Bad night last night...

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click4it
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:27 am

Bad night last night...

Post by click4it »

:shock:
Hope there is no judgement here. This is only place I can really talk about this.

I have had RLS all my life. Only in last few years has it gotten worse at night. I tried a lot of home remedies...no relief. I started taking hydrocodone for another health issue and I found it also helped my RLS. I told my doc I prefer to use this for my RLS on a regular basis. So far I have used one once a day at night.

Well in recent months, I have been hearing and reading about all the "hype" that opioids are dangerous and doctors are being restricted from prescribing. My doctor is now out on leave until Nov and I am concerned that the docs that look at my refill request may deny it. So with that said, I have bern trying to "wean" myself this week by not taking it. First couple nights seemed "ok" and then last night I took a low dose anxiety med which I thiught might help, but i was so wrong. My RLS was so intense!! I got like 3 hours sleep total.

So now im pretty miserable at the propspect of this being my future reality. I am looking into buying Kratom, which i have been reading is helpful to some.

It just upsets me that when something works, it can possibly be taken away. I am sure there are alternatives..i am just skeptical.

I question am I addicted, but more like i am dependant on it. My body has become accustomed to it.

Anyone experience this?

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Bad night last night...

Post by badnights »

Oh the mess of this world! You shouldn't even have to worry about your access to medication being taken away. However.

First, remember that it hasn't happened and in fact might not. Your life is hard enough, so don't add to your miseries by cutting down on a medication you need unless you have something to replace it with.

Second, you're not addicted. Addiction is a compulsion to take more in order to achieve a change in emotional or mental state, and is so strong that bonds of love and trust are broken to accommodate it. Dependence is when your body is used to having the medication delivered regularly, and has adjusted chemically to that, such that when you take the medication away suddenly, you may experience unpleasant symptoms called withdrawal symptoms. You may have neither of those.

You do have an issue whereby you need medication for your body to function normally, like a Type I diabetic needs insulin because his body doesn't produce it. Unfortunately, WED/RLS is not as simple and there does not appear to be a single substance that would fix it.

Third, trying kratom, and if it works, building a small supply of it to have on hand, is a good move in my opinion. It purportedly has the same effects as an opioid, so it ought to be close to the moderate-strength opioid you've been using.

Back to your attempts to wean. In my opinion, it's best not to rock the boat - not to stress the body, because it can be hard to stabilize your symptoms after something like that.

Have you tried making dietary changes? I was stunned to find, after I started on a certain diet, that a few months later I didn't need as much medication - and a few months later, again I reduced my dose - and again - til I was at about half the dose of hydromorphone that I had been on. The diet was gluten and dairy free, and some other things - no added sugar, minimally processed foods, no modified oils or starches, no non-food additives, lots of vegetables. But I don't know what would work for you. I would probably try the GAPS diet if I had it to do over again.

One night without enough sleep can depress the mood and make life seem too confusing or messed up to deal with. A few nights without enough sleep multiplies the effect, and eventually we can't think straight to save our lives. Please re-consider your choice to reduce medication speculatively. There is no need to torture yourself.

If your refills are refused, your line of attack might be this: line up a new doctor from a Quality Care Center or one who has a record of treating WED/RLS; read up and prepare highlighting on printouts to take to any new doctor you see , to make sure they have the information they need about opioids and RLS/WED; and stock up on kratom.

Anyone else have other ammuniction for click4it, just in case it comes to pass that the prescription is denied?
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.

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Bad night last night...

Post by badnights »

P.S. This place, and my gym, are the most non-judgmental places I know of. No worries on that score!
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.

click4it
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:27 am

Re: Bad night last night...

Post by click4it »

Thank you. I definitely feel the withdrawl symtoms. I know I am being overly "panicked" but I have been seeing a lot of news articles about opioids and how patients are being denied and asked to do something else without meds.

EeFall
Posts: 1557
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:11 am
Location: Washington State, USA

Re: Bad night last night...

Post by EeFall »

Kratom works surprisingly well for me but I rarely take it because it causes me really bad constipation, worse than actual opioids do for me. I purchased a bunch of It a few years ago and so have a stockpile of it in case I can't get meds any other way. Even Kratom is being made illegal in some states, they tried to do it where I live but fortunately failed this time.

legsbestill
Posts: 561
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:22 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Bad night last night...

Post by legsbestill »

I find kratom fantastic also. If it worked for you it might enable you to build up a little stash of the opiates by using the kratom as an alternative for a while. I would second everything badnights says. She is very wise.

click4it
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:27 am

Re: Bad night last night...

Post by click4it »

What about wild lettuce?

EDITED BY MODS: We see you asked this in a new post with this title - excellent option. Best to ask in one place only so that comments stay together.

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