drug holiday

Use this section to discuss your experiences with prescription drugs, iron injections, and other medical interventions that involve the introduction of a drug or medicine into the body. Discuss side effects, successes, failures, published research, information about drug trials, and information about new medications being developed.

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
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fuz_mind
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:27 pm

drug holiday

Post by fuz_mind »

i will be doing a drug holiday from 1mg ropinirole, 2 weeks before a second round of iv iron.

any advice or tips on how to survive the above? or even how the experience is going to be like?


Thanks!

stjohnh
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: Palo Alto, California

Re: drug holiday

Post by stjohnh »

Use kratom (or an opioid if you have it) with cannabis and gabapentin (or Lyrica). If you mean no drugs at all, be prepared for a week you will remember for the rest of your life, no sleep at all for a day or 2, then an hour or so per night, gradually improving.
Last edited by stjohnh on Sat Sep 02, 2017 5:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Blessings,
Holland

Rustsmith
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Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: drug holiday

Post by Rustsmith »

In addition to Holland's comments, have someone hide your ropinirole because unless you have an extremely strong resolve, you will give in take it again before the week is out. This isn't an issue of addiction per se, but more of a situation where you will be craving sleep so much that you would be willing to give up the idea of the drug holiday just to be able to fall asleep.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

ViewsAskew
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Location: Los Angeles

Re: drug holiday

Post by ViewsAskew »

Are you augmented? I can honestly say I am not sure what will happen if you are not - my guess would be that you would go back to the level of symptoms you had before you started it. If augmented, what they said!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

fuz_mind
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:27 pm

Re: drug holiday

Post by fuz_mind »

not sure if i am augmented.... neuro doesn't think so. thinks it's natural worsening.

Holland: no opiods; have a low dose of lyric, zopiclone and tons of clonzapam and tramadol for standby.....

i'm braving myself for the worst.....but Steve is probably right... i should get someone to hide the ropinirole.....

Ann - managed to taper down from 1.5 to 1 mg over 3 months but miserable in the past 2 moths. but i dont want to fight with my doc anymore who told me upfront that if he has his way with me, he wants me back on 1.5mg if not 1.25mg ropinirole.

keeping fingers crossed..... hoping for the best i guess.....

thanks for the advice peeps.... will keep all of you updated.... 3rd oct is the start of doomsday for me :p i have a month to get myself mentally prepared.....

badnights
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Re: drug holiday

Post by badnights »

Does your doc at least support the notion of a drug holiday? Point him to the webinar or (if he's like me and can't stand watching things that could be skimmed from text in a tenth of the time) the Foundation brochure on drug holidays.
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.

fuz_mind
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:27 pm

Re: drug holiday

Post by fuz_mind »

badnights wrote:Does your doc at least support the notion of a drug holiday? Point him to the webinar or (if he's like me and can't stand watching things that could be skimmed from text in a tenth of the time) the Foundation brochure on drug holidays.


Beth: his idea of supporting me is to cover me with medical leave; he has never done a drug holiday with a patient. i sent his the brochure and Dr B's webinar. it was an ugly phone conversation we had with him which im more than keen to forget :x

braving myself for the worst and hoping for the best :) that's all i can say!

badnights
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Re: drug holiday

Post by badnights »

Well, I wish you the best of luck, with both the holiday and with him!
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.

fuz_mind
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:27 pm

Re: drug holiday

Post by fuz_mind »

thanks Beth!

Polar Bear
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: drug holiday

Post by Polar Bear »

badnights wrote:
Does your doc at least support the notion of a drug holiday? Point him to the webinar or (if he's like me and can't stand watching things that could be skimmed from text in a tenth of the time) the Foundation brochure on drug holidays.


The Webinars are excellent but I agree that you have to find time to watch them (that sounds rather ungrateful, sorry) and so I'm inclined to watch them while doing the ironing. :)
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

fuz_mind
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:27 pm

Re: drug holiday

Post by fuz_mind »

Hi all who has so kindly replied to my post :)

Just an update

I survived the drug holiday and is 3 weeks post IV iron.

Drug holiday was awful but I'm glad I did it! Would do it all over again if I have to. It required a lot of determination but it helped to have the tramadol, clonazapam and zopiclone during this period to tide me through. I was literally having the symptoms all day. In between my drug holiday, my migraine was triggered and was admitted to hospital --> horrors of all horrors, I was put on a 24 hour drip due to severe dehydration. Just imagined what happened at 11pm when an RLS patient was bed bound for a whole day ... :P They had to take me off the drip and allow me to wander around the halls in the hospital - they eventually gave me a sedative to sleep because my walking around was apparently distressing the night nurses and some of the patients who were stil awake.

The IV iron has been quite amazing and I will share my experience in a different post.

Thanks for all the encouragement and advice!

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