Augmentation or something else
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 1:44 am
I had been handling RLS successfully with only hydrocodone for several years and after getting off the several regimens of DA’s out there. Then I discovered Kratom and in 2017 I weaned myself off of the hydrocodone and was doing quite well with the Kratom, even though it was a bit more expensive. Still worth it because no more constipation. Then last year I noticed an increase in symptoms. I thought at first it may have been a low quality crop of Kratom but experimentation told me that was not the case. I asked my Doctor to put me back on the Hydrocodone but I had to forego the Zolpidem which I had been using for insomnia. The Feds won’t allow two class I meds to the same person. Fine. I thought hydro was more important.
I soon discovered that the usual doses I had been using before Kratom were not sufficient. Used to be 3 tabs of 7.50-325 spread throughout the day would suffice. Now I was lucky to get two or three hours of relief out of two tabs of Hydro! So I started using Kratom overnight and in mid afternoon. I would only use the Hydro for late afternoon and evening. Soon I found I was having to increase my dosage of Kratom by twice as much. Example: usually ½ t. of Kratom was good enough to get me from late morning to late afternoon. Now I need to take a teaspoon at noon and a teaspoon at 2pm. Overnight is a *****. 2-½ t. of Kratom right before bed used to suffice until about 3:00 am when I would wake up to take 1 tsp. to get me through the rest of the way. Now I have to take two tsp. every two hours. I go to bed at 11 and wake up squirming at 1. I take two tsp. and then apply hot compresses to relieve my symptoms until the Kratom kicks in which takes about a half hour. Finally I get to sleep and am awake two hours later to repeat the same routine. I can’t get more than two hours of uninterrupted sleep. So I upped the dose to two and a half tsp Kratom. If I am lucky I can get an extra half hour to an hour.
To make matters worse the same regimen doesn’t work every night. Some nights I get up and the dose doesn’t kick in for some reason. If after a half hour it doesn’t kick in I take another teaspoon. Meantime I sit in the bathtub applying hot compresses to relieve symptoms. The other night it took three extra doses a half hour apart to relieve my symptoms so I could actually go back to sleep
I have also noticed that the skin on my legs gets very sensitive. The cuffs of my shorts or jeans or bed clothes cause irritation or subtle tickling when symptoms start kicking in. Sometimes I have to use extra doses in the afternoon and sometimes the dose of hydrocodone doesn’t even suffice. These failures are spotty and whenever I go somewhere I have to take extra meds in case the doses don’t kick in or bring proper relief.
I am concerned that I will have to keep on upping doses as time goes on. It feels like I have to always have hydro or kratom in my system to manage my symptoms. It is very frustrating and I want to scream or throw things, especially when the standard doses aren’t working. Hot showers or hot compresses are comforting but do not bring lasting relief unless I have taken Kratom or hydrocodone in the meantime.
My days are usually ruined. I need to nap several times in the afternoon, but need to be sure I have enough Kratom in my system so I don’t wake up squirming. In mid-evenings I can hardly hold my eyes open to watch a TV program or read. And I don’t look forward to going to bed because I know I am going to be up and down all night making certain I have enough kratom in my system.
I am lucky to be retired but it is no fun to live a life centered around catering to relieving the symptoms of RLS. I am lucky to have an understanding partner. But I have to wonder what I do when I get to the upper limit of the amount of Kratom I can consume without doing myself damage. And can I enjoy a social evening when I am sleepy. This is nutso!
BTW I do have low iron numbers but iron infusion treatments are too expensive for my budget. I have for the the last five months been taking iron tabs with vitamin C in the morning. Even if I could afford iron treatments it isn't always 100%.
I soon discovered that the usual doses I had been using before Kratom were not sufficient. Used to be 3 tabs of 7.50-325 spread throughout the day would suffice. Now I was lucky to get two or three hours of relief out of two tabs of Hydro! So I started using Kratom overnight and in mid afternoon. I would only use the Hydro for late afternoon and evening. Soon I found I was having to increase my dosage of Kratom by twice as much. Example: usually ½ t. of Kratom was good enough to get me from late morning to late afternoon. Now I need to take a teaspoon at noon and a teaspoon at 2pm. Overnight is a *****. 2-½ t. of Kratom right before bed used to suffice until about 3:00 am when I would wake up to take 1 tsp. to get me through the rest of the way. Now I have to take two tsp. every two hours. I go to bed at 11 and wake up squirming at 1. I take two tsp. and then apply hot compresses to relieve my symptoms until the Kratom kicks in which takes about a half hour. Finally I get to sleep and am awake two hours later to repeat the same routine. I can’t get more than two hours of uninterrupted sleep. So I upped the dose to two and a half tsp Kratom. If I am lucky I can get an extra half hour to an hour.
To make matters worse the same regimen doesn’t work every night. Some nights I get up and the dose doesn’t kick in for some reason. If after a half hour it doesn’t kick in I take another teaspoon. Meantime I sit in the bathtub applying hot compresses to relieve symptoms. The other night it took three extra doses a half hour apart to relieve my symptoms so I could actually go back to sleep
I have also noticed that the skin on my legs gets very sensitive. The cuffs of my shorts or jeans or bed clothes cause irritation or subtle tickling when symptoms start kicking in. Sometimes I have to use extra doses in the afternoon and sometimes the dose of hydrocodone doesn’t even suffice. These failures are spotty and whenever I go somewhere I have to take extra meds in case the doses don’t kick in or bring proper relief.
I am concerned that I will have to keep on upping doses as time goes on. It feels like I have to always have hydro or kratom in my system to manage my symptoms. It is very frustrating and I want to scream or throw things, especially when the standard doses aren’t working. Hot showers or hot compresses are comforting but do not bring lasting relief unless I have taken Kratom or hydrocodone in the meantime.
My days are usually ruined. I need to nap several times in the afternoon, but need to be sure I have enough Kratom in my system so I don’t wake up squirming. In mid-evenings I can hardly hold my eyes open to watch a TV program or read. And I don’t look forward to going to bed because I know I am going to be up and down all night making certain I have enough kratom in my system.
I am lucky to be retired but it is no fun to live a life centered around catering to relieving the symptoms of RLS. I am lucky to have an understanding partner. But I have to wonder what I do when I get to the upper limit of the amount of Kratom I can consume without doing myself damage. And can I enjoy a social evening when I am sleepy. This is nutso!
BTW I do have low iron numbers but iron infusion treatments are too expensive for my budget. I have for the the last five months been taking iron tabs with vitamin C in the morning. Even if I could afford iron treatments it isn't always 100%.