Long-time sufferer -- thanks for the add -- I need help
Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:14 pm
Hi I was diagnosed with RLS about 30 years ago but suffered from it longer than that. I spent many nights pacing because I could not sit or lay down. I tried quinine, iron, magnesium, and all the other naturopathic treatment that were suggested. I finally sought a neurologist who put me on .25 mg of Requip. Over the years I've had to increase to 1 mg -- which I take in 2 doses (.5 at 6 pm and .5 at 11 pm when I go to bed). It has worked for me for many years but I have started having augmentation symptoms. I know I need to change medications and I hope others in this group can help. My situation is complicated.
I'm an American but moved to Spain in 2017. I took my Requip prescription to my local pharmacist and she had no problem filling it without a new prescription. (Pharmacists here are closer to what nurse practitioners are in the US.) Now I need to make a change. I could probably take a new drug name to her and she'd prescribe it, but I don't know about switching over. My local doctor is not familiar with RLS and there is some language barrier. I can have basic medical conversations with him but not something as complex as describing RLS symptoms and augmentation. My pharmacist Ana speaks English.
I asked in the local expat group on FB for a referral to a neurologist familiar with RLS, but so far the closest is a 4 hour drive (Madrid). One friend replied with this information about drugs that are available here: ropinirole (Requip), pramipexole (Mirapex), gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant) and rotigotine (Neupro). Neurontin is gabapentin but NOT the extended release that Horizant is (not yet in Spain).
Can someone recommend which of these would be best for me to consider as an alternative to Requip? I do take a low dose. I'm lucky, I guess, because even though my RLS is severe -- the low dose has always worked. Can I stop taking it and switch without a long transition process? I need to do this soon because of the augmentation, and even finding an RLS-aware neurologist who also speaks English and is in my region of Spain can be a long process. If I can do this with Ana (my pharmacist) I'd rather pursue that.
I'm an American but moved to Spain in 2017. I took my Requip prescription to my local pharmacist and she had no problem filling it without a new prescription. (Pharmacists here are closer to what nurse practitioners are in the US.) Now I need to make a change. I could probably take a new drug name to her and she'd prescribe it, but I don't know about switching over. My local doctor is not familiar with RLS and there is some language barrier. I can have basic medical conversations with him but not something as complex as describing RLS symptoms and augmentation. My pharmacist Ana speaks English.
I asked in the local expat group on FB for a referral to a neurologist familiar with RLS, but so far the closest is a 4 hour drive (Madrid). One friend replied with this information about drugs that are available here: ropinirole (Requip), pramipexole (Mirapex), gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant) and rotigotine (Neupro). Neurontin is gabapentin but NOT the extended release that Horizant is (not yet in Spain).
Can someone recommend which of these would be best for me to consider as an alternative to Requip? I do take a low dose. I'm lucky, I guess, because even though my RLS is severe -- the low dose has always worked. Can I stop taking it and switch without a long transition process? I need to do this soon because of the augmentation, and even finding an RLS-aware neurologist who also speaks English and is in my region of Spain can be a long process. If I can do this with Ana (my pharmacist) I'd rather pursue that.