Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Forgot to take the methadone again until I started to feel a bit nauseated later this evening. Got worried that I was going into withdrawal, so took a 5 mg. tablet. NO PAIN today, but some mild creepy-crawlies that went away when I got busy.

This drug gives me a strong "runner's high" for about 3 hours a day. I'm thinking that somehow the norepinephrine also boosts the bodies natural endorphins. I wonder if that's why norepinephrine drugs like Cymbalta and various tricyclic ADs help with pain so much.

Anyway, I can live with the endorphin buzz side effect. Just don't tell the FDA or they'll never approve this med. They certainly don't want people to feel this good.

Obviously I'm still having delayed sleep phase issues, though...

I slept for 2.5 hours Saturday night.. worked Sunday morning.. think I slept for an hour in the evening... haven't been able to fall asleep yet... ugh

I gotta drive out to a store and take a display down for my dad, too....

It really sounds good Susan, maybe this is a miracle drug. Do AD's actually start working less in the long run and you need more of it?

Corrie

Hey Zach, did I hear "work"? That's always good, isn't it? As for sleep, sometimes I tell myself that it's overrated. I know it's not, but the idea helps me get through the day.

I don't know about a "miracle drug" - but it does seem to target whatever is broken in me.

Susan,

I don't post a lot nowadays, because of extreme low mental energy again. Meds are still working reasonably well for RLS, so I don't really want to change them.
In the middle of June I have a appointment with my neuro and intend to ask if he thinks Reboxetine is a good idea to give me more mental energy.

May I ask if you still take it yourself and are you still pleased with it?

Hope everything is as well as it can be for you.
Corrie

I have been thinking that I really need to post an update to this thread, so thanks, Corrie, for asking.

Yes, I am still taking Reboxetine. If anyone ever wants me to quit taking it they'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers. It has helped me so much with energy that it's like a miracle. I no longer sleep 16 hours a day, and when I'm awake I'm able to be up and active and not just lying in bed all day. I don't know about mental energy - my problem was more with physical energy. (Although the US counterpart to Reboxetine is Strattera, which is an ADD med, so it must help with thinking as well.)

It's not a perfect drug, and I have had side effects like facial flushing, goose bumps, hot flashes, and anxiety. I cut the dose to half the normal dose, so 2 mg in the morning and 2mg at night. It can be dosed once daily, but I find that the effects and side effects swing rather drastically when I only take it once a day. But 4mg a day is enough to keep my energy level up, without the side effects. I started having major anxiety and added a low dose of Lexapro to counter that. I never realized just how much SSRIs suck the energy out of me. But between the two meds I'm relaxed, but have enough energy to get things done, and my moods are stable.

I felt like I was dying before I started to take this drug, like I was just going to run out of energy and my body was going to give out. I don't feel like that anymore. I still have the circadian rhythm issues so I don't feel quite "normal," but I can function.

Corrie, it's been a good drug for me. I figure there must just be something wrong with my norepinephrine levels, and that this med fixes it. I've read that Reboxetine (and Strattera here in the US) either are the best thing ever or they do nothing at all. So I guess you won't know until you try. (BTW, I don't take Strattera because it has more metabolic interactions, including one with methadone.)

Best wishes with it, Corrie. I hope you find something that perks you up!

It's awesome what you've written, Susan, both for yourself of course and for me. I will take this email + info from PubMed to my neuro; he will read it with care. If he thinks it's a good idea then I have to try and find a company on the Internet that will send it to me, as in my country (The Netherlands) is it not prescribed.

Thanks a lot Susan, I will write my experiences in this thread if I get green light from my dr. and am able to get it.

Take care
Corie