Ann, how nice you got methadon! I am dying to know how you are getting on!
And Jan, Ann is right, stick to your neuro's opinion, unless it becomes unbearable, then I should contact him if I were you. Maybe you have to go the methadon way too. But actually I hope that things are getting better for you right now.
Corrie
Stopping meds
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Well, I slept last night. I tried the methadone alone, but it wasn't enough. 1 hour after going to sleep (midnight) I was up. I took 300 mg neurontin and was able to get back 'in couch' by 2 AM. I awoke at 4 AM. I took more methadone and 300 more neurontin and was back 'in couch' by 5 AM. I dozed of and on until about 8 AM when I fell asleep until 10 AM. I tried to tell myself I had to get up because I have work due to a client, but I kept falling back to sleep. At 10:30, I allowed myself to get in the real bed (Steve was up by then) and slept soundly until 1 PM. I can never sleep in the day because of RLS, but I didn't have any at all.
But that was night 1. In my past experience trying to get off of Mirapex, it gets worse each night. Last time I only managed 3 nights. I can only hope that this works each night as well as tonight.
Ann
But that was night 1. In my past experience trying to get off of Mirapex, it gets worse each night. Last time I only managed 3 nights. I can only hope that this works each night as well as tonight.
Ann
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cornelia
methadon etc
I hope so too, Ann. Don't forget that your body needs time to adjust to a new regime of meds.
Corrie
Corrie
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Well, I already know it didn't work as well, but it's still much better than last time. I may not get much sleep until I'm through the Mirapex withdrawal, but I'm not crazy either!
It appears that Methadone makes me itch! I've looked it up on Websites and it's either an annoying side effect or an allergy, depending on the Website! I'm itching more than I am sleeping
. My legs are not free of creepy-crawlies, but at least they are not the violent type. Just some static in the background of the itching. I took an Allegra (not supposed to aggravate RLS or interact with the Methadone) and I did sleep for 2 hours before the legs woke me. It's 2 hours better than none!
Ann
It appears that Methadone makes me itch! I've looked it up on Websites and it's either an annoying side effect or an allergy, depending on the Website! I'm itching more than I am sleeping
. My legs are not free of creepy-crawlies, but at least they are not the violent type. Just some static in the background of the itching. I took an Allegra (not supposed to aggravate RLS or interact with the Methadone) and I did sleep for 2 hours before the legs woke me. It's 2 hours better than none!
Ann
Reporting on my progress
It's Jan
Ann and Corrie
Since I bothered both of you, I thought I'd give you a report on my progress with my withdrawal. I'm down to 2 mg. and at the two week mark and I'm pleased to report that I slept really good last night. I woke up about 4 am, but went back to sleep and slept until 6 am. My legs didn't bother me at all. I did have a crying spell yesterday, which--according to what I have read--is part of withdrawal. But, maybe I'm over the hump. I feel myself for the first time in at least a week this morning. I may still have some problems, but my doctor wants to get me down to 1.5 mg., so the worst may be over. I've got to tell you, it did get pretty bad. There were a few times when I thought I was going to go crazy, and my family probably thought I was! I was nauseated, really agitated, had major RLS and cried, cried, cried. I really wanted my former neuro's address! ha Don't know what I would have done, BUT it's a good thing I didn't have it. ha
Thanks for your postings. It helped! Ann, good luck getting lined out.
Now, I'm anxious for all the test results to come back. Hopefully my doctor will be able to get a diagnosis. that would be nice. Sometimes not knowing what's wrong is worse than knowing!
Jan
Ann and Corrie
Since I bothered both of you, I thought I'd give you a report on my progress with my withdrawal. I'm down to 2 mg. and at the two week mark and I'm pleased to report that I slept really good last night. I woke up about 4 am, but went back to sleep and slept until 6 am. My legs didn't bother me at all. I did have a crying spell yesterday, which--according to what I have read--is part of withdrawal. But, maybe I'm over the hump. I feel myself for the first time in at least a week this morning. I may still have some problems, but my doctor wants to get me down to 1.5 mg., so the worst may be over. I've got to tell you, it did get pretty bad. There were a few times when I thought I was going to go crazy, and my family probably thought I was! I was nauseated, really agitated, had major RLS and cried, cried, cried. I really wanted my former neuro's address! ha Don't know what I would have done, BUT it's a good thing I didn't have it. ha
Thanks for your postings. It helped! Ann, good luck getting lined out.
Now, I'm anxious for all the test results to come back. Hopefully my doctor will be able to get a diagnosis. that would be nice. Sometimes not knowing what's wrong is worse than knowing!
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
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Excellent, Jan!
I had to smile when I read that you wanted your former neuro's name. It reminded me of what happened earlier this week.
Steve has sleep apnea and every so often I notice some small PLMs when he is sleeping. He's been very fatigued off and on lately. He hasn't had a sleep study since he was diagnosed with apnea 7 years ago and he waited several years after the diagnois to get a machine. Well, I was thinking maybe he should have another sleep study to make sure the settings are right and to see if they pick up any significant PLMD. So, he went to our family doctor this week and she referred him to a neuro for the sleep study (drum roll, please).. .. . . . .. . the one that started me out on this hellish journey!
Of course, my new neuro and my family doctor don't agree that he made the wrong call in leaving me on Mirapex and in increasing my doses through major augmentation and rebound. As I sit here still itching from the methadone that I need to get off of the damn drug, I somehow just can't quite agree
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Ann
I had to smile when I read that you wanted your former neuro's name. It reminded me of what happened earlier this week.
Steve has sleep apnea and every so often I notice some small PLMs when he is sleeping. He's been very fatigued off and on lately. He hasn't had a sleep study since he was diagnosed with apnea 7 years ago and he waited several years after the diagnois to get a machine. Well, I was thinking maybe he should have another sleep study to make sure the settings are right and to see if they pick up any significant PLMD. So, he went to our family doctor this week and she referred him to a neuro for the sleep study (drum roll, please).. .. . . . .. . the one that started me out on this hellish journey!
Of course, my new neuro and my family doctor don't agree that he made the wrong call in leaving me on Mirapex and in increasing my doses through major augmentation and rebound. As I sit here still itching from the methadone that I need to get off of the damn drug, I somehow just can't quite agree
.
Ann
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cornelia
Jan, you didn't bother me. Glad you feel quite like yourself today. Makes a change!
Don't worry that you cried a lot. I cried for days too when I had to cut down on DA's. I think crying is a good thing, like laughing. It just wouldn't be possible to not cry when you go through hell getting of these meds, would it?
Corrie
Don't worry that you cried a lot. I cried for days too when I had to cut down on DA's. I think crying is a good thing, like laughing. It just wouldn't be possible to not cry when you go through hell getting of these meds, would it?
Corrie
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OK, just talked to the doctor's nurse. She told me to stop taking the methadone immediately - the itching is an allergic side effect. The doctor is not in until Monday, so, not sure where that puts me. Tonight is the third night without the Mirapex, but I don't have a substitute for the methadone. Should be an interesting weekend 
.
Ann
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Ann
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1:50 AM update, Sunday morning
What a weird day yesterday was. Shortly after the doctor's nurse called, I counted medicines left from other attempts at controlling the withdrawal RLS and realized I had enough Ultram for Saturday, but not for Sunday. So I called the doctors' pager. This practice is consists of a husband and wife and their son. I have been seeing the husband. The wife is the one who told the nurse to have me stop taking the methadone. The son is who returned by page. He said that the itching was a very common side effect and nothing to be worried about - I simply needed to decide if the itching was worse the the withdrawal
. If I decided to take the methadone, he could give me a drug for the itching. Of course, I looked it up and it is considered one that would make the itching worse. So, I could take the methadone and itch, take no drugs and tough out the withdrawal, or try other drugs that haven't been all that effective in the past. I chose the last option. So, tonight I'm taking neurontin and clonazepam with my last dose of Ultram. If this works relatively well, I'll call back tomorrow and have him call in more Ultram. If not, then I'm not sure!
I did get 2 hours of sleep initially before the legs woke me. But they are not awful at the moment, not like before on the third night when going through Mirapex withdrawal. Maybe the gods are smiling and the worst is over.
Ann
What a weird day yesterday was. Shortly after the doctor's nurse called, I counted medicines left from other attempts at controlling the withdrawal RLS and realized I had enough Ultram for Saturday, but not for Sunday. So I called the doctors' pager. This practice is consists of a husband and wife and their son. I have been seeing the husband. The wife is the one who told the nurse to have me stop taking the methadone. The son is who returned by page. He said that the itching was a very common side effect and nothing to be worried about - I simply needed to decide if the itching was worse the the withdrawal
. If I decided to take the methadone, he could give me a drug for the itching. Of course, I looked it up and it is considered one that would make the itching worse. So, I could take the methadone and itch, take no drugs and tough out the withdrawal, or try other drugs that haven't been all that effective in the past. I chose the last option. So, tonight I'm taking neurontin and clonazepam with my last dose of Ultram. If this works relatively well, I'll call back tomorrow and have him call in more Ultram. If not, then I'm not sure!
I did get 2 hours of sleep initially before the legs woke me. But they are not awful at the moment, not like before on the third night when going through Mirapex withdrawal. Maybe the gods are smiling and the worst is over.
Ann