I have been taking Codeine for a while now, anywhere from 4-6 a day
60mg codeine sulfate.
Now I ran out early, becuase my doc wants me to try taking Mirapex. I have tried for 2 months and it doesnt do sh** for me.
I cant get a refill till next week and I am on day 3 with no codeine. Last night I had a n awful night with RLS. Kept me up for most of the night.
Anyone have any suggestions? My doc actually gave me an anti anxiety pills and while they help a little, my legs are still killing me.
Codeine withdrawl
Does'nt your physician know you will go with terrible withdrawls if you don't wean slowly off of Opiates? Does he care? This seems very cruel and inhumane to me! Have you printed the Mayo Clinics Algorhythm (from Zach's signature) and taken it to him. I always think it's good to create a plan WITH your physician, not have it done to you. Can you call today and ask for more Codeine? If the Mirapex did'nt work before why did your doc try it again? How about Requip, Lyrica, or another med in addition to your Codeine? I hope you can get relief soon.
Last edited by runkrun on Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
That sucks man.
Print out the Mayo Algorithm from my link, and do your best to get your doctor to read it.
I don't understand why he wants to go back to Mirapex if you took it for 2 months with no benefits.
This is probably walking a thin line, but as far as your opiate withdrawal symptoms go, taking some cold medicine with Dextromethorphan in it may help. Vicks makes several kinds of DXM only cough medicines, each with their own degree of disgusting-ness, but its better than nothing. get it by itself if possible and avoid anti-histamines, since your RLS is already gonna be worse. For the pain, try taking a couple Ibuprofen, it won't do much for RLS-related pain but for withdrawals it can be a little helpful. DXM for opiate withdrawal is largely an anecdotal subject, there's no way to disprove or prove it'll help, but some people claim it helps. I take it for other reasons, and sometimes it'll help the RLS a little.
Print out the Mayo Algorithm from my link, and do your best to get your doctor to read it.
I don't understand why he wants to go back to Mirapex if you took it for 2 months with no benefits.
This is probably walking a thin line, but as far as your opiate withdrawal symptoms go, taking some cold medicine with Dextromethorphan in it may help. Vicks makes several kinds of DXM only cough medicines, each with their own degree of disgusting-ness, but its better than nothing. get it by itself if possible and avoid anti-histamines, since your RLS is already gonna be worse. For the pain, try taking a couple Ibuprofen, it won't do much for RLS-related pain but for withdrawals it can be a little helpful. DXM for opiate withdrawal is largely an anecdotal subject, there's no way to disprove or prove it'll help, but some people claim it helps. I take it for other reasons, and sometimes it'll help the RLS a little.
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eastbayrls
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Thanks for the info Zach.
I actually gave him the algorythm earlier.
I will say, he is pretty good for the most part, but he wanted me to try the mirapex again. He was worried about the amount of codeine I was taking.
I will admit to taking too many sometimes, but I dont know what to do when its 730 am and my legs are hurting.
Either way its now Day 4 and here I am kicking my desk and stretching out in my car.
The actual withdrawl fromt he codeine isnt too bad. Its the lack of help with the RLS that is the bad part.
I actually gave him the algorythm earlier.
I will say, he is pretty good for the most part, but he wanted me to try the mirapex again. He was worried about the amount of codeine I was taking.
I will admit to taking too many sometimes, but I dont know what to do when its 730 am and my legs are hurting.
Either way its now Day 4 and here I am kicking my desk and stretching out in my car.
The actual withdrawl fromt he codeine isnt too bad. Its the lack of help with the RLS that is the bad part.
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ViewsAskew
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And, if I understand this correctly, the actual opiate withdrawal can create symptoms that are similar to RLS. I am still confused as to if it's actually RLS or something else as I've read conflicting info. It seems clear, though, that it can lead to very strong RLS-type feelings.
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.
I've experienced withdrawal after needing an exceptional dose for a while. It does indeed feel a lot like worsened RLS, though there are additional effects (e.g. flu-like stuff) that help to differentiate it. Thus, you might find that when you're done coming off of it, your RLS is not quite as bad as you probably think it is right this minute. I hope so, anyway.
And, you know, it's human nature to want to feel okay. (Heck, it's human nature to want to feel gooooood.) It's pretty common for people to escalate their dose of an opioid, and it's pretty hard to go in the opposite direction. We're all human and seldom as stoic as we'd like to be.
If you're not overtly abusing the drug, don't be hard on yourself. You may still need to do something about your dose if you get back on the opioid, but be objective and just do what needs doing if so. Be careful, be conscientious, be strict, etc. Accept what discomfort you reasonably can, if it means you can hold your dose level. An opioid can make your life pretty awesome if taken at a high dose, but our goal is to make our lives normal, and normal life often has some aches and pains and other physical misfortunes that we put up with. Sometimes it's hard to remember that when you've had the chance to feel how much better than normal it's possible to feel.
However, if you're simply not getting enough relief of genuine symptoms without taking more, then you probably need to talk to your doctor about that. It may be you do need something different, or stronger, or time-released, or something like that. There are lots of options, both within and outside of the opioid families.
By the way, it's true that your doctor should absolutely not have cut you off. Cold-turkey opioid withdrawal is pretty unpleasant, and there was really no call for it, from what you've said. He may indeed be a good guy for the most part, but if he's not knowledgeable enough about this stuff, you might need to consider bringing someone else in to help you with your RLS.
And, you know, it's human nature to want to feel okay. (Heck, it's human nature to want to feel gooooood.) It's pretty common for people to escalate their dose of an opioid, and it's pretty hard to go in the opposite direction. We're all human and seldom as stoic as we'd like to be.
If you're not overtly abusing the drug, don't be hard on yourself. You may still need to do something about your dose if you get back on the opioid, but be objective and just do what needs doing if so. Be careful, be conscientious, be strict, etc. Accept what discomfort you reasonably can, if it means you can hold your dose level. An opioid can make your life pretty awesome if taken at a high dose, but our goal is to make our lives normal, and normal life often has some aches and pains and other physical misfortunes that we put up with. Sometimes it's hard to remember that when you've had the chance to feel how much better than normal it's possible to feel.
However, if you're simply not getting enough relief of genuine symptoms without taking more, then you probably need to talk to your doctor about that. It may be you do need something different, or stronger, or time-released, or something like that. There are lots of options, both within and outside of the opioid families.
By the way, it's true that your doctor should absolutely not have cut you off. Cold-turkey opioid withdrawal is pretty unpleasant, and there was really no call for it, from what you've said. He may indeed be a good guy for the most part, but if he's not knowledgeable enough about this stuff, you might need to consider bringing someone else in to help you with your RLS.
Disclaimer: I often talk about what I do and what works for me, but these are specific to me and you should always consult a healthcare professional before trying these things yourself, lest you endanger your health or life.
If your doctor thinks you're taking too much codeine, then why not pose the question to him, that a stronger, longer lasting opiate might be the answer. Since it seems opiates are working for you.
Ultram ER, Oxycontin, MS Contin, to some extent Methadone.. All of these can provide 24 hour relief with very few doses per day.
Ultram ER, Oxycontin, MS Contin, to some extent Methadone.. All of these can provide 24 hour relief with very few doses per day.
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eastbayrls
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I have asked him about the long lasting pills and he keeps telling me that there are none.
I dont want to be rude with him, but obviously there are, from what I read here.
That being said, stronger opiods scare me. I do have an addictive personality and I am no sure I want to go down that road.
last night a friend gave me a percocet and it allowed me to sleep a full night for the 1st time in 3 days. Needless to say I am in a better mood this morning.
However, it puts me back @ square 1 until I get my reguolar script on monday.
And yes, there are days I took too many. I wont lie, but I got into a routine where I was doing well with less then he prescribed, but sometimes I would take an extra one just to relax more after an awful day @ work and thats why I'm where I am.
I dont want to be rude with him, but obviously there are, from what I read here.
That being said, stronger opiods scare me. I do have an addictive personality and I am no sure I want to go down that road.
last night a friend gave me a percocet and it allowed me to sleep a full night for the 1st time in 3 days. Needless to say I am in a better mood this morning.
However, it puts me back @ square 1 until I get my reguolar script on monday.
And yes, there are days I took too many. I wont lie, but I got into a routine where I was doing well with less then he prescribed, but sometimes I would take an extra one just to relax more after an awful day @ work and thats why I'm where I am.
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ViewsAskew
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That's the tough part with these...for some of us, they really do affect our mood and we want to use them at times when it's not about RLS. It can be hard to find the middle ground that keeps us RLS-free and not abusing our scripts.
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.
I had the same problem, so I understand your concern. Unfortunately there is no easy way around it..
Do you have someone close to you, that you can trust to hold your medication, and then ration it out to you daily?
I take rationed Methadone, my dad holds the bottle and leaves me some every day.. When I switched to Methadone the problem lessened somewhat but I still ended up in the same boat with taking too much. However I am doing great now that I do not have to worry about a bottle of pills sitting on my desk and making it last..
Percocet is many times stronger than Tylenol #3 w/Codeine, so I'm not sure why you'd feel you should take it if you have such a fear of stronger opiates.. But as I said, I understand and when you have RLS you just want relief and want it NOW, especially when you're out of meds.
Did your doctor say there are no long-acting medications at all, or maybe he thought you were asking just about codeine? If he's trying to tell you there are none at all, period - then I would begin questioning whether I should see another doctor.. In any case...
Buprinorphine (Subutex / Suboxone) is an opiate-blocker, and it takes a very small amount compared to opiate painkillers to get your through the day, according to the one person who was here a while ago that tried it. Something on the order of 1mg. However it is incredibly expensive and I'm not sure if a regular MD would even be able to prescribe it.. The person I mentioned was receiving it from an addiction treatment center or pain treatment center, I don't recall which. I know the country psychiatrist used to prescribe it to recovering addicts when we still had a voucher program to pay for medicines, but.... budget cuts put a swift end to that.. Glad I didn't decide to go down that road. Cause I'd have had to find a doctor all over again and then convince them to give me Methadone
You really don't want to lose your access to opiates though.. If the codeine is controlling it and its just a question of stopping yourself from taking too much, I strongly urge you to look into the possibility of having someone help you manage your medication.
Do you have someone close to you, that you can trust to hold your medication, and then ration it out to you daily?
I take rationed Methadone, my dad holds the bottle and leaves me some every day.. When I switched to Methadone the problem lessened somewhat but I still ended up in the same boat with taking too much. However I am doing great now that I do not have to worry about a bottle of pills sitting on my desk and making it last..
Percocet is many times stronger than Tylenol #3 w/Codeine, so I'm not sure why you'd feel you should take it if you have such a fear of stronger opiates.. But as I said, I understand and when you have RLS you just want relief and want it NOW, especially when you're out of meds.
Did your doctor say there are no long-acting medications at all, or maybe he thought you were asking just about codeine? If he's trying to tell you there are none at all, period - then I would begin questioning whether I should see another doctor.. In any case...
Buprinorphine (Subutex / Suboxone) is an opiate-blocker, and it takes a very small amount compared to opiate painkillers to get your through the day, according to the one person who was here a while ago that tried it. Something on the order of 1mg. However it is incredibly expensive and I'm not sure if a regular MD would even be able to prescribe it.. The person I mentioned was receiving it from an addiction treatment center or pain treatment center, I don't recall which. I know the country psychiatrist used to prescribe it to recovering addicts when we still had a voucher program to pay for medicines, but.... budget cuts put a swift end to that.. Glad I didn't decide to go down that road. Cause I'd have had to find a doctor all over again and then convince them to give me Methadone
You really don't want to lose your access to opiates though.. If the codeine is controlling it and its just a question of stopping yourself from taking too much, I strongly urge you to look into the possibility of having someone help you manage your medication.
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eastbayrls
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I've heard of subutex before, but never asked about it.
The only reason I took the percocet is cause a friend had some and I wanted to sleep, I know it's stronger ( which isn't a bad thing , unless I had it all the time).
I'm taking codeine 60 mg sulfate. It works great
I took methadone once and it made me really high, I laid down and I really thought I was going to die, but it felt good, and that's why I don't push to get a script of it.
I think I need my wife to control my intake. I hate to say it cause she'll be great at it, but it's what I need
The only reason I took the percocet is cause a friend had some and I wanted to sleep, I know it's stronger ( which isn't a bad thing , unless I had it all the time).
I'm taking codeine 60 mg sulfate. It works great
I took methadone once and it made me really high, I laid down and I really thought I was going to die, but it felt good, and that's why I don't push to get a script of it.
I think I need my wife to control my intake. I hate to say it cause she'll be great at it, but it's what I need
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ViewsAskew
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It's hard to do, isn't it, do let someone else be responsible?
I think if you set up very workable parameters, such as X amount normally, but X days per week you can have 1 extra in case of a difficult day (if you have enough to manage that.
She loves you, so of course she'll do a good job
I think if you set up very workable parameters, such as X amount normally, but X days per week you can have 1 extra in case of a difficult day (if you have enough to manage that.
She loves you, so of course she'll do a good job
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.
Subutex/Suboxone
OMG I'm reading this and it has made me sick in my stomach. I had similar issues this time last year. I had been taking pain killers for a while for mine and I guess my body wanted more and more and was not happy without them.
I ended up finding an addiction specialist online at the suboxone website that put me on this medication. He is now treating my RLS with this medication as an off label use of the medication. I take 2mg a day. 1 at night before I go to bed and another 1 mg in the afternoon around noon or 1pm. I have NO issues with RLS at all taking this medication. If you have Ins it covers it.
check out the website for Suboxone and click on the link "find a Dr" to find one where you live. Give them a call and tell them what your issue is and that you are having withdrawls from Codine and need to get into the detox program with the suboxone.
It has changed every aspect of my life. Hopefully, you will be able to find the same help as I did through this! Let me know if you need any additional info.
I ended up finding an addiction specialist online at the suboxone website that put me on this medication. He is now treating my RLS with this medication as an off label use of the medication. I take 2mg a day. 1 at night before I go to bed and another 1 mg in the afternoon around noon or 1pm. I have NO issues with RLS at all taking this medication. If you have Ins it covers it.
check out the website for Suboxone and click on the link "find a Dr" to find one where you live. Give them a call and tell them what your issue is and that you are having withdrawls from Codine and need to get into the detox program with the suboxone.
It has changed every aspect of my life. Hopefully, you will be able to find the same help as I did through this! Let me know if you need any additional info.