Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Argh!!! They're such idiots!!! The nurse from my Dr.'s office finally called me back. She said that Doc said to discontinue the trazodone and is calling in a prescription for Amitriptyline to Walmart. I said ok, thank you, hung up and looked it up online. IT'S ELAVIL!!!!!!!!!!! The medicine she prescribed a couple of weeks ago that made my symptoms worse but this time, she's prescibing a higher dose! So I called back and talked to the nurse again. Told her I would not take any more of it. She got Doc on the phone. Told her my story. She still holds that Elavil works for most patience. I told her that there's a huge lack of info somewhere because what the practioners say are not at all what the nuerologists say. So she said, well what do you think will work for you? I asked for Mirapex and she agreed and will be calling it into Walmart. Argh!!! She's so unwilling to learn anything. The dosage she's prescribing is .0125 2x a day. Does anyone have an opinion on this dosage? She won't see me until the 23rd for a consult.

I've had RLS for 7 years, augmented, relentless, and severe. I tried all of the dopamine antagonist, of which Mirapex is one. I started with .25mg and increased the dosage to 1mg over a period of two weeks. I had side effects which included sweating, confusion, loss of concentration, and dizziness. I nearly lost my job because of the effects. The doctors insisted that Mirapex was what I needed that I should try it longer and at higher dosage. Several weeks later , after I had been "laid-off", I gave it another go, this time with the same results. I saw another sleep specialist about two years later, again he said I needed higher dosages. Reluctantly, I tried Mirapex again at 1.5mg, this time it exacerbated my RLS symtoms terribly. I will never try it again. However, many people swear by it. Just goes to show that we're not all alike. Good Luck

The usual starting dose (as I posted on my thread when I started about ten days ago) is as "cz" says, 0.25mg which they will increase in a few days if not effective.

I guess you FNP is being careful starting you Sole at an even low dose. And rightly so. These drugs affect the brain directly crossing the brain/blood barrier.

It was a neat trick on their part to call Elavil by its generic name. But she is doing it by the book. When Elavil does not work they always increase the dosage first.

Cz I am wondering what you are taking now for RLS? Did you ever take Neurontine (gabapentin) or another anticonvulsant?

Could I invite you to take a look at the poll I am running on General Topic entitled ORP? I have the feeling you could be a major contributor with your "rich" experience.

I started Mirapex (.125 at bedtime) three nights ago and so far, so good. I'll report more towards the end of the week after I'm able to assess a regular work week. Not sure why my doc chose this small dose, but I'll certainly call her to increase it to .25 if it doesn't work. Best,

Heron

With powerful brain-affecting medications it is always a good idea to start at a low dose. I assume both you Heron and Sole are started at the same 0.125 mg dose (0.0125 mg sounds a bit low). Someone else (another male) and I were started at twice your dose, 0.250 mg. We were both raised to 0.50 mg within a week, I had to ask for it.

The reasoning is behind this that if there are side effects then they can be severe. But at a low dose it still would be tolerable and the warning would come in time.

I just picked up my Rx for Mirapex. I was incorrect about the dosage she prescribed. I said it was .0125 but it is actually .125, one to two tablets as needed. Looking forward to seeing how it works tonight. Any suggestions as to when I should take it?

Sole wrote:.....Any suggestions as to when I should take it?

I guess if I would have read the Mirapex thread I wouldn't have asked that question.

Good luck Sole!

Is Mirapex the only thing you are taking around 30' - 1 hr before retiring?

When I had trouble sleeping I also took (after a couple of hours) the medication I had been taking (which was hydrocodone), in your case it is klonopin This latter especially one should not stop taking suddenly.

Just my opinion. I am unable to give anyone medical advice.

Last night was the 4th night with Mirapex. But this time, my legs went nuts anyway. altogether, I ended up taking .25Mirapex, 1mg Klonopin and 8mgs Valium! And still my legs went nuts. They finally settled enough for me to go to sleep (but not stay asleep) around 2:30. I awake at 6am and dozed off and on till 8am. I'm exhausted and my shins ache terribly. I AM going through a tremendous amount of stress right now, due to a personal family matter and have no doubt that it's making things worse. I just can't believe that with all the stuff I took last night, I still couldn't find good sleep. What's it gonna take to knock me out!?