Restless Legs Cream
Restless Legs Cream
I'm a new member, 65 yr old. 3+ years ago I started having problems with RLS at night. I found Magnilife Restless Legs Cream at Walgreens. I tried it and it controlled the jerking legs. A year ago I had to go on Ropineral .5 mg which worked for awhile, gradually the doses have had to be raised to 2mg. now added Gabapentrin to the mix. The thing is that when my legs wake me up at about 2 am, coating the lower legs and feet with the cream makes them calm for another 1-2+ hours, then reapply again for another 1-2 hours of rest. The cream won't work for me by itself but is a great help in conjunction with the meds. Hope this helps someone.
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badnights
- Moderator
- Posts: 6259
- Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
- Location: Northwest Territories, Canada
Re: Restless Legs Cream
That's interesting. The evidence seems equivocal to me as to whether Mg can be absorbed through the skin and whether it actually benefits WED/RLS (though it's known to benefit muscle cramps). People on this board have had mixed results with it - some say it works, some not, some that it did but then stopped. As an experiment, you could try rubbing a different cream onto your legs the same way. That would tell you whether it's the rubbing motion or the cream itself that's helping. But hey - maybe you shouldn't mess with it. If it's working, leave things be!
Your ropinirole dose is too high for WED/RLS. A lot of doctors don't know the new recommendations, or don't follow them because only a few specialists are making these recommendations. But those specialists are the best of the best, so to speak. High doses of ropinirole or pramipexole can cause augmentation. I recommend that you get your ferritin level checked and that you learn as much as possible about augmentation; arm yourself with knowledge, which will protect you from well-meaning doctors who are not familiar with the ins and outs of refractory WED/RLS.
Your ferritin should be above 75 or even above 100, although non-WED people are OK with levels as low as 20, so your doctor might say it's normal even if it's below 75. Request the actual number from him/her. Ferritin reflects how your body stores iron, something wWED/RLS patients tend to have trouble with. Low ferritin is associated with worse WED symptoms. Low ferritin is also associated with augmentation on ropinirole and pramipexole.
For the knowledge part of my recommendation, you might want to check out the RLS Foundation's brochure on augmentation and their Bulletin for healthcare professionals (click the link below my name, then click the appropriate links in the post that opens). Also check Buchfuhrer's 2012 paper, which you might want to print for your doctor.
From that paper:
Both of these drugs should be started at their lowest dose
(ropinirole at 0.25 mg and pramipexole at 0.125 mg) and
increased if necessary every 5 to 7 days by their initial dose
until symptoms are controlled. Although the FDA-approved,
maximum doses for ropinirole and pramipexole
are 4 mg and 0.75 mg, respectively, many physicians exceed
this dose, especially when treating daytime symptoms that
may require 1 or 2 additional doses per day. However, after
10 to 15 years of experience with these drugs, concerns
regarding augmentation of RLS symptoms by these drugs
have made many RLS experts rethink the doses used to treat
RLS, and even whether these drugs should be first-line
drugs of choice for this disease. Due to concerns regarding
augmentation of RLS, in the opinion of this author and
several other RLS experts, the maximum doses of dopamine
agonists should be much lower than the approved FDA
doses (such as 0.25 mg for pramipexole and 1 mg for
ropinirole). However, augmentation may occur even at the
lowest doses of dopamine agonists.
Your ropinirole dose is too high for WED/RLS. A lot of doctors don't know the new recommendations, or don't follow them because only a few specialists are making these recommendations. But those specialists are the best of the best, so to speak. High doses of ropinirole or pramipexole can cause augmentation. I recommend that you get your ferritin level checked and that you learn as much as possible about augmentation; arm yourself with knowledge, which will protect you from well-meaning doctors who are not familiar with the ins and outs of refractory WED/RLS.
Your ferritin should be above 75 or even above 100, although non-WED people are OK with levels as low as 20, so your doctor might say it's normal even if it's below 75. Request the actual number from him/her. Ferritin reflects how your body stores iron, something wWED/RLS patients tend to have trouble with. Low ferritin is associated with worse WED symptoms. Low ferritin is also associated with augmentation on ropinirole and pramipexole.
For the knowledge part of my recommendation, you might want to check out the RLS Foundation's brochure on augmentation and their Bulletin for healthcare professionals (click the link below my name, then click the appropriate links in the post that opens). Also check Buchfuhrer's 2012 paper, which you might want to print for your doctor.
From that paper:
Both of these drugs should be started at their lowest dose
(ropinirole at 0.25 mg and pramipexole at 0.125 mg) and
increased if necessary every 5 to 7 days by their initial dose
until symptoms are controlled. Although the FDA-approved,
maximum doses for ropinirole and pramipexole
are 4 mg and 0.75 mg, respectively, many physicians exceed
this dose, especially when treating daytime symptoms that
may require 1 or 2 additional doses per day. However, after
10 to 15 years of experience with these drugs, concerns
regarding augmentation of RLS symptoms by these drugs
have made many RLS experts rethink the doses used to treat
RLS, and even whether these drugs should be first-line
drugs of choice for this disease. Due to concerns regarding
augmentation of RLS, in the opinion of this author and
several other RLS experts, the maximum doses of dopamine
agonists should be much lower than the approved FDA
doses (such as 0.25 mg for pramipexole and 1 mg for
ropinirole). However, augmentation may occur even at the
lowest doses of dopamine agonists.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.
Re: Restless Legs Cream
Beth,
Thank you for this. I have looked at the information you mentioned and have experienced some augmentation. I'm now starting the Gabapentrin with 300mg to ramp up in 3 weeks to 900 mg, Going to see a neurologist in a week and a natural-path Dr. in a month. Also ordered a Relaxis pad to see how it works. I would like to gradually reduce the Ropineral when I can, tiring everything I can think of. O my Ferritin is above 100 per recent test.
Take Care,
Q
Thank you for this. I have looked at the information you mentioned and have experienced some augmentation. I'm now starting the Gabapentrin with 300mg to ramp up in 3 weeks to 900 mg, Going to see a neurologist in a week and a natural-path Dr. in a month. Also ordered a Relaxis pad to see how it works. I would like to gradually reduce the Ropineral when I can, tiring everything I can think of. O my Ferritin is above 100 per recent test.
Take Care,
Q