I am having so much trouble with this RLS and pregnancy. I am now 24 weeks pregnant. I was on Ultram for the first 3 months, taking 8 pills a day, now I am on percocet, taking 1 every six hours because the doctor, my obgyn said that it was safer. Now he is saying that he does not feel comfortable prescribing me percocet or ultram because he knows nothing about rls, so I have been having to go to the er to get my percocet. I was at the hospital last night and this morning for 13 hours, then when the doctor comes in he starts talking to me in a very mean way treating me like I am a pill junkie. Oh I got so upset. I had a major anxiety attack. So now I am trying to figure out what to do. Right now I am ok, well better than I was I guess, because I have been taking my mom's ultrams. I only take 4 a day, but in the back of my head I am so scared that this baby will come out with something wrong. I am also on klonopin for my anxiety attacks, which have been terrible lately as you can imagine. I go tomorrow to see another obgyn, to see if he can help me, but I just know I am going to get lectured about the meds, but what am I suppose to do. Without my meds my legs and whole body jerks, spasms, and cramps severly. Plus I get hot and cold sweats which all makes me have major anxiety attacks. This is so severe. In my opinion I think that taking the meds is better for the baby and me because of the ungodly symptoms that I have when I am not on them. Oh and I can't see a nuerologist because they do not accept medicaid, not one in the capital of Tallahassee, Florida, which is unbelievable, and I can not afford 300.00 per visit, and no pain clinic will even see me because of the pregnancy, so if it does not work out with this new obgyn I am going to try and see if my primary doctor can treat me with meds if my obgyn writes a letter stating that it is ok. My ob seems to have no problem with it, but I am not sure about my primary doc. That is my last option, and if that does not work I will have to continue to take small doses of my mom's ultram, but what do I tell my ob when he asks how I am managing the pain? I can't tell him that I am taking my mom's pills. Then when I deliver the baby I don't want any nurses downing me for taking my meds. Oh I am going crazy. I can't handle this anymore. Please give me some advice or just talk. I can't close my eyes because this is all I can think about. I haven't been to sleep in over 48 hours. Please pray for this baby. What would you do in my situation?
Jamie
It feels like everyone is against me and no one understands!
hi jamie,
what a journey youve been on!! have you only had rls since pregnancy or all the time?
have you got anyone who can be by your side when you visit your doctors to support and give you extra courage? it sounds it might help if you had a strong advocate come with you on your behalf?
its very hard when we're the sufferers to be strong when we visit our doctor.....as doctors can have the habit of making it really hard for us and they can sometimes seem to hold all the power on their side.."I am the doctor and I know best" syndrome!! They sometimes cant handle someone knowing more than them becasue it threatens them...
the fact is that they should be listening to you, and empowering you to make decisions together on whats best for you at this time. i guess the best way to help in this situation is to empower youself with the info you need to help you make the right decisions and persuade doctors. i think youve done this to a degree already as you seem to know what you want already and its a matter of getting thro those doctors!!!
have you seen the pregnancy "sticky" in the special population section..?
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1315
theres loads of info here... in particular the "rls in pregnancy" factsheet and wemove facts- that talks about meds etc. maybe print out these facts and give to your doctor to read?
have the doctors checked your ferritin levels? it may be that some extra iron supplements may help if its a bit low? dont start taking iron though before you talk to your doctor about it. it can sometimes be a cause of rls in preganacy, so worth checking...
keep in touch and let us know as you move forward in this... we will try to help as much as possible...
what a journey youve been on!! have you only had rls since pregnancy or all the time?
have you got anyone who can be by your side when you visit your doctors to support and give you extra courage? it sounds it might help if you had a strong advocate come with you on your behalf?
its very hard when we're the sufferers to be strong when we visit our doctor.....as doctors can have the habit of making it really hard for us and they can sometimes seem to hold all the power on their side.."I am the doctor and I know best" syndrome!! They sometimes cant handle someone knowing more than them becasue it threatens them...
the fact is that they should be listening to you, and empowering you to make decisions together on whats best for you at this time. i guess the best way to help in this situation is to empower youself with the info you need to help you make the right decisions and persuade doctors. i think youve done this to a degree already as you seem to know what you want already and its a matter of getting thro those doctors!!!
have you seen the pregnancy "sticky" in the special population section..?
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1315
theres loads of info here... in particular the "rls in pregnancy" factsheet and wemove facts- that talks about meds etc. maybe print out these facts and give to your doctor to read?
have the doctors checked your ferritin levels? it may be that some extra iron supplements may help if its a bit low? dont start taking iron though before you talk to your doctor about it. it can sometimes be a cause of rls in preganacy, so worth checking...
keep in touch and let us know as you move forward in this... we will try to help as much as possible...
-
ViewsAskew
- Moderator
- Posts: 16607
- Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
- Location: Los Angeles
Jamie, I don't think there is any advice any of us can offer that we haven't already. We can simply let you know that we feel for you and hope that all turns out OK. You are in a very tough position, and have limited options. Most things do end, and this will. In the meantime, you know that we are all thinking of you and wishing you speed of a healthy delivery.
Ann
Ann
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.
Dear Lovechild
Dear Lovechild,
If I can be so bold, I may have some suggestions about your drugs.
I am concerned about your drug situation and being pregnant. So, I would like to help you with the little bit I know. I am not a doctor, so you can ignore me, too. But I have been taking klonopin and opiates for years, which is the basis of my advice. I have had to come off of them a number of times, so I think what I have to say might help out.
I think your drug situation has to be broken down into a few smaller steps. First of all, has your OB-GYN okayed ALL the meds you take for your RLS symptoms? If so, then HE should be able to give you the scripts you need to stay comfortable. All literature about RLS says it's okay to take all sorts of drugs, including pain medicine, to relieve RLS symptoms. But whether they are okay when you're pregnant is another matter...
If your OB-GYN says "NO" to certains meds because of what it will do to the baby, then you MUST come off of those for the duration of the pregnancy. Heat packs on your legs will help you stand the jitters. Now, here is how you get off the medicine until birthday:
It takes two weeks to come off Klonopin or any kind of opiate. It does take willpower, but just think how you're doing it for the baby, and that will help. Also, set up a reward for when you finally come off, which should be something like a massage, or a new blouse, or a great night out for dinner. You must come off slowly or you will find yourself in a nightmare, in which everything becomes scary, that is, the walls, TV shows, the outdoors, everything. The nightmare also keeps you awake, makes the RLS worse, and puts too many stress hormones in your body. So, you gotta go slow to keep the nightmare at bay. The nightmare never FULLY goes away until you're off. You just don't want it to take over your whole day.
People who go cold turkey on ANY kind of drug are making it WAY too hard on themselves. Coming off drugs SLOWLY is not very hard. Let's try this scenario as an example of how you come down. Say you're taking 2 tablets of Klonopin a day. Reduce for two days to 1-1/2. On the third day, go back to what you usually take. On the fourth day, reduce even further to 1 tablet and take that for two days. On the sixth day, go back to the previous level of 1-1/2 for that one day. Then on the seventh day, reduce down to 1/2 tablet for two days, and on the tenth day do 1 tablet that day. Keep doing this, going down and down, until you are off. Your last day will be "going back" for a final time to only 1/2 a tablet. You can look forward to that dose. If the nightmare returns during the two days beyond that, go to 1/4. Eventually the nightmare will disappear, at which time you can have your reward.
Also, any day DURING your count-down that you find you are overwhelmed by your nightmare, return to whatever your previous dose was, for that one day. It's okay, because you want to keep the nightmare at bay.
Once you're off, any desire to go back then is just stress. And you treat stress with relaxation, exercise, delicious food without salt or sugar, a dip in a pool or a walk in the woods, books, a good movie, or just whatever typically distracts you from upfront thoughts. Eventually the habit of taking medicine goes away, too, and if that bothers you, chew gum. Eventually you will wonder what the big deal was. Your baby will be better off, too, of course.
Keep in mind, though, once the baby is born, and you can go back to what you were taking... take it in moderation, of course! I might mention here that Percocet is NOTORIOUSLY addictive, so you might want to ask for a milder opiate, like codeine or something. I also have read online here somewhere that new Lyricast or whatever that sleep medicine is, supposedly works well for RLS. But keep in mind I don't know all the facts. These are only ideas to help you get off your meds and to alert you to taking too much when you go back on.
I hope this helps. I would enjoy hearing what your ob-gyn suggests and what your decision is on staying on the drugs thru your pregnancy.
If I can be so bold, I may have some suggestions about your drugs.
I am concerned about your drug situation and being pregnant. So, I would like to help you with the little bit I know. I am not a doctor, so you can ignore me, too. But I have been taking klonopin and opiates for years, which is the basis of my advice. I have had to come off of them a number of times, so I think what I have to say might help out.
I think your drug situation has to be broken down into a few smaller steps. First of all, has your OB-GYN okayed ALL the meds you take for your RLS symptoms? If so, then HE should be able to give you the scripts you need to stay comfortable. All literature about RLS says it's okay to take all sorts of drugs, including pain medicine, to relieve RLS symptoms. But whether they are okay when you're pregnant is another matter...
If your OB-GYN says "NO" to certains meds because of what it will do to the baby, then you MUST come off of those for the duration of the pregnancy. Heat packs on your legs will help you stand the jitters. Now, here is how you get off the medicine until birthday:
It takes two weeks to come off Klonopin or any kind of opiate. It does take willpower, but just think how you're doing it for the baby, and that will help. Also, set up a reward for when you finally come off, which should be something like a massage, or a new blouse, or a great night out for dinner. You must come off slowly or you will find yourself in a nightmare, in which everything becomes scary, that is, the walls, TV shows, the outdoors, everything. The nightmare also keeps you awake, makes the RLS worse, and puts too many stress hormones in your body. So, you gotta go slow to keep the nightmare at bay. The nightmare never FULLY goes away until you're off. You just don't want it to take over your whole day.
People who go cold turkey on ANY kind of drug are making it WAY too hard on themselves. Coming off drugs SLOWLY is not very hard. Let's try this scenario as an example of how you come down. Say you're taking 2 tablets of Klonopin a day. Reduce for two days to 1-1/2. On the third day, go back to what you usually take. On the fourth day, reduce even further to 1 tablet and take that for two days. On the sixth day, go back to the previous level of 1-1/2 for that one day. Then on the seventh day, reduce down to 1/2 tablet for two days, and on the tenth day do 1 tablet that day. Keep doing this, going down and down, until you are off. Your last day will be "going back" for a final time to only 1/2 a tablet. You can look forward to that dose. If the nightmare returns during the two days beyond that, go to 1/4. Eventually the nightmare will disappear, at which time you can have your reward.
Also, any day DURING your count-down that you find you are overwhelmed by your nightmare, return to whatever your previous dose was, for that one day. It's okay, because you want to keep the nightmare at bay.
Once you're off, any desire to go back then is just stress. And you treat stress with relaxation, exercise, delicious food without salt or sugar, a dip in a pool or a walk in the woods, books, a good movie, or just whatever typically distracts you from upfront thoughts. Eventually the habit of taking medicine goes away, too, and if that bothers you, chew gum. Eventually you will wonder what the big deal was. Your baby will be better off, too, of course.
Keep in mind, though, once the baby is born, and you can go back to what you were taking... take it in moderation, of course! I might mention here that Percocet is NOTORIOUSLY addictive, so you might want to ask for a milder opiate, like codeine or something. I also have read online here somewhere that new Lyricast or whatever that sleep medicine is, supposedly works well for RLS. But keep in mind I don't know all the facts. These are only ideas to help you get off your meds and to alert you to taking too much when you go back on.
I hope this helps. I would enjoy hearing what your ob-gyn suggests and what your decision is on staying on the drugs thru your pregnancy.
-
Anonymous
DEAR DOGEYED,
I RECIEVED YOUR MESSAGE AND SORRY TO SAY THAT IT HAS STRESSED ME OUT EVEN MORE. MY OB PRESCRIBES MY KLONOPIN. I TOOK IT WITH MY LAST CHILD AND HE TURNED OUT FINE. MY ANXIETY IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE AND MAKES MY RLS MUCH WORSE, BUT I AM STARTING TO WONDER IF I EVEN HAVE RLS BECAUSE IT IS NOT JUST MY LEGS THAT JERK INSIDE WITH SPASMS IT IS MY WHOLE BODY ALONG WITH FEELING VERY WEAK AND HAVING TERRIBLE HOT AND COLD SWEATS. I HAVE CUT DOWN ON THE PAIN MEDS A LOT, FOR THE BABIES SAKE TAKING TWO IN THE MORNING AND TWO AT NIGHT. DO YOU THINK I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF MY BABIES HEALTH? MY KIDS ARE MY LIFE. I AM TAKING ULTRAM INSTEAD OF PERCOCET AND I KNOW HOW ADDICTING PERCOCET AND OPIATES ARE. I DANG SURE WOULD NOT TAKE ANYTHING IF I DIDN'T ABSOLUTELY HAVE TOO. I PROBALY COULD GET OFF THE KLONOPIN IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS VERY SEVERE RLS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH. IT IS TORTURE. I AM STRESSED OUT BEYOND. I HATE HAVING TO TAKE THESE MEDS BUT IN MY PARTICULAR CASE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. MY OB KEEPS TELLING ME TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MY PAIN MEDS BUT HE KNOWS I AM ON THEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. OF COURSE I HAVE TRIED GETTING OFF EVERYTHING. NOT COLD TURKEY. I DO NOT MEAN TO OFFEND YOU BUT I HAVE HAD IT WITH THE LECTURES ABOUT MEDICINE. IT IS 4:30 AM, I AM STILL AWAKE AND NOW STRESSED OUT AND DEPRESSED EVEN MORE. THANKYOU.
JAMIE
I RECIEVED YOUR MESSAGE AND SORRY TO SAY THAT IT HAS STRESSED ME OUT EVEN MORE. MY OB PRESCRIBES MY KLONOPIN. I TOOK IT WITH MY LAST CHILD AND HE TURNED OUT FINE. MY ANXIETY IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE AND MAKES MY RLS MUCH WORSE, BUT I AM STARTING TO WONDER IF I EVEN HAVE RLS BECAUSE IT IS NOT JUST MY LEGS THAT JERK INSIDE WITH SPASMS IT IS MY WHOLE BODY ALONG WITH FEELING VERY WEAK AND HAVING TERRIBLE HOT AND COLD SWEATS. I HAVE CUT DOWN ON THE PAIN MEDS A LOT, FOR THE BABIES SAKE TAKING TWO IN THE MORNING AND TWO AT NIGHT. DO YOU THINK I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF MY BABIES HEALTH? MY KIDS ARE MY LIFE. I AM TAKING ULTRAM INSTEAD OF PERCOCET AND I KNOW HOW ADDICTING PERCOCET AND OPIATES ARE. I DANG SURE WOULD NOT TAKE ANYTHING IF I DIDN'T ABSOLUTELY HAVE TOO. I PROBALY COULD GET OFF THE KLONOPIN IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS VERY SEVERE RLS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH. IT IS TORTURE. I AM STRESSED OUT BEYOND. I HATE HAVING TO TAKE THESE MEDS BUT IN MY PARTICULAR CASE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. MY OB KEEPS TELLING ME TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MY PAIN MEDS BUT HE KNOWS I AM ON THEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. OF COURSE I HAVE TRIED GETTING OFF EVERYTHING. NOT COLD TURKEY. I DO NOT MEAN TO OFFEND YOU BUT I HAVE HAD IT WITH THE LECTURES ABOUT MEDICINE. IT IS 4:30 AM, I AM STILL AWAKE AND NOW STRESSED OUT AND DEPRESSED EVEN MORE. THANKYOU.
JAMIE
Dear Lovechild
Dear Lovechild,
Oh, dear, I am so sorry. I can be such a stoopid know-it-all, indeed. Of course I sympathize with your predicament, which is why I thought you might want some tips. But I don't always read as carefully as I should, though, so I am very sorry.
What is ultram? Sounds like you need your percocet, though. Whomever gave it to you, to begin with, won't they give you some more? Hmmm. If Tylenol PM is okay for babies, a couple of those will knock you out cold, and at least you'll get a bit of rest come sunrise.
Let me know what happens next. I am all ears. I care. And all of us here have been where you are, because we all have RLS, altho yours sounds like the mighty severe type. We also all struggle with meds. Perhaps someone else out there can do a better job of helping than I have. Please help this lady, folks! God Bless you, dear one. Keep us informed.
Oh, dear, I am so sorry. I can be such a stoopid know-it-all, indeed. Of course I sympathize with your predicament, which is why I thought you might want some tips. But I don't always read as carefully as I should, though, so I am very sorry.
What is ultram? Sounds like you need your percocet, though. Whomever gave it to you, to begin with, won't they give you some more? Hmmm. If Tylenol PM is okay for babies, a couple of those will knock you out cold, and at least you'll get a bit of rest come sunrise.
Let me know what happens next. I am all ears. I care. And all of us here have been where you are, because we all have RLS, altho yours sounds like the mighty severe type. We also all struggle with meds. Perhaps someone else out there can do a better job of helping than I have. Please help this lady, folks! God Bless you, dear one. Keep us informed.
-
Anonymous