rls- meds- how to stop taking what doctors prescribe think it would be easier to stop all meds- do not know how

[help3]

ROPINOLE

i take .5 mg 3 times evening. i do not want to take ropinole any more. i have tried going cold turkey by third night i give in. due to Monday morning back at work

i need to take something to get me off ropinole. so i can start fresh, to see if i really need meds. i have been diagnosed since 2007 you name it and i have tried it

before switching insurance i was taking 0.25 ropinole 3 times evening with 1 .325 hydrocodone. i new i had rls but not really noticeable. now i can not stand evenings any more. i really hate this for my wife who does a great job tolerating this with me

i switched several times on my primary care doctor- last recent one from last week up my dose 1 -2mg evening, he saying that this best there is in market.

my neurologist trying to get me to take gabapentin and i refused. then i decided if i can take this and get off ropinole then i will stop gabapentin

now i checked pharmacy and prescribed me lyrical- isn't this pregabalin- which i have already tried months ago- i have extreme insomnia - not sure what i need to do any more

[Hidden]

I have read both your posts and will reply to this one.

It is a good idea to get off the ropinirole as it appears to be causing you problems ( from your previous post 4 days ago).

It is DANGEROUS to stop taking a dopamine agonist (DA) cold turkey, not to mention the withdrawal effects you would have experienced.

In order to withdraw safely and with less withdrawal effects, it's best to reduce the dose in small steps over relatively long periods of time.

I believe a good reduction schedule would be to reduce the dose in steps of 0.25mg and no more often than once every two weeks.

Every time you make a reduction you will experience some withdrawal effects, but these should fade in 2 weeks. If withdrawals are too much then you can try smaller reductions, e.g. 0.125mg. You do this by cutting the tablets.

Unfortunately, withdrawals get wrose as the dose reduces. They will be at their worse when you cut to zero.

Some people find taking an opioid helps with withdrawal effects, but you're already taking one.

You may find that as augmentation and withdrawals fade then the hydrocodone becomes more effective as it's not having to fight the augmentation.

Hydrocodone isn't that popular for RLS, oxycodone may be more appropriate and buprenorphine is becoming popular. I'm sorry I will have no idea of their cost.

Sorry about the mix up with gabapentin. Pregabalin and gabapentinare alternate forms, but once pregabalin is absorbed it turns into gabapentin. Really then, the two are the same, but pregabalinis better absorbed.

I don't know what your previous problem with pregabalin was, because apart from that, it is a good alternative to a dopamine agonist.

The other things you might consider are iron therapy, which can treat the cause of RLS, i.e. brain iron deficiency. Iron therapy should be considered both before starting a medication for RLS and alongside a medication for RLS and is frequentlyignored by doctors.

The other thing is to consider not only what might make your RLS better, but also what might be making it worse.

If you're taking any other medications for anything, many medicines make RLS worse and this includes a range of things from antipsychotic drugs to cough medicines.

Diet can be a factor in RLS and that too is well worth exploring. I appreciate that when RLS is at its worse, you just need a quick solution, diet isn't a quick solution. Considering that RLS is a life long condition, it's worth finding out what diet suits you best.

[billy_in_slo]

Hi, I've had to pretty severe RLS in arms and legs for 50 yrs. I did a lot of drugs in the 70's! Daily pot smoking from late 60s to early 80s which probably helped with the RLS. I have tried all the approved drugs plus a lot of other treatments. Quinine, B vit, magnesium, potassium, iron etc.I have a very sugary diet and little self-control. My primary care agreed to to try hydrocodone about 40 yrs ago.

Started w/5mg at bedtime. It worked great. Started taking it during the day, worked great. I got up to 10/325 6x Day. We backed that down after hydrocodone was reclassified and scrutinized. Now I take 4.5/day + 300mg Gabapentin 3x Day. I don't like the gaba, makes me fuzzy in the head but it works. At bedtime I take THC in tablet form to help with sleep.

The real miracle drug is the hydrocodone, and I'm blessed to have a primary care who works with the Insurance Co to pre-approve 6 mo. at a time and approves my refills via text message. Hope this helps.

BTW The best way to get hydrocodone or opiates in general, is to claim chronic pain.

Good luck.

Billy

[help3 in reply to billy_in_slo]

thankshydro also best drug i found for RLS -

sucks changing insurance and doctors starting all over. its been over 7 months without hydro. now no sleep and insomnia. looking for right doctor who really knows rls