Update

[Memmy]

This is an update on my previous post. I stopped mirapexin completely last Thursday. I was ok and controlling the legs with Kratom and tramadol. My legs felt bad from around 4pm yesterday (Monday) I decided to take 300mg gabapentin at 6pm. My legs were pretty bad so I took 1/2 teaspoon of Kratom. Nothing improved so at 11 I took another 300mg gabapentin. I think I had the worst night ever. This morning (Tuesday) my legs are not bothering me. I have a slight headache. I don't know what to do.Should I carry on with the gabapentin or go back to mirapexin. I know that it can take some time for the gaba to take effect but another night of hell is too much. Please help. Thanks.

[Joolsg]

Don't go back to Mirapex. You've done so well to get off it and you'll just prolong your agony if you take it again.Gabapentin has to be taken every night for 3 weeks to become effective AND withdrawal from Mirapex lasts weeks.

Until the Gabapentin becomes fully effective, use the kratom and tramadol every night as needed.

[Memmy in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks so much Joolsg. I feel better just knowing it will work and I dont want to use mirapex again. What dosage of gabapentin should I take I took two lots of 300mg yesterday

[Joolsg in reply to Memmy]

The average dose of gabapentin is 1200mg for RLS. Increase by 300mg a night and most find it works better by splitting the dose. Take 900mg 3 hours before bed and 300mg just before sleep.As advised earlier, it takes 3 weeks at full dose to be fully effective so expect to have a rough 3 weeks. Don't give in and take the mirapex- that's the worst possible thing you can do.

Most people will suffer badly for at least a month after stopping dopamine agonists but things WILL get better as your body adjusts. Your dopamine receptors will settle down and the gabapentin should start to work.

Your RLS will become less intense and the gabapentin should start to work.

If the RLS doesn't settle after a full 2 months, then you should ask your GP to add a low dose opioid like 50mg of tramadol or 10mg of Oxycodone.

It's very much trial and error in the 6 months after Mirapex. Some people do very well on just gabapentin, others need to add an opioid and others need to stop gabapentin and take a low dose opioid like Oxycontin or Buprenorphine.

[Memmy in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks but getting tramadol is a problem. They don't want to prescribe it. I have some so I'll use those for as long as they last

[SueJohnson]

If you get up to taking 1200 mg of gabapentin, do not take 900 mg and then 300 mg, as it is not absorbed as much when you take more than 600 mg. Instead take 600 mg 4 hours before bedtime and then 600 mg 2 hours before bedtime. If you need more than 1200 mg then take the additional amount 6 hours before bedtime. For example, I need 1500 mg and take 300 mg 6 hours before bedtime and then 600 mg 4 hours before and 600 mg 2 hours before. Or if you need more than 1200 mg you might want to switch to pregabalin.

[Memmy in reply to SueJohnson]

Thanks. I'll try that

[wildlegs]

I’ve had RLS for 25 plus years. I’ve taken many different things to help make my late night hours bearable. I’ve been taking Tramodol (300 mg) for 4 years with great results. Unfortunately we moved from Florida to Wisconsin to be near great grand children and it seems Wisconsin wants to eliminate all opioid use. After much suffering and looking around I found a pain doctor who would give me 150 mg of Tramodol. My RLS was better but I still did a lot of walking a night when I should have been sleeping. I finally convinced her that this just wasn’t working for me. She added .5 mg Pramipexole to my 150 mg of Tramodol and wow it worked great. It’s been years since I slept through the night and it’s been 30 days of bliss. BUT now she is going to drop my Tramodol dose to 100 mg and see what happens. I can only hope for the best but it’s very frustrating when I finally have something that works and now here we go again.Good luck to you and I hope I wasn’t complaining to much but for anyone with RLS it’s a long battle.

[Memmy in reply to wildlegs]

I'm so sorry you are suffering so much. Most doctors don't seem to understand how awful this illness is. I hope your new meds work well for you