Help Now please

[beckyf24]

Here it is 2 hours after the RLS started again. I am so frustrated. Quit taking Requip, because I was requiring more and more. Icy Hot and things of that nature don't work. It's the front of the legs tonight, not the calves, so that is different. I'm standing up moving when I'd love to be asleep. Quit caffeine. Quit Neurontine 3 months ago to go to Requip, but now that I was requiring more Requip and it seemed to be getting worse at night - everynight. I have taken .5 Xanax and not even tired. I'm thinking of walking the streets, till I fall over from being tired. this is so so so frustrating. Any suggestions to get thru the night.

[SquirmingSusan]

Hopefully, you're feeling better by now, but if not here's some ideas:

Shower with alternating hot and cold water.
Walk (but you know that)
massage your legs
ice packs/heating pad
stretch
do Tai Chi
another Xanax?
Call the doctor who put you on Requip - there should be an answering service.

If all else fails go to the ER. But bring a copy of the Mayo Clinic Algorithm so they don't give you something that will make the RLS worse.

Susan

[beckyf24]

still no better. I 've taken a warm shower, I've massaged legs, I've stretched so much. I've gone outside and walked. I'm thinking of going for a run but its almost 2 am. I'm the one that suggested the Requip to the dr because neurontin, upon my own investigation interferes with your calcium and I've got osteopenia. I'm 47 and this has been going on and getting worse since 40. I did find a dr. listed on this website that I'm going to call in the morning. I guess eventually this will go away???

[SquirmingSusan]

Sorry you're still up and the legs are still crazy. It's 3:20am, and I'm still going strong, and you don't even want to know what all I've taken. Every time the meds get adjusted I go through either way too much sleep, and daytime fatigue, or no sleep at all.

For me, the hydrocodone keeps the RLS away, but it sure doesn't deal with the underlying disturbance to my circadian rhythm.

But usually, for most of us, the RLS symptoms go away by 4am or so and stay away until after noon.

So I do hope you get some rest.

Susan

[ViewsAskew]

When did you stop the Requip? it could be nasty rebound/augmentation due to stopping it if it was very recent.

Or, any new drugs you started? Alchohol? Anything different?

Hope the new doc works out well for you.

[beckyf24]

I just didn't take the requip tonight, but about 3:30, I broke down and took 2mg. It's just I started out at .5, then a month later had to go to 1 mg and now it's 2. I just don't think it's right to be taking a Parkinson's med for leg kicking. There has got to be something better. I don't drink alcohol, I haven't started any new meds since January. In January, I started a drug called Forteo for bone loss. But, it is odd, 2 weeks ago, I was sleeping fine. I was taking 1mg of Requip and .5 xanax. Now, that is not working. I'm not able to work out when I can't sleep at night. I do take Effexor, but have taken it for 7 years.

I don't really want to get on pain meds, because I have a tendancy to overdo those. That's why I don't do alcohol. I did order some of that oil stuff to put on your back, it should be here today, so we'll try that. Thanks for listening. It is helpful to know, even though it is awful, that others suffer with this ridiculousness.

[Polar Bear]

I'd be really, really interested to hear if the oil works for you.
Good Luck, Betty

[ViewsAskew]

Becky, I'm not a doc, but please read about augmentation. Here is a link to info about it http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1897 (scroll down a few posts).

Drug for Parkinson's CAN work very well for us - both disorders are movement disorders and both occur in the same part of the brain and are related to a lack of the same chemical. BUT, they don't work for everyone. More importantly, they are prone to causing augmentation - a medical term for worsening the RLS that you take the meds to improve.

Taking more Requip will just make it worse. Just my view, but I highly recommend reading everything you can about this condition and calling your doctor immediately. If he or she does not know about the condition, either educate him or her or get a new doc. You will continue to be miserable until you stop it. DO NOT, however, just stop it by yourself. You'll need to work out a schedule with your doc to decrease it - and, you may need a drug like an opioid to help you stop the REquip. As someone who has gone through this, I can attest to how hard it is to stop. Without an opioid, I would have rather died.

Consider reading the posts at www.rlshelp.org for more info - the doctor answers questions and you can read pages of posts he's written. I'm sure he's written about this several times.

[ctravel12]

Hi Becky and welcome to this group. Ann gave you some good advise and it is so important to read up as much as you can regarding rls.

I know that you do not want to take any meds which am sure that most of the members feel the same way; however if it works than that is what is most important. I know what works for one may not work for another. I would definitely talk to your dr and read alot of the old and new posts.

It is true what Ann says about not being a dr. nor am I, but please do read about the augmentation and the link that she gave you.

Every little bit of information is so important. You never know that just one thing that someone says will be the answer that you are looking for.

Please keep us posted on how you are doing. This is a great support group and we will be here for whenever you need someone to talk to.

[StefanieC]

This has really helped me!
Night Time Leg Calm
Seriously, its a MIRACLE in a bottle. Completely stopped my RLS within like 5 mintues

[beckyf24]

The RLS doc I went to this week switched me from Requip to Mirapex. I tried the RLS oil and it didn't work for me.

Hydrocodeine works but I don't like the side effects of that either. We'll see how the Mirapex works.

[Rachel]

Becky,

Don't have much to advice to offer about meds, but . . .

just wanted to let you know that we have all been there so don't feel alone. Eventually, you will sleep. You will have better days so just hang in there for a little bit longer.

Rachel

[debkenny]

The RLS doc I went to this week switched me from Requip to Mirapex. I tried the RLS oil and it didn't work for me.

Hydrocodeine works but I don't like the side effects of that either. We'll see how the Mirapex works.

Becky,

I'm just curious how long you tried using the oil for? It worked for me the first time I used it, but for my aunt, who also suffers from RLS, it took almost 2 weeks of using it, along with her Requip, before it started working for her. She was eventually able to wean off the Requip, but it wasn't as instantaneous for her as it was for me.

I've been using it for 3-4 months now and have had great luck with it. However, it is now allergy season, and I've noticed that when I take any allergy meds it doesn't seem to work as well. It took me awhile to figure it out, but after reading through the forums and finding postings about the effects of allergy meds, I started keeping track. My RLS is definately worse and the oil has much less effect for me when I take any allergy medication. I'm seeing my doctor next week and hoping that he can find something for me that won't make the RLS worse. I hate the thought of having to go back on my RLS meds in order to also be able to control my allergies. It seems to be a vicious cycle.

Hopefully, you'll have success with the Mirapex, but if there are no other meds you are taking that may make your RLS worse, you might want to try using the oil as well to see if it eventually starts working for you. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones.

Good luck,

Deb

[ray]

I request a lock of the oil threads. It's obvious they are not going to stop pushing this stuff. Debkenny, you said you would stop with the oil posts but you won't.

[debkenny]

Ray,

I'm sorry, but I don't ever recall saying that I would stop with the oil posts. I did agree to call a truce on our argument about it, but never agreed to stop posting all together. Why should I??? I don't recall reading in the posting rules where it stated that you were permitted to post about any kind of non-pharmaceutical therapy EXCEPT OIL!! If I missed that somewhere, please feel free to point it out to me.

I believe that, as a member of this forum, I have just as much right as you do to post about what has or has not worked for me. What gives you the authority to say that the oil posts should stop? How is it that you can have such a strong opinion about something you've never even tried? The only person that should be on here complaining about it is betty b., because she has tried it and it didn't work for her. Just like the 2,010 other treatments and ideas people come up with!! They work for some of us and they don't work for others. That's what this forum is about...exchanging information in hopes of helping others.

Get off your high horse and give me a break. It's getting ridiculous that every time I make a post you jump in with something negative to say.

Deb