Withdrawal

[Memmy]

How long does this withdrawal from mirapexin last. It's almost 2 weeks and I'm on 300mg and then 600mg gabapentin. I still have to take tramadol and Kratom to sleep. Should I increase the gabapentin to 600 and 600. I just hope gabapentin will work for me. The doctor won't prescribe more tramadol and I dread running out. I've tried over the counter codeine and paracetamol but I don't think it does anything. Sorry to be such a moaner.

[Elffindoe]

Please have a good moan if it helps.

I have a good moan now and again, sometimes I'm even driven to a full blown rant!

I've read that the timeline of withdrawal from pramipexole is 2 weeks. That is, after reducing the dose and after stopping entirely. In addition witgdrawals are at their worst at the final reduction.

Hence it is possible you are still undergoing withdrawal.

If that's so, at this stage it may be difficult to find a dose of gabapentin that's going to work for you.

I suggest perhaps waiting another week or so. Then if there's no improvement try increasing the gaba perhaps in steps of 100mg. You can get 100mg capsules.

At doses above 600mg it's recommended to split the dose in two, the first 1/3 of the total and the second 2/3. Hence 300mg and 600mg = 900mg

400mg and 800mg = 1200mg.

[Memmy in reply to Elffindoe]

Thanks. It's two weeks tomorrow so maybe that why I can't get much relief. Thanks, that helps me knowing that I may be on my worst bit of withdrawal

[Madlegs1 in reply to Memmy]

If you are finding the withdrawals pure hell, then it may be worthwhile asking the Dr for tramadol er for that week, and even maybe clonidine also, though I only used that for 3 days.Anything to help through that severe time.

[Memmy in reply to Madlegs1]

Thanks.

[SueJohnson in reply to Elffindoe]

I would not take 800 mg. Anything over 600 mg at one time loses it's effectiveness. Instead take 600 mg, two hours before the second 600 mg which you would take 2 hours before bedtime.

[Memmy in reply to SueJohnson]

Thanks. I'll take 2 lots of 600 tonight

[Elffindoe in reply to Memmy]

This is the actual recommendation

"The usual effective dose is 900 to 2400 mg daily given in a single dose or divided as one-third an hour before symptoms commence and two-thirds before bed. "

uptodate.com/contents/manag...

i.e a one third/two thirds split

The reason for this is because of the non-linear absorption characteristics of gabapentin in that the higher the dose, the proprtionately less is absorbed.

It's not actually accurate to say anything over 600mg loses its effectiveness, it doesn't work like that.

The difference between taking 400mg, 600mg, 800mg etc is that the higher the dose the less percentage is absorbed. There is no "cut off point" at 600omg.

Based on this taking doses of 400mg and 800mg means that overall more is absorbed than if you take two doses of 600mg.

[Memmy in reply to Elffindoe]

I've taken 600 and 600 tonight so let's see what happens. I actually dread going to bed. I'm fine all day now just nighttime jitters. I'll get a higher dose from the chemist. Thank you for your help. Greatly appreciated. My doctor has no incline of rls.

[Elffindoe in reply to Memmy]

Where do you live? It's only 7.15pm here.

Note that chemist can't give you a higher dose without you getting a pescription for a higher dose from your doctor. That is, unless yhings are different where you live.

[Memmy in reply to Elffindoe]

Athens,and I think my chemist will give me a higher dose. I can get my lovely cardiologist to prescribe a higher dose for me but not until the beginning of the month when she sends me the prescription by phone. I don't have a heart problem but she checks me every year and sends me for blood tests.

[Elffindoe in reply to Memmy]

I see.

That's not possible here in the UK, a pharmacist can only issue what's been prescribed by a doctor and prescriptions can't be issued over the phone.

[Memmy in reply to Elffindoe]

Here it depends on the meds. You can't get antibiotics and anything with codeine is impossible. Tramadol is prescribed only for severe pain so I get it for my shoulder as they wouldn't give it to me for rls. But only for a short while. Every 6 months I go and say my shoulder is really bad so I get one packet of 30 tramadol. I make it last so now for withdrawal I have some thank God. I haven't taken one tonight yet

[Elffindoe in reply to Memmy]

Gabapentin is a controlled drug here like potent opioids. Some doctors won't prescribe it. I guess it differes from country to country.

[birdman74]

Memmy. I have no experience of withdrawal from mirapexin but I can confirm that Gabapentin did absolutely nothing for me. Regarding the taking of Codeine my specialist recommended that I tried that in conjunction with Rotigotine patches and whilst the combination is not a cure it certainly helps my condition. Certainly I could not leave off the patches and I take the Codeine to ease my legs in the evening and then at bed time. I still have evenings when I walk around all the time and I still have bad nights but I have been much worse. Best of luck - and don't worry about moaning - you should hear me some times.

[Memmy in reply to birdman74]

Thanks for replying. How many mg of codeine works for you?. Thanks