flu and RLS

For everything and anything else not covered in the other RLS sections.
k8samms
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flu and RLS

Post by k8samms »

I'm terrified of getting the flu and not being able to take medication to help me sleep (when I need it the most). I wish I could get a patch or something to help me when I can't keep any medication down. Has anyone been in this situation and if/so do you have any answers?

Polar Bear
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Post by Polar Bear »

Hi K8

I am fortunate enough in that I have never ever had the flu, of any type.

However, on occasion when I have been ill enough to 'throw up' I think I used peptobismal to try settle my tummy, thus keeping the medication down. Also domperidon is a good anti nausea medication but I don't think it is available in the US.

Never heard of an anti nausea patch but I'm sure googling would provide some information, I'd be surprised if such a thing did not exist tho if it does it is likely expensive.
Betty
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Aiken
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Post by Aiken »

Keep in mind there are suppository versions of some drugs. If you're not also having really bad diarrhea, that can work well. They tend to absorb very quickly.
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.

SquirmingSusan
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Post by SquirmingSusan »

Real flu (influenza) like H1N1 doesn't usually come with digestive issues. "Stomach flu" is something else entirely and not related to influenza. It's often caused by food poisoning.

Now that would be awful to be so sick that way that I couldn't even get down my RLS meds. :|
Susan

k8samms
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flu and RLS

Post by k8samms »

Polar Bear, I didn't mean an anti-nausea patch, I meant a patch that would deliver medication to help me sleep - either neurontin, a dopamine agonist or a benzo.

You are lucky if you've never had a flu. You must have a very strong immune system!

SquirmingSusan, I've heard conflicting information about whether H1N1 involves throwing up and diarrhea. I've read about several people who said that they had H1N1 and couldn't keep any food down. As a result of your post I did some research and according to the CDC, "sometimes" there is diarrhea and vomiting with H1N1. I wish they had said more about how common it is.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm

At any rate, with food poisoning or stomach flu, what should we do if we can't take our medication? I wish we could have some kind of back-up plan to enable us to get our medication in that situation.

Aiken, that's a really good point about suppositories. I'll have to look into which medications can be purchased in that form.

Neco
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Post by Neco »

I don't know about other meds off-hand.. I know there are Fentanyl patches, which is a super strong opiate - but we had a discussion about that a few months ago and I think most of us came to the conclusion we would not want to use one.

It's SUPER strong stuff, usually reserved for cancer patients, even strong than Methadone I believe. And it has tons of warnings about things to do and not do, in order to prevent accidental OD (like no heating pads, doubling up patches etc). Plus if you have the flu bad enough you are already at risk for respiratory issues, especially if you are much older.

That's the only opiate patch I know of.. I know there were supposed to be tests going on for Sinemet patches, or Requip patches, or something like that though.

On the food poisoning note. I had food poisoning pretty bad (which I blame for triggering my IBS) and although I didn't throw up; I was clearly sick, constantly cold (I was shivering in a car, under a jacket with the heat on full), a bit pale looking, stomach constantly upset, etc. I still managed to eat and drink afterward though, and was able to keep my Vicodin down. So as long as its not super-bad put you in the hospital poisoning, should be OK I would think.

SquirmingSusan
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Post by SquirmingSusan »

Those of us on opioids aren't likely to get diarrhea under any circumstances. They give opium-based drugs to stop up food poisoning sufferers. :oops:

The H1N1 virus is pretty mild as yet. It's going around my son's school and kids who are confirmed to have had it have only been mildly ill, mostly with a cough, sore throat and headache. My dh and my son both think that I had it - I had a low fever, really bad cough, and coughed so hard, so much that it gave me a headache. It lasted a few days and then cleared up, and it didn't even leave me with lingering asthma or bronchitis that required me to see a doctor for meds. A minor miracle for me. Then my son had about the same thing. He missed a couple days of school but wasn't very sick.

There's another flu virus going around our area that makes people more typically "influenza sick" - high fever, body aches, cough, etc. There's a flu shot available for that one. (Note to self, get flu shot)

I'll worry about getting down my meds when something happens. I take methadone and it's a tiny pill and it doesn't bother my guts in any way. Now I might be more worried if I were taking Requip or Mirapex, since those about made me hurl anyway.

Best bet is to stay healthy by getting exercise, good sleep (therein lies the rub for us), eat good food, raise your vitamin D levels if they're low, etc.
Susan

Wayne
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Post by Wayne »

Unless you are constantly vomiting, like every 15-30 mins. I would say that your meds should stay down long enough to be absorbed.

I have never been THAT bad off with flu, or food poisoning. There was always an interval of an hour or two and usually only when I tried to eat something.

Got my general flu shot last week. If an H1N1 becomes available I'll get that too.

ViewsAskew
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Post by ViewsAskew »

Once, many years ago, I was so sick with food poisoning that I could not keep something down. Never with the flu, or milder food poisoning.

I was so sick I had to pull over in my car every 3 or 4 minutes on the 15 minute drive to the doctor (I was alone). They put me in a room away from everyone because they couldn't keep me in the waiting room without offending everyone.

They gave me a shot and a suppository - the shot for the vomiting, the suppository for the other end. It all stopped right away.

Now, I couldn't take the shot today because of the RLS complication, but I imagine there is something else that works similarly.
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.

k8samms
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Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:27 pm

flu and RLS

Post by k8samms »

Thanks everyone. I feel less worried now.

ViewsAskew, do you remember what that shot was so I know to avoid it becauseof RLS?

SquirmingSusan
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Post by SquirmingSusan »

For nausea and vomiting, they usually give a shot of compazine. That's what I've always had, anyway. It's a sedating antihistamine and can affect RLS adversely.

Zofran is an RLS-friendly alternative. There's another one but I can't think of the name.
Susan

ViewsAskew
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Post by ViewsAskew »

Yep, it was compazine. Worked well then....but I'd not chance it now with the RLS.
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.

Aiken
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Post by Aiken »

Having recently tried compazine out of pure despair over extreme nausea, I can confirm that you're far, far better off with extreme nausea.
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.

ViewsAskew
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Post by ViewsAskew »

Oh....so sorry, Aiken. That must have been awful because not much is worse than extreme nausea. Not much at all.
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.

Aiken
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Post by Aiken »

Heh. Yes, exactly. :)
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.

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