Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

I am currently taking 1.5mg of Requip and it has stopped working. My sleep doctor told me I should taper off the medicine. I have tried this once in the past and it was horrible!!!! Emotional, no sleep. I tried for 3 weeks and caved in and took Requip again. I am anticipating trying to taper off again. Is there anything I can take to help the process of augmentation????

I can't find a doctor in the Idaho area that seems to be informed about WED. I really need someone in my corner to work thru this. Help!!

kathleenbutts wrote:I am currently taking 1.5mg of Requip and it has stopped working. My sleep doctor told me I should taper off the medicine. I have tried this once in the past and it was horrible!!!! Emotional, no sleep. I tried for 3 weeks and caved in and took Requip again. I am anticipating trying to taper off again. Is there anything I can take to help the process of augmentation????

I can't find a doctor in the Idaho area that seems to be informed about WED. I really need someone in my corner to work thru this. Help!!

Have you an extra $30 US you can afford to spend? If so, please purchase the book, "Clinical Management of Restless Legs Syndrome", second edition, by Lee, Buchfuhrer, Allen, and Hening. You could show it to your doctor and have him/her use it to help resolve the augmentation.

The ONLY way that isn't miserable is to use an opioid. Methadone is often suggested for several reasons. But, doctors are afraid of it. You do not have to take it forever. Once off the ropinerole and stabilized, you can then try other non-dopaminergic drugs.

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Also, for what it's worth, tapering from 1.5 will probably just be prolonging the agony. Withdrawal starts when you reduce; after a time you stabilize, so the intense withdrawal symptoms go away, but your symptoms are still elevated and now your meds may not cover them. Then you reduce meds again, withdrawal starts again and continues until you "stabilize" which does mean you're symptom-free, just that the symptoms will not improve anymore; and this goes on. For as long as it goes on, you stand a good chance of experiencing unrelieved WED symptoms.

Unless you're on a super-high dose, which you're not (though it's over the max that some doctors recommend for WED), cutting it out cold turkey limits the torture to the shortest possible time. You lasted 3 weeks last time? That's good! It will more than likely all be over in 3 weeks.

But to ensure success, you really should have a doctor in your corner, to prescribe you a potent opioid short-term to get you through the withdrawal, then to work with you exploring the options til you find a non-DA that works. When you get that book, read the section on how to deal wtih augmentation, and pencil the most important parts for your doctor to read next visit. Be prepared to lend him the book!

If you can afford it, buy a second copy of the book for the doctor - I've given away multiple used copies .

Thank you for your advise...........I love this forum!!!

I just hope it works. I took a copy of the book to one of my doctors.....it didn't work out well . Not sure if it was in my presentation of it or if it was her. Either way, our relationship ended that day. Other doctors, though, have been grateful.

We've often talked about being VERY careful how to present such a thing. Things such as, "This was suggested by some others with RLS/WED. It's written for doctors and describes how to treat the disease, including what drugs to use, and so on. I hope that we might be able to use this to find a workable treatment plan for me. Would you please look through it and tell me what you think? "

Something that let's them feel in charge and doesn't put them on the spot. Another option is to find something specific in it and take that to them. You might say, "The RLS/WED specialists who wrote this suggest doing this. I would like your opinion about it. Do you think this had value in my case?"

I hear you. I have tried in the past to show info from the WED.org and my doctor really didn't even look at it. She is a GP and I'm sure, doesn't see many RLS at all. It seems you have to be very careful not to step on toes when presenting info. Frankly I can see both sides........I'm sure doctors get lots of internet advise so RLS sufferers get lumped into that.

Still hoping I can find a doctor to be in my corner to help me thru this augmentation. I am finding I'm even having a hard time making/getting an appt.

It breaks my heart to hear of sufferers who have difficulty finding a doctor who, if not experienced in the treatment of WED/RLS, will at least be willing to listen and learn and work with the patient towards a result,