Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

I think Holland's suggestion of cutting it in half again is worth trying. It should lower your chances of augmentation (maybe a lot), and allow you to take it more than once a week.

Last night I cut it in half and it worked. The night started out bad. After taking the half tab, the rest of the night I was able to sleep.
Tonight I am sleeping fine, so again, carry over of med from last night. So maybe I will take it every third or forth night may work.
Since last night started out so badly, it made me think of when I took the sinimet every night, alwaying needing more, but I won't do that. Same thing happens to me with all the drugs, oxycodone, methadone, gabapentin, etc
Why does body always want more of the meds?

Every body is different, for some of us things are more difficult than for others. Good thing the half pramipexole works. What about taking it Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays? And maybe Monday can be a decide-at-the-time night. I find it easier to do a weekly schedule than every second night or every third night, because I end up forgetting which night I'm on.

I love how you can say "tonight I am sleeping fine" at 4 AM and be utterly serious. This disease sure re-defines things like "sleeping fine" doesn't, it?

Even on good nights I am up every few hours riding my bike.
I don't want to take it on a schedule. I took it Sunday night and haven't taken it since. I want to take it on bad nights only. It causes too much weight gain , plus augmentation, but thanks for the suggestion.

That makes sense. You have to do what works for you. Better if it's less.

This is very unusual. I took it Sunday night and have not had any spasms since then. It has been a wonderful week.

Whyever, however - how nice to have a break.

I have been taking mirapex about once a week. I don't seem to need anymore than that. It has been wonderful to sleep again without spasms.

Yay!!

I was able to sleep a couple of hours or so early in the evening with a 1/2 tab of percocet, but that has been all. Spasms have been very active. I realized awhile ago I should have taken the mirapex tonight, but didn't. I felt it was too late. I didn't realize that I would be up the rest of the night. Then I took an extra 1/2 tablet of Percocet around 1 am, it didn't help. I don't want to take any more of that either, I would start itching.
The question is, am I starting to augment or is it like the same with all my drugs, my body makes spasms worse so that I will take more ?
Tonight I have had my methadone, my gabapentin and Percocet. I have been taking the mirapex every 4th night.
On the third night is when I have to add Percocet. The first two nights the mirapex covers me. No spasms on those nights. Tonight would have been 4th night. I just forgot. I wondered why I needed Percocet right away, instead of waiting until middle of night. Then I remembered.

I get tolerance. I just have to stop everything at some point to reset. When I started with methadone, I needed 10 mg. Then 12.5, then 15 - all within a few months. Dr. B thought I just might have been at too low of a dose to start with. But, in retrospect, I do not think so. I regularly get up to 25 or even 30 mg if I don't stop it (takes less than 2 years these days).

The last time I completely stopped methadone, all the sudden I only needed 5 mg of it with .0625 of pramipexole. I thought it was the infusion. Now? Not sure. I think the infusion prevents me from augmenting quickly (up to 4 months of regular pramipexole use without an issue). No idea how to prevent tolerance except stopping the opioid regularly. And, that sucks.

Not saying this is your issue - just a possibility.

Could be. It feels like tolerance. I can't stop methadone right now. Too much is going on. My son in law's cancer is not good. I don't think he has long. Maybe a few months. Then my husband got shingles. He is pretty sick, even though we both got vaccine.
My issues just aren't that important right now.

This has been a strange few days. My husband is sick with shingles. He is very miserable. At times he has been pacing.
I realized something, that I live day to day maybe more than some people. I won't know when I will no longer be able to sleep with my current meds. It will just happen.
Of course no one knows what is going to happen tomorrow. It just feels like those of us who have this disease live differently than most people.
My husbands misery reminded me of when I have had no sleep, and pacing.
Luckily I have slept the last two nights. I thought I was feeling pretty good today. Then a friend called me tonight and told me I sounded very tired. I guess I sound tired most of the time.