What a wonderful ride this RLS gives you. Two nights ago I had the best evening with no problems at all along with the best sleep I've had in months. Then the next night and last night I had craziness again with insomnia and sleepwalking. I know that it will take many weeks of this behavior, however, last night I awoke with excruciating pain laying on the hallway floor. I had fallen ad sprained both of my ankles. I drove myself to the hospital, as my wife doesn't drive anymore, where they x-rayed and wrapped me up and sent me home. In discussion with the young intern/doctor (?) he informed me that they started my Gaba (300mg.) at too high of a dosage. He sent someone to the pharmacy and came back with 100mg and suggested I take only 100mg. for a while. Actually he gave me 10 tablets. I assume after that I go back to 300mg? What I need to know is 1). Is this a good idea? 2). Is sleepwalking indicative of this Gaba, or is it the sleepwalking from my insomnia, and 3). How do I alleviate the restlessness without getting up and walking, which is now almost impossible to do for a while? I do complain a lot and ask the same questions but I find this site to be more knowledgeable about RLS than anything I've been able to find. And, Hey! Repetition is a good learning tool, ha!
Decreasing dosage for Gabapentin - Restless Legs Syn...
Decreasing dosage for Gabapentin
The sleepwalking is from the gabapentin.
First all get that alarm I mentioned so you won't do any sleepwalking and hurt yourself. Especially with sprained ankles, you are likely to fall again. The alarm is not expensive. And until they come tie a string around your wrist and tie it to the bed as Madlegs suggested. Crazy but it will work.
Secondly I don't think gabapentin is for you. Try to get an appointment sooner with your doctor explaining about the sleep walking and your sprained ankles so you can try pregabalin. It's a shame the doctor at the hospital didn't do this.
Do not increase back to 300 mg. In fact after the 10 tablets I would stop taking the gabapentin. Or you can get a jewelry scale on Amazon that measures down to .01 gram from for$11 and open up the capsules and measure out a third of it so you can continue on 100 mg although my own feeling is that after 10 days you might as well stop it. Don't stop it now, however or you will have withdrawal effects.
I found a wireless motion sensor alarm in my garage. I forgot I had one. It was an alarm for my wandering cat when she was alive. I just set it up in my bedroom and I will also tie the string as a safeguard. I have e-mailed my doctor and will wait to see what she comes up with and I will seek your guidance, once again if needed. Thank you so much.
Great!
Here's the latest from my doctor: Hello Mr. Alexander,
Please continue the gabapentin at a lower dose of 100 mg every night for now. I would like you to take it for at least 2-3 weeks before switching it again to a different medication. However, if you continue to have side effects from medication, please contact us and we can discuss your options.
Pregabalin is available at VA however, I want to make sure we tried gabapentin (at the lower dose) long enough to determine if this is not a good fit for you. Each patient responds to medications differently and what worked for others may not work for you and vice versa.
Thank you
My question in general is: What is it with these people? I sleepwalk to the point of injuring myself and they want me to continue?
ALSO: Isn't it peculiar that NOW they offer Pregabalin?
Very strange and totally unresponsive to your needs! Personally I would stop the gabapentin and just tell them later you tried it and it didn't work. I assume they gave you a prescription for it so fill it like you are going to take it. The problem of course is you don't have anything to help.
Is it possible to take it higher up explaining about your sleep walking and injuring yourself?
Are you sure you don't want to borrow the money to go private?
My thoughts , precisely. I was thinking that same thing when I read her reply. Last night I was so disgusted I didn't even take a new 10MG. I slept on the floor with a string on my wrist and my new alarm set. And, of course I slept pretty well. Go figure. I am taking 1 tablet of hydrocodone 5mg/ acetaminophen 325 mg. every 8 hours for pain right now. I think the hydrocodone makes one drowsy. No signs of RLS, maybe for the same reason. Anyway I think I will take the 10mg Gabapentin until/unless I start sleepwalking and then tell her that I have been sleepwalking and ask/demand for the Pregblan at that time. It's my health, not hers. I don't like fighting with my doctor as it's like fighting with the chef in a restaurant and hoping they don't spit in your next order, ha! It's not so much the money for a "Specialist" it's the way they seem to be primadonnas and make it appear that they just want more paying clients. After this go around with my doctor I may have to though.
The hydrocodone makes the difference. Tell your doctor. 5 mg is a low dose, maybe she agrees to continue it for you. If you need a reference, refer to the Mayo Clinic Proceedings paper of 2021.
Thanks for that. I will contact her right now and see what she thinks. It would be nice experiment with what everyone has been talking about, relief wise. It's hit and miss with her but I'll cross my fingers.
I have in my old drug medicine cabinet some acetaminophen 325mg / oxycodone hydrochloride 5mg. Is this the same, or near the same, as Hydrocodone?
Hi Bloodhound669,I have nothing helpful for meds but wanted to say I feel terrible for you going through what you've described. I know what you mean by "like fighting with a chef in a restaurant "! It conjured up an image 🤪
Gabapentin, RLS and PLMA - help re dosing
GABAPENTIN. 
Advice on Gabapentin for RLS
