Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

leggo_my_legs wrote:Good. I suspect that some of whether or not you may have difficulty depends on how many medications you were exposed to and taken off quickly before. Sometimes the brain just gets to the point of being done with transitions. I think that's part of why this happened to me.

This is my first rodeo (ha! never said that before). I'm only coming up on a year from diagnosis and aside from a very short stint on ropinirole, gabapentin is all I've used. Interesting idea re: brain done with transitions. Never thought of that one.

leggo_my_legs wrote:Good. I suspect that some of whether or not you may have difficulty depends on how many medications you were exposed to and taken off quickly before. Sometimes the brain just gets to the point of being done with transitions. I think that's part of why this happened to me.

I can usually tell when a med is no longer worker for me. It seems my body us saying, " give me more". I made that mistake years ago. No more. Now I switch to something else.

Brynmr wrote:

leggo_my_legs wrote:If gabapentin stops working for you, I'd consider switching to another class of drug.

Doc put me on a dopamine agonist (ropinirole) at first. It did nothing.

I believe that the starting dose for ropinirle is less effective than the starting dose of mirapex. This is just from my experience with both.
If either stops working it is probably augmentation. Don't increase dose. Makes it worse.

Re brain being done with transitions...that came from my neuro whp basically said every time you stop or start a med that crosses the blood brain barrier, it "shocks" the brain because it has to rewire itself. It was helpful to me to conceptualize it in this way. That explained a lot of my mental fogginess.

Late night up out of bed and popping another gabbie. It's funny how it can hit you so hard and so suddenly. I'll have a glass a wine with that thank you very much.