Whether new to RLS or new to the site, we welcome you and invite you to share your history and experiences with RLS/WED, introduce yourself, and ask questions. Successful treatment starts with a solid understanding of this disease.
My doctor knows antidepressants are not well for people with RLS but He said I really need it, and I agree
Your doctor should also know that there are some antidepressants that do not seem to cause problems with RLS patients. This I excerpted from the WARNING post on the pharmaceutical therapy discussions forum.
ANTIDEPRESSANTS:
__________all can cause worsening of RLS with the possible exception of Remeron, Serzone and Wellbutrin.
See if he/she is willing to change your prescription from Zoloft to one of these. You should give your body every chance to get better. It is not good where two medications are at cross purposes.
Just my opinion. You should, of course, follow your doctor's advice.
Hello everyone. I just wanted to give you a good update. I wanted to let everyone know of a medication that I have been using that is working wonderfully on me. I am not saying that this is for everyone and not every doctor will prescibe it but I wanted to let you know in the event you could try it and it might work. It is called a Duragesic patch. I am on the 50 patch and it has been amazing. I also take it in addition to Mirapex, Neurontin, and Wellbutrin. I have not had a "wanna cut my legs and arms off" feeling in about 4 months with the exception of one evening and that evening I had forgotten to change my patch at the 72 hour mark. You wear the patch for 72 hours then you change it to a new one. Again this patch might not be for everyone but if you are an RLS sufferer that has not found that right medication to work this might just be worth a shot. There are side affects with the patch so you should be sure to research the side affects and risks before you use the patch. So Best Wishes To Everyone. And every single RLS sufferer is in my prayers. Sincerely, CC
CC, the Duragesic is for pain, right? So those of us with painful RLS might find it beneficial. Am I right in assuming that it doesn't stop the twitchy, electrical, creepy-crawly feelings, though? It's always nice to hear that something is working for someone - sometimes those of us most vocal are the ones for whom meds or other remedies are not working. Obviously there are people with RLS that are doing fine, something that's easy to forget when you're going crazy!!!
Hello. To answer your questions Ann I am not sure if this works for everyone but for me it has most definately helped for the pain and what I call "the wanna chop my arms and legs off" feeling, which for me is the irritable, annoying, creepy crawly, and all the other symptoms of RLS. I suffer with severe pain in addition to all of the other RLS symptoms and I have been back and forth with medications and I have what I call relapses but it is really refractory RLS. And the duragesic patch is my life saver. It works well because it is a continous pain medicine (similar to taking percocet or vicodine) that is for people with a long term need for pain medications. It is as if you were taking an opioid pill but you have a patch that is working all the time unlike a pill that only works for a few hours and then wears off. I also have fibromyalgia, myalgia syndrome, and a ton of other things and this helps those as well and for me it has helped me to get alot of comfortable sleep. It works in so many ways for me that it is impossible to list them all. Like I said it might not work for everyone but if your doctor approves you to receive the patch then it might be worth a shot to try it if your like me who has severe RLS, just keep in mind that there are side effects with the patch so be sure you know what they are before taking the patch. (for me it is falling asleep very easily and sleeping alot and loss of appetite. The doctor says eventually my body will get used to it and the side effects will minimize or go away.) Best Wishes! CC
Just to update : Ann it was me CC that sent the response to your questions. For some reason it showed me as a guest. If you want to know more in detail I can always email you directly, if you are interested send me a private message with your email address. Best Wishes, CC
I would like to know what type of RLS is not painful as mine has been VERY painful for 24 years of my 33 years of life just as CC has described. I too was diagnosed with "growing pains" at the age of 9 and have gotten progressively worse. My symptoms are mirrored to CC's. I have not taken Mirapex, but my doctor prescribed it to me today. I wish I could give you advice on what to do, but I have had very good doctors, just can't find anything to help.
Chirpee, many of us have RLS that is not painful! From what I've read, it seems like there are two two recognized types - with pain and without. Drugs like neurontin seem to help those with pain more than they help those without.
It's funny, but until I came here and started doing lots of research, I didn't know anyone had pain, nor did I know anyone had it in their calves or feet! Mine is in my thigh, and all of my family members also have it in their thighs, so I assumed everyone had it there. When I read about it being often in the calf, I wondered what they were talking about . It's a strange disorder that seems to have many ways of presenting; not just severity of symptoms, but in the actual symptoms themselves.
Hi Chirpee,
Mine is painful too, always has been. I can see that there are others that don't feel pain, just not me. I will say that the stuff the is in my arms is more like falling asleep than pain, but the hips and legs......UUUUUFFFAAAAAA 41 yrs. now....
About Mirapex, it did work for me for a short time. Then the doctor would need to up the dose and it would work again. There came the time that I couldn't take the upped dose because the side effects were too much. But honestly, I think I gave it up due to rebound and augmentation issues.
Try it and see if it helps. Nothing to loose and it helps tons of people. I was one of them for a while.
CC I' am so glad for you that something works. It's nice to know that people do find relief. It gives everyone hope. Can you tell me if there seems to be a time limit on it? Will it likely stop woking? Like building a tolerance to it?
Chirpee the best thing you can truely do for yourself is know what your issues are and give them to the doc.. Mine were simple, sleep, pain, and itching. Give yourself permission to get to a place where the RLS is manageable. It's not an easy task, don't we all know that one. My RLS is not gone and does not always respond to my medication. BUT, I am tons better and I still have hope.
I'm sending you a big hug and a good thought that the Mirapex will wor great for you. If it doesn't call your doc before the next appt., it is his job to help you. We are all here anytime and you know we understand.
Thanks for your input! I was very upset to have my doctors' office call this morning and tell me they need to reschedule my appt. as the doctor is sick! I feel for the doc, but it takes me several weeks to get an appointment. I've tried so many things now that didn't work, as did my mother. Since she has found the relief with Mirapex, I have been so excited to try it!! I think it would be a blessing just to have ONE night pain free! I haven't had a single night pain free since my back surgery on January 3, 2005.
Thanks too for the hug -- it came at a well needed time! Bless You!
Anytime Chirpee, hugs are free and very useful. oooo Sorry to hear about the appt.. Man, it sucks to get that close. Yup, I made it to the office one time and he was out of town......the cat erases messages. She really does, must disturb her nap. It does take forever to get an appt.. Jan is right unless you have a stubbed toe or an ear infection. HMMMMM thought here, lie to get in......naw, bad idea.
I hear ya about the pain free days or nights. I had my first in almost 10 years last Sept., it was a shock. It's crazy to think we get use to living with the pain. Like it's a normal part of the day or night. I'm not pain free right now, but I'm still way better than a year ago.
Hang in there.
Hello everyone. I just wanted to give you a good update. I wanted to let everyone know of a medication that I have been using that is working wonderfully on me. I am not saying that this is for everyone and not every doctor will prescibe it but I wanted to let you know in the event you could try it and it might work. It is called a Duragesic patch. I am on the 50 patch and it has been amazing. I also take it in addition to Mirapex, Neurontin, and Wellbutrin. I have not had a "wanna cut my legs and arms off" feeling in about 4 months with the exception of one evening and that evening I had forgotten to change my patch at the 72 hour mark. You wear the patch for 72 hours then you change it to a new one. Again this patch might not be for everyone but if you are an RLS sufferer that has not found that right medication to work this might just be worth a shot. There are side affects with the patch so you should be sure to research the side affects and risks before you use the patch. So Best Wishes To Everyone. And every single RLS sufferer is in my prayers. Sincerely, CC
as mine has been VERY painful for 24 years of my 33 years of life just as CC has described. I too was diagnosed with "growing pains" at the age of 9 and have gotten progressively worse. My symptoms are mirrored to CC's. I have not taken Mirapex, but my doctor prescribed it to me today. I wish I could give you advice on what to do, but I have had very good doctors, just can't find anything to help.
I think it would be a blessing just to have ONE night pain free! I haven't had a single night pain free since my back surgery on January 3, 2005.