A Statagy for Fixing Me - My Visit to a RLS/Apnea Guru

[EeFall]

Wow! I just woke up on the couch and it is 2:10 am, how time flies! Couch sleep isn't worth much I gotta get up and go to bed!

[debbluebird]

I agree that sometimes you can adjust to a drug and that initial side affect goes away. I hope that happens for you.

[EeFall]

I agree that sometimes you can adjust to a drug and that initial side affect goes away. I hope that happens for you.

I had a better day. Of course it was better, I went in for a 6 month checkup (I missed the first appointment so it was actually 8 months) after my prostatectomy because of an aggressive cancer and the test showed I am still 100% cancer free! They don't even want to see me for a year. One less thing to worry about

[badnights]

the test showed I am still 100% cancer free

Indeed something to be grateful for!

We know you have a lot of self-control. You used it every day when you were going off all those meds and getting no sleep. So you are going to have to use all your self-control a bit longer to figure this out. Just because you feel angry doesn't mean you have to act angry.

Could you keep things the same for another week or so? All of these different chemicals in and out of your body may have things in an uproar. See if this anger (which may be depression) starts to lessen. If it doesn't, then you'll have to figure out what to do. An anti-depressant? Some kratom (which apparently acts like an anti-depressant sometimes)?

I hope you are talking with your doctor about this.

That is SUCH good advice! I concur I hope you find your solution and keep on sleeping.

[debbluebird]

"EeFall I had a better day. Of course it was better, I went in for a 6 month checkup (I missed the first appointment so it was actually 8 months) after my prostatectomy because of an aggressive cancer and the test showed I am still 100% cancer free! They don't even want to see me for a year. One less thing to worry about


Wonderful news !

[Polar Bear]

Brilliant news.

[ViewsAskew]

"EeFall I had a better day. Of course it was better, I went in for a 6 month checkup (I missed the first appointment so it was actually 8 months) after my prostatectomy because of an aggressive cancer and the test showed I am still 100% cancer free! They don't even want to see me for a year. One less thing to worry about


Wonderful news !

Extremely wonderful!

[EeFall]

I swear it seems to me that everyone will think I'm making this crap up, but I'm not. My stomach has been bothering me for a little over a week and I have had to get some antacids a lot stronger than tums in chew form and pill form and even that crappy pink stuff (Pepto Bismol). Anyways I tried all of that stuff tonight and my gut is still bothering me although it is now finally getting better. I've had this for around 6 hours.

My wife said to me tonight wasn't that about the time I started the new medicine, not her exact words, she thought it was pramipexole (you just have to laugh), but I knew the medicine she was talking about, the gabapentin. I think she is right. I'm going to have to go look up the side effects of it, although I took it years ago and it did next to nothing for me then. Years ago I had acid reflux and some doctor put me on Prevacid, he said I would always have to take it.

Well the stuff was expensive, even with insurance, and my indigestion within a couple of years more or less went away, probably because I was always up pacing from RLS . I quit taking it and stopped going to him. He warned me that it would do something to my stomach and his warning has me worried because the pain is way up like just below my ribs. Gabapentin may be aggravating it for some reason, but I doubt it is just the gabapentin itself.

The only thing is that I believe it started happening just after getting home around 4:30pm, not near as bad, it is actually getting worse again as I type. I don't take the methadone and gabapentin until 5:30pm. Maybe it is my esophagus and/or stomach then and the gabapentin is just making it worse. I have no idea

Then for over a month my right shoulder is hurting. I don't remember anything happening that could have injured my shoulder but then I was sleep walking and sleep driving and sleep jumping elephants (if you read that from my getting off pramipexole). It is getting worse too. I sent a note about getting in to see my GP within the next month. It feels like it is about ready to come out of the socket. It is when I am drying off my hair after getting out of the shower with my towel, or combing my hair when I notice it the most (please don't say then don't dry or comb your hair ).

The funny thing about that is for 30 years my left shoulder if I move it around like I'm going to lasso something makes a noise which people can hear. It never did hurt so I never even mentioned it to a doctor. My wife thinks it pretty funny actually, pop. snap. crackle! So for the other arm to be going out is really bizarre. The pain isn't bad but it is just that it seems to be staying same or getting a little worse and it is like it is about ready to become a dislocated shoulder. But why? I haven't a clue, I suppose it could be that I am getting old and falling apart. That's it! I'm an old art!

[ViewsAskew]

No questions that opioids make me have acid indigestion. When I don't take them, I need nothing. When I take them, I have to use an acid blocker. Who knew with this stuff, but it surely is annoying!

[Polar Bear]

I use Lanzoprazole 30mg. I am prescribed 2 x daily. I try to take just 1 and mostly that is ok but now and again there is a little breakthrough and I have to go up to 2 capsules for a few days. Is it any wonder that we need tummy meds considering how many different drugs we use in order to function.

[EeFall]

I use Lanzoprazole 30mg. I am prescribed 2 x daily. I try to take just 1 and mostly that is ok but now and again there is a little breakthrough and I have to go up to 2 capsules for a few days. Is it any wonder that we need tummy meds considering how many different drugs we use in order to function.

But methadone never bothered me before, not more than taking a few tums. I still need to look up gabapentin. It happened again this morning and I don't take gabapentin until 5:30pm.

[ViewsAskew]

I use Lanzoprazole 30mg. I am prescribed 2 x daily. I try to take just 1 and mostly that is ok but now and again there is a little breakthrough and I have to go up to 2 capsules for a few days. Is it any wonder that we need tummy meds considering how many different drugs we use in order to function.

But methadone never bothered me before, not more than taking a few tums. I still need to look up gabapentin. It happened again this morning and I don't take gabapentin until 5:30pm.

Not saying it is or isn't, just that it's one that bothers me. Since I already take an acid blocker for it, I wouldn't have noticed of the gapa durgs - I've tried all formulations - were a problem. Our bodies change, too, drat them!

Maybe next weekend try not taking the gabapentin for Friday and Saturday and see what happens.

[EeFall]

I found out that I have an appointment for my shoulder already on Monday. Wow that is fast service. The doctor's office said either Monday or sometime in November . I am curious as to what it is, it is like my socket in shoulder is wearing out. I suppose that is possible but it is not like I was a lumberjack all my life or doing heavy labor, I have spent most of my life behind a desk I'd say more than likely he will just refer me to a specialist as is usual these days.

I'm still up and it is almost 12:30am, not because I can't sleep it is because I don't want to go to bed. Seems like a waste of time. I do need to go to bed in a few minutes though. I have not felt any WED symptoms for a couple of weeks now which is WONDERFUL.

I just wish the combination of medications would allow me to be me instead of Mr Hyde. I got pretty ticked off several times today. I don't know if this is going to work. It is so nice to not have the symptoms and be able to sleep but I am really a mean SOB. I mean seething anger that smolders for hours over things that should be minor annoyances in reality. I need to write my sleep doctor a note Monday if this continues until then. It is so frustrating and sad.

A similar thing happened when I took Nuepro. I could sleep 8 hours but it would make me feel angry all the time. If I don't have sleep I also am not a happy person so I just can't seem to win. Actually though this is an unnatural thing now, it is brutal. Maybe I should try not taking any tomorrow night and see. Later I'm heading for bed now, really it is 1:20am. If I sleep until 7:30am I'll be alright.

[ViewsAskew]

I found out that I have an appointment for my shoulder already on Monday. Wow that is fast service. The doctor's office said either Monday or sometime in November . I am curious as to what it is, it is like my socket in shoulder is wearing out. I suppose that is possible but it is not like I was a lumberjack all my life or doing heavy labor, I have spent most of my life behind a desk I'd say more than likely he will just refer me to a specialist as is usual these days.

I'm still up and it is almost 12:30am, not because I can't sleep it is because I don't want to go to bed. Seems like a waste of time. I do need to go to bed in a few minutes though. I have not felt any WED symptoms for a couple of weeks now which is WONDERFUL.

I just wish the combination of medications would allow me to be me instead of Mr Hyde. I got pretty ticked off several times today. I don't know if this is going to work. It is so nice to not have the symptoms and be able to sleep but I am really a mean SOB. I mean seething anger that smolders for hours over things that should be minor annoyances in reality. I need to write my sleep doctor a note Monday if this continues until then. It is so frustrating and sad.

A similar thing happened when I took Nuepro. I could sleep 8 hours but it would make me feel angry all the time. If I don't have sleep I also am not a happy person so I just can't seem to win. Actually though this is an unnatural thing now, it is brutal. Maybe I should try not taking any tomorrow night and see. Later I'm heading for bed now, really it is 1:20am. If I sleep until 7:30am I'll be alright.

I find this is true with several meds - I'm not "met." Many opioids make me beligerant, angry, and mean. I find myself clenching my jaw all the time, already annoyed before anything happens. Thankfully methadone doesn't. I haven't taken the gabapentin-type drugs long enough to know what they do - if anything.

But, the dopamine agonists are the worst. I get depressed VERY fast - not wanting to get out of bed, tired, feeling that nothing is worth it, but without the energy to end it (which is good, I suppose). I used Neupro yesterday and this morning I just couldn't get out of bed. I asked myself about five times, as I rolled over and went back to sleep, what the issue was. I couldn't pinpoint anything - I was just tired and didn't see any reason to wake up and be part of the world. Finally I MADE myself get up and take a shower. I ripped off the patch in the shower - within a couple hours things were much better.

Like you, I find this so discouraging. Why should we have to choose?

I also find it kind of fascinating - clearly our brain chemistry is OUT OF WHACK!!!!! When we add these drugs, we make it further out of whack. No wonder we're as such a high risk for depression and anxiety disorders - our brain chemistry doesn't support a happy brain! I have to wonder how much help an antidepressant would be for many of us, even if we didn't need it in the conventional sense. Would is even out the chemistry in some way?

I imagine exercise is even more important to us than we realize - we need to generate happy brain chemicals in any way we can.

[EeFall]

Many opioids make me beligerant, angry, and mean. I find myself clenching my jaw all the time, already annoyed before anything happens.

I am not glad this is happening to you but I am glad that I don't feel like the only one it is happening to. Thanks for sharing.

I had another severe stomach ache this morning. I think I am going to mention this to the GP I am going to see about my shoulder tomorrow. It is not usual, I have never experienced this in my life except for the last week or two. It is not a side effect of Gabapentin and I don't think I can be allergic to it either because I took it before with no problems. WebMD said it could be one of 63 things but I narrowed it down to not any of them, so I must be okay cause it says I am It has me stumped. A little like my shoulder has me stumped too, it is just too weird - isn't WED enough? Rhetorical