Requip- Average dose vs Severity of symptoms?

[ANGELGIRL]

Hi Angelgirl here- Lori

It seems quite a few of us are new Requip users- whether it be the first medication used for symptoms or a change from another RLS medication.

I was on Mirapex lowest dose and didn't help symptoms and added side effects of severe sweating, feeling of severe itching as if I could scratch hair out of head. At first seemed to help then symtoms seemed to worsen. The side effects I experience very well could be from combination of the Mirapex and one of the other 9 medications I'm on.

I started the Requip - the free sample 14 day starter pack
I'm now leveled off at 1 mg. I guess I'm on it for about
20 days including the sample pack working me up to that
level.

I was wondering what dosage of Requip other RLS suffers are leveled
off at.

I understand everyone's symptoms could be more severe than others

I see some RLS suffers are told to increase medication if need. How long do you wait before you increase your dosage.
days- weeks- months- Does the Requip accumulate in your system or do you see an improvement immediate after taking.

I guess what I'm asking how do you know when enough is enough.
I know there are guide lines but I've read such a large range of dosage differences stated here on the Forum.

I had a sleep study and twitched 248 times in 3 hours with no REM sleep and increased Alpha waves.

I'm at 1 mg dosage.

Thanks

Angelgirl

[TxSongBird]

I am also on Requip started out at losage dose and now am at .5 mg and this is the comfortable level for me. I tried to go to the 1 mg, but it made me very sick to my stomach.

Donna

[jrowley]

I just started taking requip I started at .25mg for two days and now taking .5mg for the next week and then I will try 1mg but the .5mg is making me nausous so I dont think I will tolerate the 1mg either. The .5mg got me through to 2:00 says my husband so I hope that I will be able to tolerate the 1mg as that will probably finally do the trick for me will have to wait and see.

[ViewsAskew]

Hi Angelgirl. I would imagine since Requip was just approved by the FDA tnat we will see A LOT of Requip useds in the next year, until the next drug is approved.

David Rye, a researcher and doctor that also has RLS, gave a talk at the last conference. Oneof the things he talked about was the effectiveness of Mirapex and Requip and the amounts that worked for the people in the studies. I went through his slides a few weeks ago and looked at what he said. I can't remember exactly - maybe .75 to 1.5? It's in the Welcome All Newcomers sticky in the New to RLS? section.

I know that is is much lower than what Parkinson's patients take. I also have heard many of the RLS 'gurus' say that taking less is better than more. If you have to take a lot of something, people often have better results taking less of it and adding something to make a 'cocktail.' Of course, many of our doctors don't know that, so it can be hard to convince them of it. Same goes for the drug holidays. I still can't convince my doctor that these are a good idea. Oh, well, I'll keep working on him.

Hope that helps.

Ann

[ANGELGIRL]

Angelgirl here:

By a cocktail you mean an additional drug? At bedtime I take Zanaflex 2mg and Ultracet usually 1 or 2 tablets first then take the 1 mg of Requip about an hour latter. The Zanaflex relaxes your muscles of spasms and calms you and the Ultracet for pain relief.

If I take all 3 I don't fall asleep at all and or when I do I drop like a fly and have some real nasty dreams. If I space the drugs out I seem to do much better.

When I was on the Mirapex my head and body was real itchy- like I could scratch my hair out of my head. Since I'm on the Requip that problem has gone away. Thank god.

What do you mean by a drug holiday?

Thanks for the great info!

Lori- Angelgirl

[ViewsAskew]

For severe RLS, people often need to take two or three drugs to get it under control. We often call that a cocktail. This might be Requip for the PLMs and RLS, Ambien to help fall asleep and the PLMs, and Ultram for pain. That is just an example, not necessarily what people take! What you take is also an example of a cocktail.

Drug holidays are when you stop a drug for a week or so and use a substitute. Go to this post:

http://www.restlesslegs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1068
Click on Links to Educate and Inform.
Scroll down to the dictionary of terms.

The first link about contains some of the best information compiled anywhere about RLS. These are links to posts put together by many people here and provide great information.

Ann

[ANGELGIRL]

I really appreciate you pointing that out to me. I use computers all the time.
But I've never posted on a forum. I'm not real familiar with posting and finding what I'm looking for.

I did find the list of drugs that increases RLS on one of the links.

You guys are pros at the lingo- medications- side effects etc.

I feel I've gotten more information here asking questions than asking doctors about the medications, dosage.

Everyone here has lived the hell we all live with and have compasion for each other. Doctors can't imagine the devastation it takes on your quality of life.

Thanks again

Lori- Angelgirl

[jrowley]

I just started taking requip I started at .25mg for two days and now taking .5mg for the next week and then I will try 1mg but the .5mg is making me nausous so I dont think I will tolerate the 1mg either. The .5mg got me through to 2:00 says my husband so I hope that I will be able to tolerate the 1mg as that will probably finally do the trick for me will have to wait and see.

Update I got over the nausea and moved up to .75mg and that is not working either so I will be going up to 1mg by the end of the week. So we will see

[ViewsAskew]

Glad to hear your are over the nausea, Jan. Hope the next move helps more.

Ann