New to RLS medication ?
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Anonymous
New to RLS medication ?
I have recently been diagnosed with RLS. My dr. has started me on Clonazepam. Has anyone ever taken this medication?
Have not used, but have info for you
Hi there
Welcome to the family, and sorry you had to find us under such circumstances!
I'm pretty sure that there are a number of members here who have used Clonazepam and hopefully will share their experiences with you.
If you don't mind me asking a few questions:
What dosage are you on?
How old are you? (don't have to be specific if you don't wish to)
What are your "symptoms" like?
Just trying to get to know you a little better, that's all.
Clonazepam belongs to the family of sedatives which can be quite effective when treating milder forms of RLS. I have not used it myself, but HAVE used the sedative, Diazepam.
Below is an excerpt from the Southern California RLS Support Group Site explaining a bit about Clonazepam (Source: http://www.rlshelp.org/rlsrx.htm#Sedatives )
Klonopin/ Rivotril (Clonazepam)
Klonopin comes in 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg tablets. The usual dose range is 0.5 to 2 mg. This was the first drug used for RLS and PLMD. This is due to its previous use in myoclonic seizures. PLMD used to be called nocturnal myoclonus and thus this drug was tried for RLS/PLMD with great success.
The drug has a rapid onset of action (less than 30 min) but it has a very long half-life (30-40 hours) causing a duration of action of 8-12 hours or longer. Daytime sleepiness can be a problem in a large percentage of patients on Klonopin. We therefore do not recommend this drug for most patients with RLS. It is, however, very commonly prescribed for RLS due to its early association with the treatment of RLS. It may work well in patients who do have morning RLS and do not get drowsy or sleepy due to the long lasting nature of this drug (which may persist at high levels in the morning causing daytime sleepiness).
Many physicians prescribe Klonopin, as this is the original drug used for RLS and is recommended by all the general medical textbooks that discuss RLS. Some sleep specialists (and patients) prefer to use this drug for RLS, but our experience has been that the shorter acting sedatives work better for most RLS sufferers.
As you are a newbie ... i have copied the link to the "Useful Websites" thread on this site; where you should find plenty of useful information for not only yourself, but your doctor, and your family and friends. Your doctor may particularly be interested in the RLS Foundation 2004 Medical Report (the link is in the thread).
http://beta.restlesslegs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=94
As you wander through these boards you might want to pay attention to some of the ideas in the "Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments" topic. Some of them may seem a little strange, but its very much a case of each to their own in here sometimes!
Feel free to make this thread your own personal diary so to speak. We all know what you are going through and you are more than welcome to come in at any time and let us know how you are going!
But for now, take care of you!
Welcome to the family, and sorry you had to find us under such circumstances!
I'm pretty sure that there are a number of members here who have used Clonazepam and hopefully will share their experiences with you.
If you don't mind me asking a few questions:
What dosage are you on?
How old are you? (don't have to be specific if you don't wish to)
What are your "symptoms" like?
Just trying to get to know you a little better, that's all.
Clonazepam belongs to the family of sedatives which can be quite effective when treating milder forms of RLS. I have not used it myself, but HAVE used the sedative, Diazepam.
Below is an excerpt from the Southern California RLS Support Group Site explaining a bit about Clonazepam (Source: http://www.rlshelp.org/rlsrx.htm#Sedatives )
Klonopin/ Rivotril (Clonazepam)
Klonopin comes in 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg tablets. The usual dose range is 0.5 to 2 mg. This was the first drug used for RLS and PLMD. This is due to its previous use in myoclonic seizures. PLMD used to be called nocturnal myoclonus and thus this drug was tried for RLS/PLMD with great success.
The drug has a rapid onset of action (less than 30 min) but it has a very long half-life (30-40 hours) causing a duration of action of 8-12 hours or longer. Daytime sleepiness can be a problem in a large percentage of patients on Klonopin. We therefore do not recommend this drug for most patients with RLS. It is, however, very commonly prescribed for RLS due to its early association with the treatment of RLS. It may work well in patients who do have morning RLS and do not get drowsy or sleepy due to the long lasting nature of this drug (which may persist at high levels in the morning causing daytime sleepiness).
Many physicians prescribe Klonopin, as this is the original drug used for RLS and is recommended by all the general medical textbooks that discuss RLS. Some sleep specialists (and patients) prefer to use this drug for RLS, but our experience has been that the shorter acting sedatives work better for most RLS sufferers.
As you are a newbie ... i have copied the link to the "Useful Websites" thread on this site; where you should find plenty of useful information for not only yourself, but your doctor, and your family and friends. Your doctor may particularly be interested in the RLS Foundation 2004 Medical Report (the link is in the thread).
http://beta.restlesslegs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=94
As you wander through these boards you might want to pay attention to some of the ideas in the "Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments" topic. Some of them may seem a little strange, but its very much a case of each to their own in here sometimes!
Feel free to make this thread your own personal diary so to speak. We all know what you are going through and you are more than welcome to come in at any time and let us know how you are going!
But for now, take care of you!
Nadia
My philosophy is simply this: Life is too short to be diplomatic. Your friends should not care what you do, or say; and for those who are not your friends ... their loss!!!
My philosophy is simply this: Life is too short to be diplomatic. Your friends should not care what you do, or say; and for those who are not your friends ... their loss!!!
Welcome--am Currently on Clonzzepam
Hi cmkelley, this is Jan
I am currently taking Clonazepam, 2 mg. 1 x daily. I've been taking this med. for quite a few years. I've had RLS for 20 years. Howver, I'm afraid this drug has outlived its usefulness and a trip to my neuro is in my
very near future. It helped me for quite a few years, but I no longer sleep, and I do have a pretty severe form of RLS. It looks like Nadia asked the same questions I was going to ask you. I started to post to you in the middle of the night, but even though I was awake, I'm afraid my mind and fingers weren't together, so I gave up. I'm glad you found us, but I'm so sorry you have RLS. You were welcomed first by one of our very best members, Nadia or sardsy75, who is so good at researching, as you've found out; we have several people on board who are very knowledgeble at all things scientific; and there are those of us who will share our experiences, lend an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on. As Nadia said, we are a family here, and we care for each other. We take turns listening, lifting each other up, and sharing anything we think might help someone manage the pain they are in (you might look at the non-pharm section-there are interesting ideas there). Good luck on your journey and once again, welcome to our family!!!
Jan
I am currently taking Clonazepam, 2 mg. 1 x daily. I've been taking this med. for quite a few years. I've had RLS for 20 years. Howver, I'm afraid this drug has outlived its usefulness and a trip to my neuro is in my
very near future. It helped me for quite a few years, but I no longer sleep, and I do have a pretty severe form of RLS. It looks like Nadia asked the same questions I was going to ask you. I started to post to you in the middle of the night, but even though I was awake, I'm afraid my mind and fingers weren't together, so I gave up. I'm glad you found us, but I'm so sorry you have RLS. You were welcomed first by one of our very best members, Nadia or sardsy75, who is so good at researching, as you've found out; we have several people on board who are very knowledgeble at all things scientific; and there are those of us who will share our experiences, lend an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on. As Nadia said, we are a family here, and we care for each other. We take turns listening, lifting each other up, and sharing anything we think might help someone manage the pain they are in (you might look at the non-pharm section-there are interesting ideas there). Good luck on your journey and once again, welcome to our family!!!
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
New to RLS Medication?
Hi, my name is Connie and I'm new to this also. My dr. first had me on sinimet which didn't help and now I'm on mirapex which seems to help, but has been diminishing over the last few months. I'm wondering if sedatives are better than what I've been taking. My dr. told me mirapex is a drug normally used for people with parkinson's disease. Any info would be very helpful. Thanks.
Connie
Connie
mirapex and sinemet
Hi Connie.
Both Sinemet and Mirapex are "Parkinsons meds"...meaning they were initially indicated for and traditionally used to treat Parkinsons. However, they can be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. They are, according to my boss and pharmacist, 2 of the top choices in that category for treating restless leg. I first tried sinemet, (actually, the generic form of carbidopa/levodopa) about a month ago, but it gave me a headache, and wouldn't agree with my newly diagnosed glaucoma, so Doc wanted me to try Mirapex, but not on my drug formulary. Now I am on neurontin 300mg at bedtime. Works for me. How long have you been on the Mirapex, and what doseage and directions? You may want to discuss your concerns about the effects starting to diminish with your doctor.
Both Sinemet and Mirapex are "Parkinsons meds"...meaning they were initially indicated for and traditionally used to treat Parkinsons. However, they can be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. They are, according to my boss and pharmacist, 2 of the top choices in that category for treating restless leg. I first tried sinemet, (actually, the generic form of carbidopa/levodopa) about a month ago, but it gave me a headache, and wouldn't agree with my newly diagnosed glaucoma, so Doc wanted me to try Mirapex, but not on my drug formulary. Now I am on neurontin 300mg at bedtime. Works for me. How long have you been on the Mirapex, and what doseage and directions? You may want to discuss your concerns about the effects starting to diminish with your doctor.
New to RLS Medication?
Thanks for the info Kelbel. I've been taking Mirapex for about 5 months. 0.50 mg every evening. The problem is my RLS isn't just an evening and night time thing. If I sit too long during the day or on the weekends if I take a nap during the day, it kicks in. I'm just wondering if I need to take it in the morning too. Or if it should be combined with some other med. I don't know - I guess I'll have to talk to the dr. about it next time I'm there.
Connie
Connie