Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

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ViewsAskew
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by ViewsAskew »

Hi Jim - we have very few rules here. Be kind and polite, do not sell things - that is about it :-). If you want to PM one of us to talk about it, please do.

The issue with gabapentin, I think, is that you titrate slowly. So, you take 100 mg, say, wait 3-4 days, then take 300 mg, wait 3-4 days, etc. This is to avoid side effects. Since the max dose is 900 mg 3 times per day for RLS, if you need that much, it can take awhile to find your dose. BUT - and we would need to check with a medical professional - if you are used to pregabalin (Lyrica in the US)) or gabapentin encarbil (Horizant in the US), I am not sure you'd have to titrate slowly. You do it because of side effects. The three drugs are remarkably similar chemically, I believe...but again, we would have to check.

The differences are in availability of the drug in your system, how quickly they work, and how often you have to take them. That they resolve your symptoms should stay the same, I would guess.
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.

legsbestill
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by legsbestill »

Hi Jim, sorry not to respond to your request about my meds earlier - I was away for a few days. I tried Lyrica last year but it made no impact on my rls and I didn't like the side effects. I sometimes wonder if I should try it again as the dose I was on (300mg) was relatively low compared with what some others take for rls. I have struggled to find the optimum regime. At present I use neupro intermittently (as in I take it for a period of about 10 to 14 days from time to time and then come off it again). When I am not on neupro I use kratom for my urge to move and mmj for alerting. I am experimenting with the amount of Kratom as it does not always give me sufficient coverage to enable sleep. I usually take the drugs around 9pm but am trying to move that to 8pm as I think they might be a more effective lead in to bed time. At present I think I am not sufficiently drugged up when I get into bed and that impedes me from actually falling asleep. I use a relaxis pad also. It is certainly not a silver bullet and it was very expensive but I would not be without it -- it is great to have something to turn to when all else fails.

rvjimzhr1
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by rvjimzhr1 »

Thanks Ann for that info. Legs, no worries. How long on the Kratom and what dose are u at now? Can u spread it out with smaller doses and still get back to sleep? I've been amazed, since hanging out on this site, how many different rls meds there are and how the effectiveness, and the side effects, seems to vary from person to person.

My 3rd night on Horizant was a little different. I took the pill at 1830 and my legs movement started at 2200. I'd have thought I would make it longer than that. I was awake and walking, or sitting on the front edge of my recliner, from then on 'til 0230 when I went to bed and slept 'til 0845. Last night, my 4th, was better. I took the pill at 1840 and by 2000 my legs were "buzzing"....that warning feeling I get before they actually start moving. At 2100 I went to the hot tub for 20+ minutes, got out and went to bed. I slept almost immediately, woke 3 times briefly and slept 'til 0630!!! Once again, I can't wait to see what tonight brings.

Jim

badnights
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by badnights »

hot hot water can work wonders when the symptoms are just on the edge of bad.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

legsbestill
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by legsbestill »

I am currently trying 5mg of kratom at about 9 or 10 pm. If I am not taking an opiate or dopamine agonist as well, that will only be effective some nights. I will always require another 5mg at about 1pm. Often that will get me through to the morning but sometimes I take a third dose in the early hours. I also take oral iron - 20 mg every other night. I was using neupro for 5 days until the day before yesterday. At the moment 5mg kratom is giving me sufficient coverage but it might change as the last of the neupro leaves my system. I'm not entirely sure how long it lasts in there.

rvjimzhr1
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by rvjimzhr1 »

Yes, the hot tub does not generally effective when the 'movements' have already begun. Legs, I'd be interested in your Relaxis and when it does and does not work. Does it stop the movements of legs and arms? Sometimes only?

My 4th night of Horizant which got me so excited was a FLUKE. Last night I was all over the place, I wasn't tired, the movements came and went. I got a half hour, then an hour, then 2 hours of sleep with lots of insomnia in between. No good sleep at all. Oh well, will try again tonight.

Jim

legsbestill
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by legsbestill »

Jim, Relaxis stops movement in both arms and legs ... in theory - the idea is that the vibrations create a counter-stimulation which somehow interrupts all rls jumpiness. It does not seem to be too important where the vibrations of the Relaxis are experienced - so long as some parts of your body are in contact with the pad, it should interrupt all jumpiness.

However, it doesn't work every time and sometimes it works but the symptoms return shortly after it turns itself off (it gradually fades to a full stop after about 30 minutes). When that happens, I can get a bit tired of the vibrations after two or three half hour sessions and I just stop using it and revert to other options. However, the after-sales service is excellent and Karl telephones every so often to see how I am getting along with it. Last week he gave me a new suggestion of how to use the pad when the legs are a bit more resistant which sounded like it might work for me. I haven't needed to try it yet as symptoms have been quite good (hooray) but it may be that Relaxis has a few more tricks up its sleeve and I have not yet exhausted its capabilities. Even without that, it does often work, particularly with less severe jerkies. It is just great to have it as another option when all the drugs have been taken and symptoms strike nonetheless.

I am sorry to hear about your insomnia. It is an ancillary problem which seem to attend upon rls even when jerky symptoms are under control. I have found it to be a major problem - as do many others on here - I can lie awake and alert nearly all night. I take cannabis (as an edible) for this problem specifically - nothing else works for me. Many others take gabapentin or pregabalin - maybe you could consider taking a slightly higher dose of horizant in the hope that it will overcome the problem.

rvjimzhr1
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by rvjimzhr1 »

Legs, thanks for your thoughts on the Relaxis! I just may look into it in the near future. My 6th night on Horizant was more of the same. I'm beginning to think that it actually brings on my "buzzing" and then movements. It's supposed to be gabapentin with a time-release component. If that's the case, why do the 'movements' come and go all night Or maybe 6 nights is just not enough time for my body to get the benefit? I do have the same drugged feeling that I had with the Lyrica but that feeling in much less in the morning after. Also, isn't that drugged feeling, like the Lyrica, what is supposed to be attacking my insomnia and helping me to fall/stay asleep? Last night I was up most of the night with severe "movements" and, at the same time, feeling drugged. I couldn't lie or sit and was falling asleep while standing.

I've backed off significantly on use of weed. When I first used the vaporizer I had no lung issues. The last two times it caused significant coughing and I don't want to continue. Before I made that decision I bought a few grams of Indica weed which is good for relaxation and sleep. I've never made any edibles but am ready to try. Can you share your recipe and quantities of weed that you use?'

Jim

legsbestill
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by legsbestill »

For me it is more effective to take cannabis as an edible as it lasts longer in the system than when smoked or vaped. I also prefer not having to smoke it. I bought an expensive vaporiser but it still hurts my lungs. Creating edibles is a bit tricky - after experimentation I have come to the conclusion that the weed is potentiated by decarboxylation before being including in a recipe. It will still work if you just sprinkle the weed directly onto your cookie before baking but I found I ended up using too much weed.

To decarboxylate you put the weed (ground or chopped to the consistency of dried herbs) on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to just over 100 degrees celsius (220 - 235 fahrenheit). Let it toast for about 45 - 50 minutes. It is a good idea to use an oven thermometer for this stage as the built in indicator is often inaccurate. I understand that if it is toasted for a lot longer more of the THC will convert to CBN which is great for inducing sleep and does not cause the weedy high effect. Eventually I will get round to trying that as I would much prefer not to have to contend with the spacey feelings and just get the sleep.

You can make cookies - I use a recipe I picked up on this forum which is delicious - 1 cup of soft brown sugar, one cup of peanut butter and an egg mixed together and then formed into cookie shape on a baking tray. I sprinkle a small amount (maybe a bit less than one quarter teaspoon) of the decarboxylated cannabis onto each cookie and bake for about 10 minutes at 160 degrees celsius.

Alternatively I make a coconut butter by steeping the decarboxylated cannabis in coconut oil in a crock pot (slow cooker) for about 3 hours on the low setting (you could also use a conventional oven set very low). I use about 8 grams of weed (weighed before decarboxylation) to about 50g of coconut oil. I make a concoction in the nutribullet which consists of hazelnuts, dates and cocoa pulverised together and I mix about 3 or 4 grams of the coconut butter into a small amount of this and just eat it with a spoon. It is a good idea to take the cannabis with oily substances such as a couple of fish oil tablets - obviously the nut butter is good for this also. It takes at least an hour to really hit home and then I usually sleep well. I prefer this method as once I have assessed the strength of the coconut butter (which varies from batch to batch) I have more control over the dose.

stjohnh
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by stjohnh »

Jim, I'm in California and grind up a commercial edible very large Brownie (korova black). It has 1000mg THC. I weigh out the amount that has 5mg THC and take 15 mg at 7:30pm and another 5 mg at 11pm. Much much less expensive than other forms.

I found that the usual medical marijuana advice (indica better for sleep and try high cbd hybrids) does not work for me. The main determination of how well it helps my sleep is the amount of THC I consume.
Blessings,
Holland

yawny
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by yawny »

Hi. Great advice here from legsbestill and Holland. I do things a little differently, if you need another option.

I can't use THC, because it activates my mind and keeps me awake, so I convert everything to CBN. This explains it well:
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-10 ... annabinoid

The oven is too unpredictable for me, so I use UV light for a week, stirring every day, to turn my THC into CBN. I used to make it on a sunny windowsill for a month, but just discovered the UV light, because of the Pacific Northwest winters. Really, any way to turn fresh weed into stale, old weed that no self-respecting stoner would touch, will do the job. (Urban legend is that a stoner found a very old bag of weed and thought why not? And then proceeded to have the best sleep of his life). I got a UV flashlight off Amazon and constructed a dark box out of an Amazon box. (Anyone else think Amazon will soon be our Overlord?). In case anyone needs it, I will post my UV box solution in the Medical Marijuana thread in Non-prescription Medicines.

Here's the recipe I use for my edibles which are gluten free mini muffins, but you can make bars. It doesn't have any caffeine from cocoa/chocolate, or refined sugar, and it's the best of all the recipes I've tried. I'm not even gluten free anymore but I think they taste delicious. For ease of use, you could use any recipe that calls for a stick of butter. I like this one because it has a sticky crumb that stays together so it's easy to cut up into portions, unlike a dry cookie. For determining portions, you might use a scale. I did in the beginning, but found that unlike THC, slight differences in portions of CBN cause no problems. In any recipe, change the oven temperature to no higher than 300 degrees F so you don't cook away the medicinal properties. You'll just need to bake the edible longer.

Cannabutter
1 stick salted butter (= 1/2 cup)
1/4 ounce (or 7 grams) ground up (herb grinder or scissors) CBN cannabis
Crockpot (cheap $15 one on Amazon)

Directions: Put butter and CBN cannabis in a glass container (mason jar or Pyrex storage). Put water into the crockpot to make a water bath. Place glass container in water bath (as high as you can go without floating the jar) and cook for 8+ hours, stirring every couple of hours. Then strain through cheesecloth (again, from Amazon) before it cools, twist and squeeze to get every drop. You can store this Cannabutter indefinitely in the freezer until you are ready to bake.

Gluten Free Coconut Flour Bars or Muffins
1/2 cup melted Cannabutter (heat up in oven at 100-125', or on kitchen counter -- but never the microwave)
2/3 cup Honey, Agave Nectar, or Maple Syrup (I use honey)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Milk or Water (I use water)
1 cup Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Butter or Coconut Oil for greasing pan
Ziplock Twist N Loc Storage Containers (protects from crushing)

Directions: Grease your pan with regular Butter or Coconut Oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together Cannabutter, Honey, Vanilla, Eggs, and Water. In a medium bowl, whisk together Coconut Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until batter is smooth. Bake until golden brown. (For mini muffins, bake time is 20-22 minutes). Cool and then freeze in Ziploc Twist N Loc containers.

ViewsAskew
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by ViewsAskew »

:thumbup:
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.

Rustsmith
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by Rustsmith »

You have probably seen this earlier, but I wanted to repeat it for the sake of completeness in this section of the discussion thread. As legs said, the effects of edibles lasts longer than what you get from smoking, vaping or using tinctures under the tongue. However, be warned that edibles also require longer to take effect. A large number of MJ associated visits to the ER in my town in Colorado have to do with visitors from out of state that eat an edible and then assume that because they don't feel anything in 15 to 20 minutes that they didn't eat enough. So they eat some more, and then some more until an hour or so later they are VERY stoned and think that they are overdosing. All the ER can do is give the option of going home to sleep it off or giving them a very expensive bed to sleep it off.

So, the moral of the story is to go slow at first and don't assume that the edible isn't working. It just takes time.

PS, I purchase edibles with either THC or 50-50 THC/CBD. I mostly use the THC because it allows me to sleep more deeply than normal and to sleep longer. I use the 50-50 as a treatment of RLS induced anxiety, when that occurs.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
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.

yawny
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by yawny »

Rustsmith wrote:A large number of MJ associated visits to the ER in my town in Colorado have to do with visitors from out of state that eat an edible and then assume that because they don't feel anything in 15 to 20 minutes that they didn't eat enough. So they eat some more, and then some more until an hour or so later they are VERY stoned and think that they are overdosing. All the ER can do is give the option of going home to sleep it off or giving them a very expensive bed to sleep it off.


I've read it, and heard it from experienced stoners at the cannabis dispensary, that if you find yourself experiencing anxiety or paranoia from too much THC, then you can alleviate the symptoms with plain ol' Black Pepper. Chew on some peppercorns, or smell some freshly ground pepper. Knowing this, I've suspected my nightly cannabis hasn't worked as well at times because I had black pepper in my dinner.

Rustsmith
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Re: Requip & Erectile Dysfunction ???

Post by Rustsmith »

My anxiety issues were not a side effect of THC but were a symptom that I have occasionally experienced from RLS, even before I started using MMJ. My wife uses a CBD tincture to treat her MS and I can use just a little bit of that and the anxiety is gone within minutes. My primary problem is simply realizing that what I am feeling is anxiety and not something else. As for too much THC, my problem has been that too much over an extended period starts to push me into depression. After I finally realized that it was the THC that was causing me to approach a suicidal condition last summer, I now take occasional holidays from the THC. My sleep is always much lower quality and often less hours while I am off of it, but better less sleep than severe depression. And now, my wife will occasionally tell me that it is time for a holiday because she can see it coming before I can.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
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.

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