublingual Tablets.
It is a controlled Drug here in Western Australia so possession without Authority is illegal.
My Doctor went through the appropriate channels to get me the necessary approval. I have had RLS for 49 years and all other medications have been exhausted.
The tablets are dissolved under the tongue. They come in very small doses and I took 3 tablets over a 1.5 hour period after going to bed last night.
So that is less than 1mg of the Buprenorphine.
I immediately stopped all my other RLS medication last night and commenced the Buprenorphine.
I was taking .....
600mg Gabapentin
5mg Endone (oxycodone)
0.250mg Sifrol (pramipexole)
It took me a while to get to sleep but once asleep I slept through to 6.00am
I then stayed in bed till 11.00am sleeping on and off with no RLS symptoms and no jerking.
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. It seems like a miracle.
Buprenorphine insomnia
