hi folks
I finally managed to see neurologist here in Scotland and he has prescribed Oxycodone/Naloxone 5mg/2.5mg, he has also given me Ferrous Fumarate 2 x 210mg. I am currently on 900mg Gabapentin, he has advised not to reduce dosage until I know if Oxy is working. When would be best to take new medication? Does anyone take Oxy and Gabapentin? Ty
Since it only last 4 to 6 hours you will have mini withdrawals unless you take it that often
So I would be best to take it last thing at night. Am I right in thinking I should take the ferrous at night also?
yes
Ty Sue
Since I advised you on taking iron every day I did more research and discovered I was wrong. One absorbs more iron in alternate day iron than taking it every day. Https://thelancet.com/journals/lanh...
Thank you Sue for this info, I will change to alternate days.
Don't forget to take the ferrous Fumarate as I instructed before and I assume you are going to take both tablets at the same time. Also take them at the same time so they are 24 hours apart since when you take it hepcidin is released which prevents iron from being absorbed for up to 24 hours.
Targinact is prescribed to be taken twice a day, twelve hour's apart.However, Oxycontin only lasts 4 to 5 hours for most of us and therefore can cause mini opioid withdrawals..
That presents as increased RLS late evening and during the night.
A better regime , if you start to experience RLS in the evening and at night, is to ask for 5mg every 6 hours. Total dose 20mg over 24 hours, which is still below average.
So start taking 5mg at 10 am and 5mg at 10 pm and keep a diary to monitor your RLS symptoms.
You can take Oxycontin with gabapentin.
Take 600mg gabapentin around 2 hour's before bed and the other 300mg 2 hour's before the 600mg dose.
Ok ty, I’ve only been prescribed 5mg a day atm and am hoping to cut back on Gabapentin eventually, GP suggested cutting back 100mg at a time. I will try the Targinet at 10pm and see how I get on. Ty
For weaning off the gabapentin reduce by 100 to 200 mg every 2 weeks to avoid withdrawal symptoms
Ty
Very strange. The prescribing guidance for Targinact is to take every 12 hours, not once a day. But, keep a diary and note when you get RLS.Why are you shopping gabapentin? Is it not working on your RLS or are the side effects really bad?
5mg Targinact won't cover most cases of RLS. The average dose is 30mg a day.
My GP doesn’t have a clue about RL so is just going by the neurologist guidelines, I’m sure if I need to up the dose she will allow it. I’m hoping to cut back on Gabapentin due to not always helping and don’t wish to increase dosage because of side effects.
Not surprising in the least. RLS isn't taught at medical school or during neurological training in the UK and NICE guidance is about 10 years out of date, way behind latest research!However, there is a NICE guidance that your neurologist SHOULD be aware of. It is about Targinact and sets out timing and average dose. Send the link to the neurologist. 5mg is way too low and the guidance clearly says twice a day!
If Targinact doesn't work, use the Buprenorphine study by Dr Berkowski to persuade him to prescribe a better, long half life opioid.
Sadly, we have to do all the research ourselves, because no one in the UK us prepared to do it for us.
nice.org.uk/advice/esnm67/c....
neurologyadvisor.com/report...
The neurologist didn’t prescribe Targinet, he just prescribed Oxy/Naloxone but the pharmacy were having a problem sourcing it, so had to opt for the Targinet. I did mention Buprenorphine to the neurologist but he said it’s not something he’d heard of for RLS. I can probably get my GP to hopefully up the dose on it. Ty for the studies, I will print these off but not sure if I will get another appointment with neurologist any time soon. Ty
nhs.uk/medicines/oxycodone/...
Yes, there are 3 brands with Naloxone added to prevent opioid induced constipation, but only Targinact was subject to the study I sent you. The 2 other brands are the same though.
I get Targinact from Pharmacy2U or Boots.
I would not stop Gabapentin not sure why you would want to?? I take a total of 800mg 3 x day! The last 2 closer to bedtime!! According to sleep doctor. My pain doctor here in USA abruptly stopped my oxy in November!! I have been suffering ever since!! GABA has helped but my pain is through the roof!! She claimed my urine was contaminated with cocaine!!!! I could not convince her I didn’t do it!! She had done a rapid test in office! Not sure what would prompt her to do that bc she had never done that before!! I think they planted it! Bc I hadn’t paid my copay in 8 months bc I met my deductible and bc I won’t let her give me any injections after the first one she did in my cervical area . Bc I have a 25 yr old C4,5,6 fusion there , she used a catheter in my thoracic 1 to get up and over into cervical she hit scar tissue!! Well no shit!! I screamed bloody loud!! She didn’t give me enough numbing Or anesthesia obviously but said she gave enough!! Haha!! If u have a patient with a 25 yr fusion don’t u think she should have made sure I was out?? After I was in “recovery “ I got electrocuting pain on my left side from chest to fingers!! That lasted for a week!! Guess what she said?? It’s nothing she did!!!!!! So I digress I believe between the $$ and that bc she thinks I’m going to sue her!! Bc I called surgery center for the post op, read it and said out loud to office manager that what was written was untrue! Because it was. No mention of anything that happened !!! Said patient tolerated treatment!! Not true. No mention of after effects!! However I never mentioned suing her. I think she just wanted to get rid of me!! As a patient. In the 4 years I was seeing her she never did a rapid test!! So now not only is my RLS screaming but my body in pain. I have severe osteoarthritis but n my feet my back plus ankylosing spondylitis, spinal stenosis the list goes on. USA says sucks bc I can’t find a doctor to help with pain meds they all want to inject inject inject!! Lots of $$$$$!!! Meanwhile our borders wide open and all illegals get FREE healthcare and everything else they need!! We pay $3000.00 a month for insurance!! On top of copays and high deductibles at $2000 per !!!! By the time u reach that it’s December!! If your lucky like I was in 2023 u may meet it. All bc I tried a RX for arthritis Tremfya. I digress again sorry but I’ve been wanting to vent here I guess the poster gave me inspiration!!
There’s so much more to say …..
I take this drug at the same dosage at 6 pm in the evening and it lasts at least 10 hours for me. I am not on gabapentin.
That’s good to hear, I might be able to come off Gabapentin completely, fingers crossed. Ty
Your doctors prescribing makes no sense whatsoever.
I take both - Gabapentin & Targinact (Oxy) - both at 11:00 & agian 22:00 .
Hi, I take Gabapentin for a .neurological condition. 2,400mg per day. Last summer my hip broke due to osteoporosis.. while in hospital i was put on Oxycodon 4x a day, 5.to 2 and and a half mg doses and for 2 weeks after discharge. It's an excellent pain killer but it is a synthetic heroin. As such I had withdrawal symptoms when I stopped taking it. It is very addictive.
Yes I think this is why the medical profession are reluctant to prescribe, if it works for me I would need to take it for the rest of my life, so hopefully wouldn’t have to go through withdrawal. Ty
Hi Sanmass. I take 150mg Pregabalin (so the equivalent of 450mg I think of Gabapentin) plus 10mg Oxycodone (Longtec) every night before bed. The best solution for years. Hope this helps.
That’s great news, I’m hopeful that I can reach this solution too, fingers crossed. Ty
That's the equivalent of 900 gabapentin.
I tried Gabapentin but it caused me to seem drunk and wasn’t very helpful for RLS. Vicodin works very well for me. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes if RLS has already started. Anyway I take 2.5mg at a time, a couple hours before bed, then I’ll need 2.5mg again once or twice throughout the evening/early morning. Strong compression socks help if I’m needing extra help. I like the toeless ankle type.
Good luck!
Yes I know what you mean about feeling drunk, I am hopeful that I can reduce my dosage of Gabapentin to eliminate this feeling. Have not heard of Vicodin, will have a read up on this but probably not available in UK. Ty
It's hydrocodone + tylenol
Ah ok thank you Sue
I take it around 3-4pm (oxeltra modified release) and it works for me but doesn’t solve the insomnia so my neurologist recommended cbd oil from Curaleaf pharmacy which I use later in the evening. Fingers crossed this combination works for me.
I think Gabapentin is supposed to help with insomnia, I am hoping I can reduce my dosage and still be able to sleep, if not I will certainly look into the cbd oil, do you just take the drops sublingually? Ty
Yes, just a few drops sublingual. It helps with anxiety and insomnia but also helps with some pain that I have due to arthritis but I mainly take it for insomnia
Ty that’s very helpful.
Hi, I take 25mg pregabalin at 5pm then 75mg pregabalin and 15mg of oxypro and that seems to go well 90% of the time.
no as mine is oxy prolonged release and lasts all night with no effects during the day I may just be lucky!
You are lucky because even though they advertise that it will last longer it usually only lasts 4 to 6 hours
I take oxy 5mg with 1400mg gabapentin.
No problems whatsoever. For me at least there seems to be a synergistic effect with the 2 drugs.. if I forget to take the entire gabapentin dose I will have some rls symptoms. But everyone is different.
I would try to first wean myself from the gabapentin before starting the oxy. If the oxy is not enough I’d try asking for the gabapentin to be titrated up slowly.
Always opt for the lowest dose possible of oxy. You will eventually become dependent on it and you might as well become dependent on the lowest dose possible in case there are shortage problems like here in the U.S.
The reason I’d try to stop gabapentin if you can is because it does cause daytime sleepiness and some mental “fog”. You’re always better off taking as few meds as possible
Oxycodone and Laxative 
oxycodone and anxiety 
oxycodone withdrawal - any advice? 
