Opioid withdrawal

[Cameronb]

Does opioid withdrawal cause restless legs? Thank you

Alyson

[Madlegs1]

Yes.

Why do you need to get off the opioids?

[Cameronb in reply to Madlegs1]

I'm on a reduction and just trying to get it back down to a reasonable amount x

[Madlegs1 in reply to Cameronb]

Ok. It takes time to get down.

Let your body decide the pace. (It took me 18 months to go from 80mg fentanyl to zero, with many rests on the way.)

I'm back on opioids for pain and RLS, but at an acceptable level- 25mg oxycodone pd.

I found the Matt Finch site very helpful with advice on nutrition and medications. Just don't feel obliged to succumb to all the hard sell!😝

Good luck.

[Cameronb in reply to Madlegs1]

Thanks hun, I'm taking it slow and it's good to know I'm not the only one on this shitty path 😟

[ircam2112 in reply to Cameronb]

Yes, slowly. My tapering schedule for the opioid has been : <5mg every 10 days then <2.5mg and even 1.25mg in the last steps as it gets harder at the end typically. I would I noticed worse symptoms about 2 days after each reduction that lasted for 2-3 days, gradually reducing. At one stage, I had to stop for about a month then continued on to stop.

[ircam2112]

Absolutely

Screenshot of clinical study showing a 50% incidence of RLS in opioid discontinuation.

[Cameronb in reply to ircam2112]

Thank you x

[ircam2112 in reply to Cameronb]

Hey. If the RLS is really causing disruption in your life or just plain don’t want it at all, there’s a possible answer - a better solution than medications for RLS.

I developed severe RLS 2 days after, per doctors orders, I discontinued an antidepressant. My RLS & PLMD are a result of a known condition called “Antidepressant Discontinuation Disorder” or “Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome”. Unusual myoclonos or parathesias (body movements) can be a symptom. This would include RLS & PLMD

The only recommended treatment that I’ve read, (attached) is: to go back on the same medication (the opioid) and up to the highest dose you were on. Then stay there for 2-4 weeks, or longer, depending on how long you were previously taking opioids - the longer you were taking it and the higher the dose, the longer I would take it. Then, you would want to taper off very, very slowly - like 5-10mg every 2 weeks. If you want, let me know and I would give you a recommendation.

This has worked for me by reintroducing the antidepressant that caused my RLS/PLMD. I took it for longer than I expected - 10 months - but having just tapered down and off slowly (it’s been a month since discontinuing), my RLS & PLMD is much less severe than it was prior to reintroducing the antidepressant 10 months ago e.g. I used to have PLMD during the day. Not now. It was tough convincing my doctors that this was the right treatment plan. If you need advice on that, let me know as you will have to convince since the treatment is even less known than RLS.

Underlined type: the recommended treatment for ADD - taking again then tapering off slow.

[ESRDRLS in reply to ircam2112]

how can I get a print out of that study and I would like to have the recommendations you mention you could send if asked. I am asking please. I have severe chronic pain and my pain dr does not even believe that rls can go to other parts of the body or that you can start getting it during the day. The reason for getting off my opiod is everyone is pushing getting off and if I lose my Medicare regular insurance to my knowledge will not help at all out of pocket it’s 1200.00 for one month. I am a kidney transplant paitient and immunosuppressants make it worse. I have spinal cord injury and nerve damage from that and I have developed scoliosis and spinal stenosis. I have also developed severe arthritis in every joint in my body. I can’t have steroid shot because of my kidney and surgery would require coming off my immunosuppressants for 10 days before and five days after which means I would lose my kidney and die. Am currently having per neuropathy in feet and no feeling. Take OxyContin and take horizant at night meal which works so far. Any help would be great.

[Cameronb in reply to ESRDRLS]

Right, I'll have a look and get back to you with it if I can x

[Cameronb in reply to ESRDRLS]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Cameronb in reply to Cameronb]

Hope it helps or at least gives you some insight because I really think it's responsible for a lot of mine, let me know your thoughts xxx

[ircam2112 in reply to ESRDRLS]

I’d be happy to help. Which study, or subject of study, are you interested in?

Here is the study re: 50% alcohol detox develop RLS: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

A study showing RLS occurs in other body parts: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?te...

Study indicating symptoms can affect other body parts and can occur during the day (my PLMD occurred 24/7!): ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Please let me know if these are what you need. Are there other things the doctor is uneducated about? There are many studies showing that opioids are now considered a first-line treatment.

[ESRDRLS in reply to ircam2112]

need info about daytime rls and adominal rls and opiod. have been on opiods for 20 years and my dr is retirig and wont help find a replacement dr to take over meds. i have spinal cord damage spinal stenonsis scoliosis had kidney transplant i may be losing my medicare i may lose my kidney help. im 1 and i am scared but my dr does nt believe in daytime rls or abdominal rls. i am also trying to find dr for pain from nerve damag in feet and legs. arth in every jjoint. no disability cause did not have recent quarters. i dont understand. i have old ones and got messed out of 7 years my employer did not pay. didn mean to ramble. any help on the rls issues would be great. i have a hard time if document links are on same page i cant get back to the second link. i get lost. thanks again

[ircam2112 in reply to ESRDRLS]

I don’t know how to help with the links. Do you mean it would be easier if I pasted one here, in this reply, and then made 2 other replies each with one of the other studies? I want to help but need you to tell me what to do differently.

[ircam2112 in reply to ircam2112]

Here is a screenshot of one of the studies

RLS in other body parts

[RCHD]

yup….

[DataRN]

I’m getting ready to reduce my Methadone as well. However, before even thinking about it I needed to make sure my Ferritin level is therapeutic. Do you know your Ferritin level? I am getting ready to have my 3rd infusion of Venofer before I even attempt a 2mg reduction. Good luck to you!!! Please share your success!

[Jetto]

opiod withdrawal makes RLS worse if you have it

[TeddiJ]

Kratom and hirsuta are the answers when you need to get off opioids or taper down.

I was cut off abruptly from short term methadone use (to get off the DA's) and my entire body had RLS...truly the worst night of my life. So sorry to read of your troubles; best of luck to you. At least you won't be alone when you have this forum! And you won’t suffer w/ these powders backing you up’

[Oregonmike]

I was on morphine for pain from service connected injury(military) for almost 10 years. 75mg / daily 30mg morning 15 lunch 30 dinner- every day. It was very effective. Same dose every day. Everything was fine. Slept fine. Normal life for the most part… then the DEA stepped in. I didn’t even know what RLS was! Had to ween off morphine.

Took 6 months of gradual dosing- yes RLS SUCKS!

Yes Opiod withdrawal causes RLS! It sucks

My military spine injury is still a problem. Am I glad I’m not on morphine? Sometimes I guess.mostly I’m mad at how they prescribe.

Kratom helped me through the RLS.

Sorry to ramble. To answer you- yes it absolutely does.

Kratom is the only legal substance I know of that is a pain reliever and anti inflammatory that helps with opiod withdrawals.

God bless you- please don’t give up.