Easy Question - What Works For You for RLS?

[nik.sego]

I am on a quest to find the right meds for me to take for my RLS. I was taking Requip and thought it worked okay. Then the generic came out and I don't feel it worked as well. Doc won't let me take Vicodin (understandable) and prescribed me Sinemet. I've not read good things about it.

Last night I was ready to cut my arms and legs off. I normally don't get it in my arms, but I did last night. I'm looking to see what works for people and at what dosage. I was thinking about Mirapex as I believe I took that years ago. Not sure why I was switched to Requip as it's been a long time ago and my memory isn't that great.

Thanks!!

[ctravel12]

I am on a quest to find the right meds for me to take for my RLS. I was taking Requip and thought it worked okay. Then the generic came out and I don't feel it worked as well. Doc won't let me take Vicodin (understandable) and prescribed me Sinemet. I've not read good things about it.

Last night I was ready to cut my arms and legs off. I normally don't get it in my arms, but I did last night. I'm looking to see what works for people and at what dosage. I was thinking about Mirapex as I believe I took that years ago. Not sure why I was switched to Requip as it's been a long time ago and my memory isn't that great.

Thanks!!

Hi Nik and welcome to this group. Your question "What works for you for RLS" that all depends on each person as every ones body reacts differently to each meds.

If you have not been to the forum New to RLS please read the sticky post "Managing RLS" there is alot of good information there and also Mayo Clinic Algorithm has a good article. Please read it and then print it out and bring it to your dr.

There is so much info that you can read. It is so important to educate yourself as much as possible regarding this disorder. There are alot of good sites to read and I am going to give you two (2) of them
www.rlshelp.org and www.wemove.org

If you have not had your ferritin level check, please do that. You have to request this b/w as it is not included in the normal b/w routine.

You may have to take a cocktail of meds to see what works for you. I know this does not sound too promising but with the help of your dr hopefully he/she can find the right med for you.

I hope that this has been of some help to you and please keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Neco]

I'm not sure why your Doc refusing to prescribe you a medicine that could potentially end your misery is considered reasonable. I'd say maybe I am just misreading it but that is a pretty clear statement.

I understand everyone has different views about medicine and have fears and what-if's but is that really any way to live?

I don't know how often you have RLS, but if it is more than a couple episodes per month, or god forbid daily, he had no idea what he was doing by prescribing Sinemet. That stuff is the devil, and is slowly gaining the appropriate reputation with RLS doctors that are in the know.

Sinemet has a horrible rebound and augmentation rate (what you experienced last night) I'm talking like 70% and higher and that is probably a conservative estimate based on recollection. The stuff should be banned for RLS except for very minor cases with a handful of incidents, maybe 1 or 2 a week IMHO.

I tried requip and got 50/50 results and bad headaches and also some nausea. It either worked or it didn't, and gave varying relief. Then I tried Sinemet and barely made it two weeks, each subsequent time further degenerating its effectiveness and increasing its horrible side effects. I can blow through #30 of the standard dose tablets in less than a week and still be miserable the whole time at this point in time. I will NEVER take it again..

Likewise after that I tried Mirapex and augmented for a full 24 hours after taking the first dose from the sample starter pack. I truly hope your experience does not turn out to mirror mine because no other medications that I have tried from other categories have helped either. Lyrica seemed shoddy with a small bit of promise but is unaffordable for me, Neuronton flat out didn't work and I was crying after trying it for a frustrating week.

I now take Methadone and would find some way to die if I was refused access to opiates of any kind. Even given my personal problems with opiates (we are all unique cases, so don't ever point at someone elses problems and justify it to yourself for not taking a medicine, you are letting yourself down by doing that) I caution you to be vigilant and research all kinds of meds to try, and if it comes down to it and the only thing left you can try is opiates.. I hope your doctor finally sees the light.

I know this post is reeking of hostility towards certain people or things, but I guess that is the result of what I had to go through to finally get the "do you really need opiates" monkey off my back.

[Aiken]

I'm with Zach. If you get RLS more than once or twice a week, your doctor should not have prescribed Sinemet. If that's the case, your doctor doesn't know what he's doing with RLS and you need to find another one. Period.