This may be interesting to some, I hope

Use this section to discuss your experiences with prescription drugs, iron injections, and other medical interventions that involve the introduction of a drug or medicine into the body. Discuss side effects, successes, failures, published research, information about drug trials, and information about new medications being developed.

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
Post Reply
Lori

This may be interesting to some, I hope

Post by Lori »

I've not been to this site before, as I am not an RLS sufferer. However my grandmother has the most severe case of RLS that I've ever heard of - to the extent that at one point she felt like she didn't want to live any longer if she had to live that way. It wasn't just at night and it wasn't just her legs. She could often be found beating on her stomach with her fist in an attempt to make the feeling go away. She tried several prescriptions, but none worked.

Without getting any more depressing, I'll get to my point. Today I ran across a news article on Yahoo! entitled "When Sleep Becomes A Nightmare." Naturally I clicked because of my interest in the subject. The article linked to this website, and here I am.

Wow, I still haven't gotten to my point! Sorry! A year or so ago, my grandmother was prescribed a Duragesic (Fentanyl) patch for her severe pain (unrelated to RLS). The first night of wearing the patch, her RSL disappeared. Literally. Gone. Not a twitch. It took quite a while for her to believe that it was actually true. Now, a year later, the only time she's ever had any symptoms of RLS is the few times she's forgotten to replace her patch at the right time.

I've often wondered if any other sufferers of severe RLS have heard of this, but never knew where to tell her story. It seems like doctors and researchers must know, but I did a search on this site and in the forums for "Duragesic" and "Fentanyl" and found nothing. Obviously a person cannot take lightly the prospect of using a hardcore painkiller, but for those who suffer relentlessly, it may be the lesser of two evils.

I hope this information is helpful to some. If it's already common knowledge, I apologize.

Take care, all...

Lori

jumpyowl
Posts: 774
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2004 2:59 pm
Location: Yantis, TX
Contact:

Hello, Lori

Post by jumpyowl »

Just caught your note. There are FOUR primary attacks of treatment modalities for RLS. One of them is OPIOIDS, strong pain killers. Fentanyl belongs to this group.

Do they work? Yes, very well! Chances of getting prescribed? Very low!

This is why my fourth doctor I am going to see is a pain specialist.

'Nuff said!
Jumpy Owl

Lori

Post by Lori »

Ah, thanks for the response. I knew it couldn't be new information. :?

I wish you all the best... I don't suffer from RLS so I can't pretend to know how you feel, but I do know it's horrible. Considering that my grandmother and my father have RLS, I expect I may be back to this forum looking for advice when I hit middle-age.

Take care, all.

Best wishes,

Lori

Post Reply