Both my father (95) and I suffer from restless legs and have been taking Ropinerole for about 14 months. It is so lovely to get sleep at night but we are both getting increased symptoms during the day which I presume is augmentation. While I am able to get up and walk round to ease this, my Dad has reduced mobility so is not able to do this. I was wondering if some form of stimulation would help such as Therapulse or Kailo nanotech patch. Does anyone have any experience with these and do they help?
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Bluepainter
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So sorry to hear of your troubles.You are very unfortunate to get augmentation on Rop so quickly, unless you were put on the wrong dose, which can happen.
Before panicking, I would be inclined to look at iron levels, or just take gentle iron (ferrous bysglicinate) every second evening with glass of orange juice or vit C. Serum ferritin needs to be above 100. Don't accept" normal" from your doctor. Get the actual number.
Secondly, look at triggers-- medications such as antidepressants or antihistamines, statins and so on. It would not be unusual for elderly people to be on any or all of these!!🙄
If you give us your medication list, we might be able to advise. Otherwise just search on Google. "Medication and RLS" which will throw up any issues.
Triggers also include food and drink. Msg, artificial sweeteners, high salt, rising agents (biscuits, crunchy etc) alcohol and more.
As Madlegs suggests, it sounds as if you're suffering augmentation.
You're not taking a particularly high dose of Roipinirole, but it doesn't necessarily need a large dose to cause it.
Madlegs gives excellent advice on the less drastic measures you can take to relieve augmentation, but the fact that you split the dose instead of taking just one dose a day suggests the augmentation is progressing.
You could also ask your doctor to prescribe you gabapentin or pregabalin. However in which case you may as well start teducing and possibly stop the ropinirole.
You're doubly unlucky because 1) you haven't been taking ropinirole long and 2) if your doctor had been more up to date he/she would have prescribed gabapentin or pregabalin in the fitst place which is what is now recommended.
Perhaps stimulation was the wrong description. I was referring to devices normally used for pain relief. The two I’ve referred to suggest that they may ease restless leg symptoms.
_ it looks I am kind of out of the box, here in the Forum; anyway. Lately, last 1.5 years, after a very long journey on medications, supplements, and so forth, I have been able to totally control my 62-year long RLS/PLMS with just EFT/tapping, without medications (sometimes adding still adding 0.4 mg of Clonazepam at bed time, to calm down my nervou system); just in case, please take a look at my replies elsewhere in the forum, dealing with my experience and energy techniques, literature, etc.
_ in your Dad's case, what is interesting is that EFT can be just a "mental" exercises, very easy to perform, and also can be surrogate;
_ hope, please, you would not take EFT as a "too-simple-to be- truth" altenative, as many do, without even test;
_ if you nedd more information, please just le me know. Maybe this video could represent a start up for you; youtu.be/VFKVVP8KXd4
Focusing on the pain and tell it to go away involves powerful mental impulses. Google "Open Fus" by Les Fehmi and "Navy Seals" sleep mental focus" Extend the foot and toes to point of pain until a release comes . Stroke and knead tender points in foot leg and thigh. Be self active.
Surprisingly, I had jeri jerks in the day from ropirole withdrawal. I take 2 300mg CAPSULES of Gabipintine. This not enough to deal with withdrawals. SO<SO<SO effeuage in stroking the mid thighhto the toes. Pettrisage is circular motions. Finding a tender spot and pressing dow and hold, hold, hold until the pain eases is a trigger point. Holds above and below and feel the wave of release is myofascial release.It takes about 30 min. to 1 hour. But, But, do you have the time ? it works. Spend more time with compression trigger points on the ourside top of the foot. The pain and relaxant pills are for this. but I prefer to help myself. I was a physical Therapist
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