Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

My first night on methadone. I started my first night with only 2.5 mg. and it did a pretty good job of controlling the RLS symptoms with just a few breakthroughs during the night and when they did occur, were very low intensity. However, I did not sleep any or at least minimally due to alerting. No...

I asked Dr. E. about alternating meds to avoid dependence. He said that by stopping and starting an opioid that you are going to be messing with the blood levels since it takes a few days to get the proper blood level once you start. Secondly, he said that dependence and tolerance are not usually an...

Have not slept longer than 2 hours at a stretch for the last week. Gab. is definitely not the answer for me. Talked to Dr. E on Monday and he said he would send me an Rx. for Methadone which I have not yet received. So waiting. He wants me to start out at 2.5 mg for 5 days and then bump up to 5 mg. ...

I do not have painful symptoms.

Cut the G down to 900 mg last night and awakened twice but was able fall back asleep. I think that I will stay at this dosage. Feeling much better about life and the sleep I am getting. Will cancel my trip to Florida and stay on this med. Hooray!!!

OMG
Went back to bed at 10AM and slept till noon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day #19 Last night was my first night on Gabaperntin. I took 600mg at 8PM and another 600mg at nidnight when I went to bed. I slept until 2:45AM. When I woke up I was so drunk that I couldn't hardly walk!! Holding unto the kitchen island I was able to walk 15 minutes and went back to bed. Then woke ...

Day #12 Well Dr. E. is on vacation until the 17th!!!!! @#$%^ Can you believe it? Talked to the nurse and she suggested trying Gabapentin. So that recommendation is right in line with the paragraph above. It will take a few days to get it in so in the meantime I'm going drug free. Slept about 3 hours...

Day #11 Thank you ViewsAskew for sharing your regimen. Very imaginative switching back and forth like that. Wondering out loud if that would work for me. I was just wondering what you mean by "alerting". Meaning that you don't feel sleepy at night? Were you on Pramipexole at a much higher ...

Day #10 Hooray, I made my 10 days. Not to say I feel any better. Over a 10 hour period, I maybe got 5 hours of sleep. I walked from 1:30 to 3 AM and never had a stretch of sleep longer than an hour. I'm going to take some hydrocodone at bedtime tonight and I will be calling the Dr. on Monday. Just c...

Day #9
Same as last night. Probably got 7 hours of sleep but never for over an hour at a time. Usually 15 minutes walking is enough but a couple of times it was 30 minutes. I doubt if I am getting into deep REM sleep because I don't feel that rested.

Day #8 Things are definitely looking up!!! Still only sleeping at most an hour at a time, but it seems that after walking about 15 minutes I am almost always able to fall back asleep again. So although I was up every half to one hour through the night, I was able to accumulate enough sleep to feel t...

Day # 7 Here is an update. Shortly after posting my mad as hell post 2 nights ago I completely lost control. It was not pretty, a bookshelf ended up on the floor, table upturned, and my hand all bruised up. My wife left in terror to a sister's house. I seamed however that the hand of God intervened ...

My wife reminded me of my commitment to Dr. E to go a FULL TEN DAYS drug free so I did not take the opioid tonight. So here I am venting my rage at 3AM. I have these barely controlable urges to put my fist through the wall or to destroy everything around me. Just through some chairs across the room ...

Day #5
Another !@#$%^& shitty night! Not a single stretch more than an hour and no good REM sleep. All of it "was I dreaming or just thinking?"
I have some extra hydrocodone left from before, tonight I'm going to take it. CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day #4
The night started as in day three with half hour sleep periods, but around 3 AM, I got a 45 min period in, followed by an hour, then an hour and a half. Still feel very sleep deprived and depressed.