Sifrol withdrawal burning legs - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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Sifrol withdrawal burning legs

Dina1234 profile image
20 Replies

Hello everyone.

I quit my sifrol on August 3rd this year, (I'm still suffering daws,rls almost completely gone) now I have another problem. My legs and feets are on burning pain since few weeks. And my arms too where I did have a augmentation. Burning starts when I'm resting during the day and I the night when I get to sleep. During the night it stops I wake up without burning pain. I don't take any medication ( I'm afraid of medication because of sifrol withdrawal ) I do take vitamins D, C, B12, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Iron and CBD as recommended here,and clonazepam 0.5 for anxiety but just once in the week. Does someone have the same or similar experience and can tell me how long is this going to take? And maybe what can a I do? Thank you!

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20 Replies
Elffindoe profile image
Elffindoe

Burning pain usually indicates nerve pain, possibly peripheral neuropathy.

It may be coincidental to sifrol withdrawal.

I suggest you discuss it with your doctor.

Gabapentin/pregabalin can help with nerve pain and also RLS.

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234 in reply to Elffindoe

Thank you Elffindoe!That was my first thought too. But I do have burning pain only in the areas of rls and augmentation,for just few hours and when I move its gone, I don't have urge to move! I don't have any another symptoms of neuropathy. I will talk to my doctor. Im really afraid of wrong diagnosis. I'm scared of gapapetin and pregabalin too.

Elffindoe profile image
Elffindoe in reply to Dina1234

It was only a possibility.

It could be RLS, it is at you say, in the same areas. Plus, if you're no longer taking any RLS med, it would be surprising if you had no RLS symptoms.

But then the symptoms do not match the RLS diagnostic criteria.

Why be scared of gabapentinoids?

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234 in reply to Elffindoe

Yes you a right, I do have minor rls symptoms, strange feeling in my legs in the morning, but it's not dramatic. I'm afraid of gabapentin because of the side effects but much more because the withdrawal causes Panik and anxiety, and because of my daws experience I don't think I can handle that ever again in my life. I really want to thank you for your answers. I appreciate every one of them!!

Elffindoe profile image
Elffindoe in reply to Dina1234

It doesn't seem entirely logical to be afraid of withdrawing from a drug before you've started it.

Or be afraid of side effects that you don't know you'll even experience.

I can understand that your fears are influenced by your experience of sifrol.

Gabapentinoids are not dopamine agonists, however.

If at some point in the past your RLS was so severe you started taking sifrol then there's no reason that it shouldn't get that severe again.

Gabapentinoids aren't ideal for RLS, but you should think of potential benefits as well as risks.

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234 in reply to Elffindoe

Yes you are logicaly thinking. But in my case believe it or not I do suffer very often from side effects of medication, and I tuk some in my life. And I always suffered withdrawal symptoms.my rls was also withdrawal symptom from eszitalopram.

Elffindoe profile image
Elffindoe

Yes apologies for being too logical. It's not always appropriate.

if you suffered RLS symptoms as a result of withdrawing from any drug, then once withdrawal effects have faded the RLS symptoms should disappear. If you started on sifrol before withdrawals had ended, then the sifrol has extended the issue.

This can happen with drugs like opioids.

If you waited until after withdrawals should have ended and they still didn't disappear, then you may already have had primary RLS before starting on the drug.

I know that withdrawals from some drugs can include RLS symptoms, but I know of no evidence than any drug withdrawal CAUSES RLS.

In fact it's usually starting a drug that makes RLS worse or causes it and if this is secondary RLS then the RLS can disappear after the drug is withdrawn.

In fact taking escitalopram, like most antidepressants can make RLS worse, NOT withdrawing from it.

In this case escitalopram doesn't cause secondary RLS the sufferer must have pre-existing primary RLS.

It sounds as if you, like myself, had mild primary RLS which was made worse by escitalopram. Then you sought help for RLS.

However help would have been iron therapy and being given time to recover from the effects of escitalopram. Instead you were given sifrol.

I was given pramipexole.

After a while you become dependent and missing a dose is terrible This convinces you that you have terrible RLS and you feel compelled to continue to take it. It fails, the dose is increased, you suffer augmentation.

Then you have to go through sifrol withdrawal.

All this because of the ignorance of a doctor!

This may mean in fact you only have mild RLS. In this case you may find you can manage without any drugs for RLS. But it may be also that time has passed, plus augmentation has caused damage. If so, you will find it difficult to avoid taking alternatives or will have to work really hard at finding non drug remedies.

Bruxelles profile image
Bruxelles in reply to Elffindoe

Hello Elffindoe, do you know if Tegretol (carbamezapine) can cause RLS?

Elffindoe profile image
Elffindoe in reply to Bruxelles

No I don't believe it can cause RLS.

In addition some meds can make pre-existing RLS worse, e.g. antidepressants, but tegretol does NOT.

It is an anticonvulsant and may even make RLS better.

Why do you ask?

halperinchen profile image
halperinchen in reply to Elffindoe

HI Elffindoe, would you please let me know what medication you use to control your mild RLS symptoms? Any undesirable side effects do you experience from your current medication ? Are you on Gabapentinoids? I'd appreciate for your reply, thanks

Elffindoe profile image
Elffindoe in reply to halperinchen

Hello.

I don't really know if my RLS is mild or not. I'd have to stop taking gabapentin altogether for that.

I simply don't want to risk that.

I can say it's mild when taking the gabapentin.

Before I ever started taking any meds for RLS is was quite severe, my main complaint being lack of seep, due to symptoms every night.

However, with hindisight it may have neen exacerbated by antidepressants.

The only slightly troubling side effect for me is that sometimes my vision is a bit blurry. Most of the time I don't notice this.

Sometimes, I cant recall words, but they come back. It's not really a problem.

halperinchen profile image
halperinchen in reply to Elffindoe

Thanks for your reply, Elffindoe.

Fingerandus profile image
Fingerandus in reply to Elffindoe

your comment is quite true as i am going through this at the moment i am taking pregabalon to help me withdraw from sifrol which i was given for restless legs i am going through hell all day and all night my RLS got worse with every pill i took starting with diabetes statins lyrica then puffers because my breathing got worse i have ditched them all just got to get off sifrol now lyricas not too bad to withdraw from xxxthanks for your letter x

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234

Thank you Elffindoe. There is no need for you to apologize!! As allredy told you I do really appreciate you taking the time to answer me!!

Munroist profile image
Munroist

Your pain sounds difficult to diagnose. If it goes away with sleep and rest it could possibly some nerve pain caused by posture/spine but physically that seems unlikely to affect both arms and legs. Having taken pregabalin myself which is similar to gabapentin I can say I found the side effects minimal (a slight loss of sharpness mentally) and it gave me some useful benefits in reducing nerve sensations and anxiety. I was then in a better place to decide what to do and came off it again after a year without any problems. I did worry occasionally whether I would find it hard to stop taking which I think is normal it but in the end it was ok. From reading others posts I think many people find it useful and relatively few have serious side effects or find it hard to withdraw. Some find it doesn’t really help. In my view the risks are low and it could possibly help you. If it doesn’t help then generally it’s not hard to stop taking it.

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234 in reply to Munroist

Thank you Munroist!

Yes it is difficult I know, and I'm scared. What I did notice, becouse of DAWS, im still suffering strong anxiety and the bigger the anxiety is the more I feel the burning and that only in the areas where I did have rls and augmentation.

Thats a reason why I think it's still withdrawal maybe. I'm clueless right now. Maybe I just have to wait. I have doctors appointment on 2.12 then I will see what to do next.

Munroist profile image
Munroist

If you are noticing a connection between anxiety and burning feelings then it may be worth looking into some mindfulness or meditation type practice. I started meditation when I had back problems and it really helped me reduce my anxiety about the whole thing, whether the pain would get worse, whether I would find out what caused it etc. Anxiety can increase your awareness and sensitivity to pain and make symptoms worse than they are while meditation can help you just focus on what you are feeling in the moment without projecting into the future. None of us really know what’s going to happen so just deal with what’s happening now. In my view it’s encouraging that you have periods without the pain and I would see a possibility that those periods could be potentially be increased over time and possibly with some understanding of when and why they happen. Meditation can also allow you to focus on all the other things that are going right in your life which can be a surprisingly positive experience and help to provide balance and perspective on your troubles. All the best.

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234 in reply to Munroist

Yes that is what I'm going to make first before taking medicine. I'm not against medication really, never was but this sh.. Sifrol made me very very anxious in this point.

joker826 profile image
joker826

Hi Dina1234, I have burning in my feet when At night & upon wakening. When I get up and walk it goes away. My doctor diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy and I take 600 mg of gabapentin One hour before bed. It does help! Stopped Mirapex last month for RLS.

Dina1234 profile image
Dina1234 in reply to joker826

Thank you so much Joker826!I hope you don't mind asking me how did you doctor came to the diagnosis? Did he make some tests or something like that?

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