Stopping Mirapex for a while
Tricky
Amen to that. I wouldn't have had any idea what to do when I augmented on Requip without the advice of this Board. The Mayo Algorithm only goes so far in advice. I don't think I would have thought to ask my PC if I could just try the hydrocodone alone. I'd never even heard of hydrocodone before my hip surgery last Oct
Update:
Well, things aren't as rosy as I made them out on my last post. I was on clonazepam 0.5mg and about to drop my Mirapex to 0.25mg. That was a disaster. The rls just broke right through, so I had to stumble to the bathroom and take some more Mirapex. And this happened a couple of more nights.
So I called the neurologist's office and told his nurse that the clonazepam just wasn't cutting it, and what else could the doc suggest. An hour later, the nurse calls me back and - you guessed it - the neuro wanted me to take TWO clonazepam tabs instead of one. I told the nurse that the increase wouldn't do anything, but I guess I'll try it. An hour later she calls back and told me that she had spoken with the doc (which was nice of her) and the doc said I'd tried everything else and if the clonazepam didn't work, then it would be okay to just stay with the Mirapex. No mention of opioids.
I tried doubling the clonazepam and even tripled the dose a couple of times but it just doesn't help. Makes me real loopy, but I still need to take 0.5mg Mirapex.
I'm now paranoid that there's some note in my charts that says I'm seeking narcotics, though there's no reason for that. I've scheduled an appointment with my PCP in a couple of weeks and I'm just going to ask flat out if I can get a rx for a potent opioid, just to try it at least. And if not, then why not?
Bjorn
Well, things aren't as rosy as I made them out on my last post. I was on clonazepam 0.5mg and about to drop my Mirapex to 0.25mg. That was a disaster. The rls just broke right through, so I had to stumble to the bathroom and take some more Mirapex. And this happened a couple of more nights.
So I called the neurologist's office and told his nurse that the clonazepam just wasn't cutting it, and what else could the doc suggest. An hour later, the nurse calls me back and - you guessed it - the neuro wanted me to take TWO clonazepam tabs instead of one. I told the nurse that the increase wouldn't do anything, but I guess I'll try it. An hour later she calls back and told me that she had spoken with the doc (which was nice of her) and the doc said I'd tried everything else and if the clonazepam didn't work, then it would be okay to just stay with the Mirapex. No mention of opioids.
I tried doubling the clonazepam and even tripled the dose a couple of times but it just doesn't help. Makes me real loopy, but I still need to take 0.5mg Mirapex.
I'm now paranoid that there's some note in my charts that says I'm seeking narcotics, though there's no reason for that. I've scheduled an appointment with my PCP in a couple of weeks and I'm just going to ask flat out if I can get a rx for a potent opioid, just to try it at least. And if not, then why not?
Bjorn
stopping mirapex
It's worth a try. I was pleasantly surprised when my PCP agreed to letting me try one hydrocodone a night for the rls. and that is working, so I didn't have to do more than two nights on the mirapex.
I had left an apparently unclear voice message of wanting to try the hydrocodone alone and the nurse called saying my PCP wasn't clear what I wanted and didn't want to go there (with the opoids).
So I wrote down everything and faxed it to them instead of leaving more messages and going through the nurse. I was better able to organize my thoughts so they were clear and didn't sound too desperate. I laid out what my symptoms had been on the requip, what had improved in going off the requip (which included general health and mental improvement), what wasn't working on the next drug (mirapex made me feel like I'd had 10 cups of coffee) and that I wanted to clean out my system a bit, make sure what had been side effects and what were real health problems. I wanted to just try one hydrocodone a day to see how it would work, I'd keep him updated on what was happening and didn't mind calling in every month for a new presecription (he won't give more than one month at a time.) His nurse called and said the fax was a clear explanation, the doctor now understood what I was asking and was willing to try it for a couple of months, then he wanted to see me again for a checkup. Maybe that will work for you.
I had left an apparently unclear voice message of wanting to try the hydrocodone alone and the nurse called saying my PCP wasn't clear what I wanted and didn't want to go there (with the opoids).
So I wrote down everything and faxed it to them instead of leaving more messages and going through the nurse. I was better able to organize my thoughts so they were clear and didn't sound too desperate. I laid out what my symptoms had been on the requip, what had improved in going off the requip (which included general health and mental improvement), what wasn't working on the next drug (mirapex made me feel like I'd had 10 cups of coffee) and that I wanted to clean out my system a bit, make sure what had been side effects and what were real health problems. I wanted to just try one hydrocodone a day to see how it would work, I'd keep him updated on what was happening and didn't mind calling in every month for a new presecription (he won't give more than one month at a time.) His nurse called and said the fax was a clear explanation, the doctor now understood what I was asking and was willing to try it for a couple of months, then he wanted to see me again for a checkup. Maybe that will work for you.
Pairodocs,
I appreciate the info. Apparently, I can email the docs, but some docs aren't too email-oriented, according to what I've been told.
I tend to be pretty disorganized during an office visit, so maybe I don't come across too well. My wife always tells me to write everything down, and just read my notes if I have to, but I never do that. Guess I should.
Bjorn
I appreciate the info. Apparently, I can email the docs, but some docs aren't too email-oriented, according to what I've been told.
I tend to be pretty disorganized during an office visit, so maybe I don't come across too well. My wife always tells me to write everything down, and just read my notes if I have to, but I never do that. Guess I should.
Bjorn
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ViewsAskew
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Bjorn, consider taking your wife with. If she is organized, she can help it stay on track. Plus, she is valuable to verify exactly what you are going through and how hard it is on you, her, the family, etc.
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.
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.
ViewsAskew wrote:We need some kind of Vulcan mind meld when in situations like this - both to transfer our knowledge that we've picked up and our feelings of what it's like to be in these situations.
Like maybe give the Dr. a case of RLS. Bet he'd be downing the vicodin like candy. Gotta give the doc his due though. With drugs like those the doctors are under a lot of pressure from the feds. Too many scripts for commonly abused drugs can bring on an investigation.
I read of one case where a doctor was treating a terminally ill cancer patient with morphine. He was accused of over prescribing pain medication. Remember this was a doctor who worked with terminally ill cancer patients and was a leading authority on pain management.
In a hearing he explained that the level of morphine was needed for the patient's severe pain. Although the patient only had a couple of weeks to live the panel found that he was prescribing amounts of the drug that could have long term health consequences for the patient and that the risk of addiction was too high to continue that level of medication.
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mackjergens
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