Stay on Current Therapies or No?
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 9:49 pm
Almost a year ago I was at my wit's end, trying to find medication(s) that would stop my RLS and allow me to sleep. I found the answer on this discussion board, and it has worked very well for me in stopping the RLS, but I continue to have difficultly sleeping. I had some emotional traumas early last year - my Mom passed, and I had emergency small bowel obstruction surgery less than 2 months later. In the process of coming to grip with the anxiety and depression, my doctor prescribed xanax and ambien to help with sleep issues and anxiety. I also started taking .25 mg of Requip along with 2.5 mg of hydrocodone together about 6 pm, before the RLS sets in. This combo - of .25 requip and 2.5 mg of hydrocodone daily, seems to completely eliminate the RLS all night long. So, I've been taking those two drugs about 6 pm, and before going to bed about 10 or 11, I take either 5 mg of Ambien or .25 or .5 mg of xanax.
Usually the .5 mg of xanax keeps me asleep all night, but the Ambien never does. So, when I was in a "don't care" frame of mind, I would just take whatever it took to get rid of the RLS AND sleep all night.
Recently - I'd say for the past several months - my medication schedule looks something like this:
6 PM - requip and hydrocodone
10 PM - xanax or ambien
2 or 3 PM - another ambien or xanax
I am becoming increasingly concerned about dependency. Yesterday I decided to try to wean myself off the hydrocodone, xanax, and ambien. It did not go well.
at 6 PM I took the regular dose of requip (.25 mg) and 1.6 mg of hydrocodone
I took nothing at bedtime and stayed awake until midnight, when I finally took 3.75 mg of ambien. Laid awake until 2 AM when RLS flared up - - - - with a vengeance, so I took 5 mg of hydrocodone and finally fell to sleep about 3 AM.
I've read extensively about Requip, Ambien, Xanax and Hydrocodone dependency. I know, compared to many on the discussion boards, that my doses are minimal and seeming to control my symptoms pretty well, but I am still concerned about taking these drugs every night for months, indeed, nearly a year now.
My question is - - - - if these 4 drugs are working ---- should I just keep on until they aren't working? I don't know. I am concerned.
Thank you very much for your responses.
Usually the .5 mg of xanax keeps me asleep all night, but the Ambien never does. So, when I was in a "don't care" frame of mind, I would just take whatever it took to get rid of the RLS AND sleep all night.
Recently - I'd say for the past several months - my medication schedule looks something like this:
6 PM - requip and hydrocodone
10 PM - xanax or ambien
2 or 3 PM - another ambien or xanax
I am becoming increasingly concerned about dependency. Yesterday I decided to try to wean myself off the hydrocodone, xanax, and ambien. It did not go well.
at 6 PM I took the regular dose of requip (.25 mg) and 1.6 mg of hydrocodone
I took nothing at bedtime and stayed awake until midnight, when I finally took 3.75 mg of ambien. Laid awake until 2 AM when RLS flared up - - - - with a vengeance, so I took 5 mg of hydrocodone and finally fell to sleep about 3 AM.
I've read extensively about Requip, Ambien, Xanax and Hydrocodone dependency. I know, compared to many on the discussion boards, that my doses are minimal and seeming to control my symptoms pretty well, but I am still concerned about taking these drugs every night for months, indeed, nearly a year now.
My question is - - - - if these 4 drugs are working ---- should I just keep on until they aren't working? I don't know. I am concerned.
Thank you very much for your responses.