all at once? I’m having side effects from pregabalin and was thinking that maybe gabapentin might be better.
Can I just stop the pregabalin and start the gabapentin in one day? I’m so tired of the tapering down of the ropinerole until I’m off of it (and when that’s done, I’ll continue the tapering of the clonazepam I’m on until I’m off of that, too)
Would rather take only one med with as few side effects as possible. I know all meds have side effects but I’m wondering if the side effects of gabapentin might be less than those of pregabalin.
Thank you to anyone who reads this and replies!
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Abby2525
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Hi I know you are now down to 0.5mg of Ropinirole. What are the side effects of pregabalin you are experiencing? It could be the withdrawal symptoms from Ropinirole
pregabalin and gabapentin are the same class of drugs and most side effects are similar but some people have fewer side effects on one.
Most of the side effects like dizziness, double vision, leg swelling, increased appetite are common to both and reduce after 2 or 3 months.
I wouldn't switch just now until you know for sure the side effects you are experiencing are from pregabalin rather than withdrawal from Ropinirole
pregabalin will not stop withdrawal symptoms from Ropinirole for most people. Usually a short term low dose opioid like tramadol or codeine or Oxycontin is used to get you through the increased severity of RLS with each reduction and for the final 2 to 3 weeks after stopping Ropinirole
It is very, very tough for most people to get off dopamine agonists. Stay strong and keep going because once you're off them, the RLS settles and with the right medications for YOU will be completely controlled.
Hi, Joolsg, and thank you for your response! I’m now on 3/8 mg ropinerole (at least, as close as I can get to that by using a sharp knife and shaving the half tablet).
The side effects from the pregabalin are blurred vision and increased appetite as well as being tired and foggy in the morning. If gabapentin is similar, then I don’t feel a desire to switch.
I am having withdrawal effects from tapering the ropinerole but I am determined to come off of it. I can’t see the RLS specialist until November 11 and I don’t know at what dose of ropinerole I’ll be on at that point but may 1/4 mg by then. I hope!
He was the one who prescribed ropinerole but he’s also the one who was willing to write a 200 mg prescription for the pregabalin when I messaged him about the chronic lack of sleep for weeks and weeks. So I’m hoping he will understand about my need to stop the DA and use a different med.
Thank you for your response and encouragement! I don’t know what I would do without this forum. I seriously think I would have committed suicide by now.
The side effects you mention are indeed common side effects of pregabalin. I experience similar but pregabalin works well to keep my symptomsunder control.
Those are very common side effects and gabapentin has the same ones. It should settle after 2 to 3 months.
I suggest you ask your doctor and pharmacy for 0.25mg pills. They're available here in the UK. That way you won't have to cut the pills.
Try cannabis or codeine to help the withdrawal symptoms in the meantime. Or kratom. A teaspoon of kratom red vein borneo will help settle the worsening RLS at night.
Make sure you arrange 2 weeks off work for after you drop the last dose because that's when withdrawal really gets bad. Ensure someone is with you for the first 3 or 4 nights because you get zero sleep and constant all over RLS. However, once through those 4 days, every night gets a little bit easier. After a month, it settles and the pregabalin really starts to help.
If it doesn't, that's when you can ask for low dose opioids and show your doctors the Mayo algorithm
Stay strong. You will be so much better once off Ropinirole
Joolsg, thank you for the heads up about what it will be like to come off of the ropinerole. I tried to order kratom but it won’t deliver to Wisconsin. I won’t have a doctors appointment until November 11 but at that time, maybe he will prescribe an opioid for when I’m off of the ropinerole completely.
I was able to order two small packages (I think 250 grams each) of Kratom by having it delivered to someone in another state I’ll be visiting soon. Thank you for the recommendation. I have read about it on this site but had been scared by reports of it being addictive but so many helpful things are! I will only use small amounts if I have to use it.
Use a level teaspoon mixed in a small glass of orange juice. It tastes vile. Hopefully it will help until you're off Ropinirole and then you can reduce it. I used kratom for 8 weeks & managed to stop without any problems.
I just now saw that you said to use a level teaspoon and I used a slightly rounded teaspoon. I don’t know if that’s enough extra to make my mind race and to make it harder to fall asleep.
Joolsg, I took the kratom last night and it stopped the restless legs but it did weird things to my mind. I felt like my thoughts were racing and with my eyes closed I was seeing wild and wonderful things but I kept wishing I could go to sleep. I took a rounded teaspoon in some peach juice (that was the only juice in the house). What dose is best for sleeping? Do those weird effects go away?
Everyone responds differently to meds and supplements. Kratom affects the opioid receptors and a lot of people have alertness or wakefulness and it seems like that is what you were experiencing. I would use it only when the RLS flares up and try to stop that last 1/4 of Ropinirole. When you stop tue last 1/4 the RLS really becomes constant and the first 4 days after stopping are the worst. That is when you can use the kratom to stop the RLS. Then after 2 weeks the RLS settles, the pregabalin should start to work. It takes about a month after the last dose of Ropinirole for the RLS to settle to acceptable levels.The 200mg pregabalin will then hopefully settle the remaining flare ups. After 2 months, if 200mg isn't covering symptoms, you can ask for an increase in pregabalin up to 300mg.
I hope the appointment on 11 November goes well and you may be either off Ropinirole or down to 1/8 of a tablet.
Stay strong. It is possible to get off Ropinirole but very difficult for the majority.
As Joolsg has said you can wait until you are off ropinirole if you want to switch, but as I mentioned the side effects that bother people on one often don't bother them on the other and since they are bothering you now, you might want to switch to see if they bother you on the other. As far as increased appetite, I gained a couple pounds but was able to lose them. If you do find the side effects last be sure to reduce the it very slowly or you will have withdrawal effects. If you do so very slowly, you won't have any.
Sue, thank you. I didn’t eat last evening even though I wanted to because I wanted the iron to be absorbed well. I took 60 mg of heme iron capsules with a large glass of orange juice. I’m counting calories and even with the orange juice I was still within my calorie budget. Based on what I’ve read on this site, I plan to do that every other night.
Good luck. As we always say we are all different, but my switch from pregabalin to gabapentin to alleviate daytime sedation failed. It seems worse actually.
I was just about to do that when I looked back at some suggestions people made here as so many of us suffer from daytime sedation. One suggestion was Modafinil and I started it three days ago. Today started on 200mg (last two days on 100mg) and, while it is usually stupid to decide anything based upon 1/2 a day, this half a day has been very different and I am awake!!! My primary care doc said he never prescribes this drug. It is a street drug, mainly prescribed for people with narcolepsy and sleep apnea. It is also very expensive ($20/pill) but I found a GoodRx coupon online that reduced that cost to less than $1/pill. There is a whole world of nootropics (Modafinil being one) and other stimulants that people should consider talking to their doctors about. I wish I had looked into this years ago. Admittedly it might be a bit of a sale to the doctor as this part of the drug world is not looked upon benignly, but in my case (and I'll bet others on this list) my doc knows what I have been through over the years, and he has seen me try almost every opioid out there, etc. It is possible to buy Modafinil over the internet but I haven't looked into this as I found another way I can afford.
I have never heard of that drug but I will research it. I hope you will come back here after you have been taking it for a few weeks and let us know how it has been. It must be great to feel so wide awake during the daytime!
Gapapentine is the worst med you can take there anti epilespsy anti psychotic drug it really messes with your head if your not one of them for those condition after 1 year on it i only got worst that formed an addition you should never stop it if your on it but i did cold turkey after 3 months off i feel better im not so confused doc kept uping my dose give it time give it time well after 1 year and not better maybe worst i said im done
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