Up On Pain Meds???
Up On Pain Meds???
I have RLS and, fortunately, have found a doctor familiar with this (his daughter has RLS!). Anyway, tried Requip and a couple of other drugs with no relief then he put me on Lorcet Plus three times per day. I take one at dinnertime and two at bedtime. It has worked wonderfully but now my legs are beginning to act up earlier in the daytime (like 3pm instead of the usual 7pm). I don't want to be a drug seeker but am wondering about asking MD to increase dose. Any thoughts?
up on pain meds???
Hi rlsyes and welcome to this group. I have also used Requip and it did not agree with me. I have never used Loret Plus and you said that it is working good, but now have rls in the afternoon. I am just wondering if you are augmenting from this med. Augmenting is having rls anytime of the day or night.
Look at the forum New to RLS "Managing RLS" there is a great article from the Mayo Clinic Algorithm. Please print it out and bring it to your dr.
Reading alot of the old and new posts is a great help too.
I hope that you find the relief that you definitely deserve and please keep us posted on how you are doing.
This is a great support group and we will be here for whenever you need us.
Look at the forum New to RLS "Managing RLS" there is a great article from the Mayo Clinic Algorithm. Please print it out and bring it to your dr.
Reading alot of the old and new posts is a great help too.
I hope that you find the relief that you definitely deserve and please keep us posted on how you are doing.
This is a great support group and we will be here for whenever you need us.
Charlene
Taking one day at a time
Taking one day at a time
Welcome, Resyes...What dosage of lortab are you taking? I have really bad pain with my RLS. But my doctor thinks it's diabetic neuropathy. I don't because the symptoms don't match. My pain could also be from Arthritis in my knees. Who knows?? Anyway, he was willing to give me two 7.5s a day and when I told him I was at times waking up with the leg pain he was not willing to up the dosage to three. So we compromised and I am getting two 10s a day. I break them in 1/2 and 5 works most of the time.. I am also on Requip 1 mg and it works for the jumpy part of the RLS and Lyrica (just in case he's right about the neuropathy). The Lyrica seems to be helping reduce the pain a little...Too much info?..Maybe this will help...Pat
I can't say I've ever heard of augmenting off narcotics.. I thought that was exclusively a dopamine agonist problem.
However without specifics about your dose, and what your symptoms are specifically, we can't offer much insight. It is possible your body is just craving it though.
Can you get by on 1 a night instead of 2? You could try spacing your doses out so you get 3 a day at regular intervals.
Or you could ask about Ultram (generic: tramadol) to help with earlier daytime symptoms. I've been on it again for a few weeks now after coming off Vicodin completely and haven't had too many issues at all. It lasts a hell of a lot longer, and although a bit spooky for an uncontrolled substance, it can come very close to an opiate buzz. So that's all you really have to be careful about
However without specifics about your dose, and what your symptoms are specifically, we can't offer much insight. It is possible your body is just craving it though.
Can you get by on 1 a night instead of 2? You could try spacing your doses out so you get 3 a day at regular intervals.
Or you could ask about Ultram (generic: tramadol) to help with earlier daytime symptoms. I've been on it again for a few weeks now after coming off Vicodin completely and haven't had too many issues at all. It lasts a hell of a lot longer, and although a bit spooky for an uncontrolled substance, it can come very close to an opiate buzz. So that's all you really have to be careful about
RLSYes- I also started having earlier and earlier symptoms when I was put on oxycontin. I used to have symptoms at 8pm, then 7...6...4.. now I have symptoms starting between 1-4pm. I'm not sure if you and I are part of a select group augmenting from narcs OR if you and I have a disease that is progressing more quickly then usual? At any rate- the good news is, I can usually "handle" my symptoms for the 3 hrs before I take my meds at 4pm. For me- that is the trade off for making sure I'm alert at work. You'll have to decide if your symptoms are tolerable or if they are so bad that you need extra drug during the day?
Josh
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Ridgerunner
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:27 am
- Location: WI
Any MD worth her/his weight in salt would realize that if you respond to opioids (pain meds) that taking a formulation with tylenol in it is not wise for the long haul. Plus, long acting opioids are best for our situation plus some short acting for rescue situations.
Hydrocodone (Lortab active ingredient) has a short half-life. If you are taking this at night your earlier symptoms could be the beginings of withdrawl from not having the narcotic in your system for many hours. I know when I took vicodin once daily I would experience this. Since then my Neuro had me on Methadone which is a long-acting opioid and whithdrawl does not even start for 36 hours or more after last dose with Methadone. Now my doctor has me on Levorphanol which is close to Methadone in how long it lasts and how cheap it is.
I would talk to your MD about a long-acting opioid for the evening and perhaps a short acting one for early afternoon symptoms. My MD simply gives me a night time dose of Levorphanol with extras to use as needed for RLS symptoms occuring at other times of the day.
Hydrocodone (Lortab active ingredient) has a short half-life. If you are taking this at night your earlier symptoms could be the beginings of withdrawl from not having the narcotic in your system for many hours. I know when I took vicodin once daily I would experience this. Since then my Neuro had me on Methadone which is a long-acting opioid and whithdrawl does not even start for 36 hours or more after last dose with Methadone. Now my doctor has me on Levorphanol which is close to Methadone in how long it lasts and how cheap it is.
I would talk to your MD about a long-acting opioid for the evening and perhaps a short acting one for early afternoon symptoms. My MD simply gives me a night time dose of Levorphanol with extras to use as needed for RLS symptoms occuring at other times of the day.