Hi All!
I do not have health insurance so I've been managing my RLS myself for quite some time. I do have RLS 24/7 and have been taking Requip at bedtime to manage my nighttime symptoms. But I finally decided to take the plunge and go see a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. My prescription for Requip was expiring and I had to do something.
My symptoms during the day are ridiculous. I am constantly moving, and as a result, my muscles twitch and ache and cramp. I had to pay out of pocket for this appointment (about $500), so I was taking a real risk, not knowing if this dr was going to know what to do with me or not.
Well, guess what? She DID know what to do with me! She admitted that she does not and never has had an RLS patient with symptoms as bad as mine. However, she respected me and my knowledge of RLS (Thanks to this board) and we laid out a plan together of how to treat me.
Basically, she kept my Requip where it is (2mg/day at night) because it is working. But she added Gabapentin (300mg/day) for daytime. I feel so relieved! I can't wait to see how the new med works. Hopefully it will! But anything is going to be better than nothing.
I have also been having daily panic attacks. And the panic sets off the RLS and vice versa. So she gave me meds for the panic too. Again, I was so relieved because I assumed I would have to see a different doc for that, paying more money. She was great.
If there's anyone in my area who needs a dr, I would recommend her. I live in Northeast Pennsylvania. Her name is Kelly Condefer. She is with the Geisinger group of doctors and she is a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. Check her out.
Hope you all are finding some peace.
Sarah
Great Dr in NEPA!
I don't want to ruffle your feathers, but Panic Attacks are listed as a side effect of Requip.
Of course it all comes down to quality of life and what you feel is worth it.. The best thing would be to stop the Requip, if it's causing the attacks.. But if the other meds take care of them, then it may be completely worth it for you.
But I'm curious... Do you take Requip during the daytime, or only at night? How is your dosing schedule worked out?
If you are taking Requip around the clock and having severe symptoms in the daytime, this is red flag, and you may be experiencing augmentation, which almost always means stopping the medication.
It's hard to even suggest without knowing your daily routine and when you take your meds and how often though..
I hope its not augmentation, as this may mean more visits to try and get things straightened out.
Of course it all comes down to quality of life and what you feel is worth it.. The best thing would be to stop the Requip, if it's causing the attacks.. But if the other meds take care of them, then it may be completely worth it for you.
But I'm curious... Do you take Requip during the daytime, or only at night? How is your dosing schedule worked out?
If you are taking Requip around the clock and having severe symptoms in the daytime, this is red flag, and you may be experiencing augmentation, which almost always means stopping the medication.
It's hard to even suggest without knowing your daily routine and when you take your meds and how often though..
I hope its not augmentation, as this may mean more visits to try and get things straightened out.
Well, Zack, you didn't ruffle my feathers!! But thanks for trying. I have a history of panic attacks. They didn't start with the Requip. So I don't think they are a result of it now. At least, I'm going to go on that assumption and see what happens with the new meds.
I've been taking Requip for 2 years now. My symptoms have always been during the day but I didn't have a dr that knew how to treat RLS so I was just given Requip for nighttime. I take 2mg at night, nothing during the day because of how groggy it makes me. I have been watching for Augmentation. I don't think that is the case for me right now because my daytime symptoms have not gotten better or worse over time. I'm just tired of dealing with them. So it makes it feel like its worse.
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on the Gabapentin. Thanks for the heads up on the dizzyness. At least I won't have a panic attack when I get dizzy now!! LOL!!!
I've been taking Requip for 2 years now. My symptoms have always been during the day but I didn't have a dr that knew how to treat RLS so I was just given Requip for nighttime. I take 2mg at night, nothing during the day because of how groggy it makes me. I have been watching for Augmentation. I don't think that is the case for me right now because my daytime symptoms have not gotten better or worse over time. I'm just tired of dealing with them. So it makes it feel like its worse.
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on the Gabapentin. Thanks for the heads up on the dizzyness. At least I won't have a panic attack when I get dizzy now!! LOL!!!
~Sarah~
The Gabapentin can be almost as bad as the Requip, however if you can tolerate those side effects, in general they do disappear over time for about 99% of patients.
Although personally it didn't help me at all after a solid week of trying. Although I hadn't titrated my dose up or anything, it would have become a cost concern in the long run. Lyrica actually showed some potential when I had the luxury of getting a few sample bottles from my doctor, but even then it would have been cost prohibitive to actually prescribe it.
If the Gabapentin doesn't work out for you, you could try the Lyrica and might get better success.
But please watch out for any side effects, especially since this is a daytime medication and you have to adjust.. It can make you a bit groggy as well, or feel out of it etc enough that you could be a danger to yourself and others if you are behind the wheel, etc.. (many people have compared it to feeling drunk I think).
Although personally it didn't help me at all after a solid week of trying. Although I hadn't titrated my dose up or anything, it would have become a cost concern in the long run. Lyrica actually showed some potential when I had the luxury of getting a few sample bottles from my doctor, but even then it would have been cost prohibitive to actually prescribe it.
If the Gabapentin doesn't work out for you, you could try the Lyrica and might get better success.
But please watch out for any side effects, especially since this is a daytime medication and you have to adjust.. It can make you a bit groggy as well, or feel out of it etc enough that you could be a danger to yourself and others if you are behind the wheel, etc.. (many people have compared it to feeling drunk I think).
Ditto what Zach said. Be careful of where and when you are taking it until you know how it will affect you and how long those effects last. I nearly nodded off while at the wheel a couple times.
When I first started, I ended up missing a couple days work because of the dizziness and drowsiness, but hey I was sleeping! Now that I know how it affects me and how long those effects last, it's quite manageable. For me it takes about two hours after taking for the drowsiness to really set in. More so if I have an empty stomach. And they will last for about 2 hours after that.
I don't get dizzy anymore but I will still feel the drowiness. If I'm busy doing something it's not a problem and I'll maybe drink something with caffeine or walk around a bit to shake it off. But if I'm bored or inactive I will start nodding off and I will just go with the flow and take a nap.
I was in a boring meeting last week and and the drone of my boss' voice was putting me to sleep. Thank god we took a break so I could get up and walk around and shake off the drowsiness.
When I first started, I ended up missing a couple days work because of the dizziness and drowsiness, but hey I was sleeping! Now that I know how it affects me and how long those effects last, it's quite manageable. For me it takes about two hours after taking for the drowsiness to really set in. More so if I have an empty stomach. And they will last for about 2 hours after that.
I don't get dizzy anymore but I will still feel the drowiness. If I'm busy doing something it's not a problem and I'll maybe drink something with caffeine or walk around a bit to shake it off. But if I'm bored or inactive I will start nodding off and I will just go with the flow and take a nap.
I was in a boring meeting last week and and the drone of my boss' voice was putting me to sleep. Thank god we took a break so I could get up and walk around and shake off the drowsiness.