Gabapentin update

[riverislow]

I am now taking 1800mg gabapentin, spread out between 5pm 7pm and 9pm, I do sometimes sleep quiet a lot but have trouble until 2am, I go to bed around 10:30ish and sometimes sleep for about 1 1/2 hours then am up and down until around 2am or 3am then can sleep in 2 hour slots until around 9am, I don't want to take opioids. Do you have any suggestions for me? I really can't figure it out. thank you in advance for all your help on my journey.

[SueJohnson]

Is it controlling your RLS and the only problem is waking up?

[riverislow in reply to SueJohnson]

It controls it sometimes, it’s just not working the way I think it should.

[SueJohnson in reply to riverislow]

Why not switch to pregabalin so you can increase it as I mentioned before.

[riverislow in reply to SueJohnson]

I took it before and lost my memory, very scary. I will talk to my Doctor about it. Thanks Sue.

[riverislow in reply to SueJohnson]

Is it 350 mg pregabalin I would start with and can just switch over?

[SueJohnson in reply to riverislow]

300 mg would be the equivalent of 1800 mg and then inc by 25 mg every couple of days until it is controlled.

[riverislow in reply to SueJohnson]

Thank you so much Sue, I will let you know how I get on.

[Tryffan1]

I often have the same problem. I'm not aware of any rls symptoms when I keep waking. But if I take iron before going to bed (every other night) I generally get a better sleep. I think maybe my body was so used to waking up every night when I did have symptoms, it's got into this sleep pattern.

[riverislow in reply to Tryffan1]

I think you are right the body is used to waking up, I sometimes do have the symptoms and other times not, its very disturbing.

[DesertOasis in reply to Tryffan1]

Try, how does iron provide you some amount of improvement in RLS every night when you take it every other night??? If I were to take iron every other night then I would get relief every other night. What gives?

[Simkin]

I agree with Tryffan. I take gabapentin with buprenorphine as gabapentin alone did not stop my rls.Now I have no rls. Bliss oh bliss. But I still wake up lots of times because like Tryffan I am sure my body is used to night time wanderings.

But to be honest I don't mind waking a lot as long as I don't have rls.

I have now retired at age 74 so I just have a rest for an hour in the afternoons.

Perhaps you could try that if you have now also retired.

I do all my voluntary work etc in the mornings.

[riverislow in reply to Simkin]

I do sometimes nap in the afternoon, bliss, really help, what I hate is when I'm awake for hours at a time.

[Purpleyam]

I too have the same thing going on. I wake up in regular sleep cycles and am mostly comfortable...but awake. I keep wondering why and if I should do anything more about it. It is also common as we age, I hear my friends complain of the dreaded 3 am waking. But I can be awake for 90 minutes before sleeping again. I feel for you.

[riverislow in reply to Purpleyam]

Thank you, I feel for all of us with this dreaded condition, its great to have this site because nobody else understands what its like.

[Simkin]

And I am going crazy crazy because we have just flown from London to Arizona and now my pill taking has gone up the spout because it is 1am in the UK & only 5pm here. So my legs are going like fury as they are out of the usual pill cycle.Why does my son have to live in America. I hate these longhaul flights ....

[joemomma in reply to Simkin]

I live in Arizona. Check out Sedona if you have the chance. Fantastic scenery. About 2 hrs north of Phoenix. We may have our first 100 degree day of the season monday (it's a dry heat).

[Simkin in reply to joemomma]

Thanks Joe momma. We have hired a car & our son & American wife have told us we MUST visit Sedona. I just hope we will cope with 100 degrees though!!!!

[joemomma in reply to Simkin]

It's a dry heat, feels more like 80. Drink a lot of water. Sedona is cooler, right now 72 degrees. Check out the pink jeep tours. Hike the West Fork Trail, rated one of the best hikes in America, you need to get there early (8 am) for parking. I've hiked it a dozen times. You will love it.