Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Just starting Oxycodone HCL for PLMD. 10mg doesn't get me through the night, but at least so far it is not alerting. Wondering how much people have to take?

Second question, any exercisers out there find it impacts there exercise?

Thanks. (71 year old female)

I used to be a competition class runner and I never saw that any of my meds or RLS really had much effect.

As for your oxy, it is only effective for a few hours, which would explain why it doesn't get you through the night. When given for pain, it often has to be taken at least four times a day. That is part of the reason why my doctor has prescribed either methadone or Tramadol ER. These only need to be taken once a day.

I have just quit methadone. It was great for getting me through the night, but I was terribly sedated all day and, even more, terribly depressed. I am so glad to be leaving it behind, even with the withdrawal I am looking at.

Wouldn't the Oxycodone ER work for me through the night? (We didn't start with that because of the sedation from the methadone, but also normally I have trouble tolerating drugs.)

Oxycodone ER does not last as long as methadone, the half life is still only 4 to 6 hours compared to about 24 for methadone (methadone varies a lot between individuals). You should talk with your doctor about whether you need a second dose during the night or whether changing to a longer half life opioid (maybe Tramadol ER) would be more effective.

Thanks. I have read that several people here need 30 mg oxycodone to get there RLS under control. I am wondering if they take that all of once?

wantok wrote:Thanks. I have read that several people here need 30 mg oxycodone to get there RLS under control. I am wondering if they take that all of once?

AFAIK oxycodone ER should be taken at least twice daily. This will ensure a certain blood level all day, and this is apparently the key of not getting addicted or not having withdrawal symptoms. I used to take 10mg in the morning and 20mg in the evening. But for many of us oxycodone ER will last only about 10 hours or less - I later had to switch to 3 doses, 10mg midday, 10mg early evening and 10mg at bedtime.

(But at the moment I'm trying to reduce it a bit. I needed only 5mg at bedtime for some weeks, and will now try to reduce the daily dose even further.)

Oxycodone only works about 4 or at the most 5 hours for me. Then after a week or more, it no longer works. Telling my body to take a higher dose, which I don't do. I take it when I visit family so that I can sleep like a normal person. Usually for only a week. I take it like this in addition to my regular meds, methadone and gabapentin. Then I stop.
I don't have the problem of sedation with methadone, I get insomnia if I don't spread my dose over 24 hours. Any way you look at it it's difficult.

I take 30 mg Oxycodone per day ... however I also take around 90 to 120 mg Morphine and sometimes 4 mg Hydromorphone. I do have to combine different opioids because when I only take one, it is not enough, even when I raise a lot.

Also opioids alone were never enough for me. I have to take additional analgesics to get enough relief.

AFAIK oxycodone ER should be taken at least twice daily. This will ensure a certain blood level all day, and this is apparently the key of not getting addicted or not having withdrawal symptoms.

taking it twice a day will prevent mini-withdrawals, but I don't see how it can be involved in preventing addiction.

The extended-release versions of these opioids were made to treat pain, which is not circadian - it hurts all day, unlike RLS/WED which is much worse at night. There is nothing wrong with taking them only once a day, to treat the symptoms at night. I would think it would be better for you, since you're taking less of stuff that has side effects. No need to take it all at once - - sometimes it works better to spread it out into 2 or 3 doses an hour or three apart.

The only glitch is as you get to higher doses. For me, it was 15 mg hydromorphone- - at that dose, taking it all in the evening, I developed mini-withdrawals by early afternoon the next day. They didn't end til about 2 hr after my first evening dose. It was months before I figured out what it was, and then a simple 3mg pill in the morning took care of it. So I was taking 15 mg spread thru the evening, and 3 mg at about 10 AM.