Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

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.
Post Reply
bumble34
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:08 pm

Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by bumble34 »

Hi, Stopped Ropinirole( .75mg) in May this year after 20 Months, managing now with Pregabalin/Kratom, not ideal or consistent, on two occasions in the last Month after a run of not very good nights I`ve resorted to .5mg of Ropinirole, worked like a charm. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience in using Ropinirole in this way, thank you

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

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by stjohnh »

I augmented on mirapex, similar to ropinirole. After being off it for a few months I restarted at extremely low dose with good results (combined with Kratom and Gabapentin). I would try 0.25 mg of requip and see if it works, if it does I would try 0.125 mg. The key to using dopamine agonists, especially post augmentation, is to keep the dose extremely low.
Blessings,
Holland

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8799
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by Polar Bear »

I have been off ropinerole for about six months and my symptoms are controlled by Codeine and Lyrica. I get some breakthrough but it’s not dreadful. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if it is RLS or the neuropathy. Walking for a time usually resolved but just not always. I use Kratom to help at these times.

I do have in mind that a very small dose of Ropinerole (not taken regularly) would probably help if I was ever desperate. However, I am keeping that in reserve.
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

bumble34
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:08 pm

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by bumble34 »

Thank you for responding, it`s good to think that there is an option for the very occasional respite, I find Kratom does help but the dose is crucial, too much and yes is calms the legs but keeps me awake, still looking for the right balance.

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

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by stjohnh »

The meds that work the best for sleep for RLS are gabapentin (and cousins, Lyrica and Horizant) and THC (medical marijuana). There are a few that get better sleep with CBD, but most on this board (me included) say CBD doesn't help their sleep. Regular sleeping meds rarely help RLS sleep problems.
Blessings,
Holland

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by ViewsAskew »

I augmented severely - and I use a DA regularly now. I always take regular breaks and keep my ferritin as high as I can. Been doing this over ten years with no issues.
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.

oldtechygirl
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:08 pm

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by oldtechygirl »

I am in process of transitioning from ropinerole to pregabalin as recommended by my RLS specialist at Mayo Clinic. I'm wondering how much pregabalin most people take?

I was on 2mg time-released ropinerole at bedtime and used .5 to 1.0 mg of regular ropinerole as needed for evening breakthrough. Now I'm on just 75 mg of pregabalin, have dropped the time-released ropinerole and just use the .5 mg tablets as needed in the evening. The pregabalin makes me very drowsy/groggy and I've been sleeping better than I have in years! But now I need to go the next step, increasing the level of pregabalin and, hopefully, eliminating all ropinerole. But I'm worried because I'm afraid that more pregabalin will make it hard for me to wake up and get going in the morning.

Is it possible to take enough pregabalin at bedtime to control symptoms for 24 hours without the morning side-effects?

Thanks for any insight!

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by Rustsmith »

I don't have any experience with pregabalin, so I cannot help you with your questions that are specifically about it.

What I can do is tell you that you should get off of the ropinerole before worrying about our pregabalin dose (if your goal is to completely off of ropinerole as opposed to reducing the dose to a low value and then going with a combination of ropinerole and pregabalin). When you go from a low dose or ropinerole to zero, you are going to have a rough time of it for about a week and pregabalin isn't strong enough to cover the ropinerole withdrawal. During the days following completely getting off of ropinerole, you will not get any sleep (not even short naps) unless your doctor provides you with a low dose opioid to cover the ropinerole withdrawal symptoms. Your RLS will also be the worst that you have ever experienced. After 5 to 7 days, you will start to be able to get some sleep with the amount increasing each day.

So, my suggestion is to take the step of stopping ropinerole and then worry about your pregabalin dose in a few weeks when you start to return to your new normal of pregabalin, whatever that is.
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.

oldtechygirl
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:08 pm

Re: Ropinirole. Occasional use post augmentation

Post by oldtechygirl »

Thanks for sharing your insight, Steve. The good news is that pregabalin is great for sleep! I usually sleep 6 to 7 hours at the most. Now I am sleeping 8+ hours a night. And its really good sleep. Not the shallow sleep that I was used to during decades of successful treatment with ropinerole. I'm hoping that eventually my evening breakthrough symptoms (which I think are augmentation related) will disappear. It's only been in the last year or so that I've had any breakthrough to speak of. So far, I'm really hopeful about the pregabalin.

Post Reply