Anyone awake?

For everything and anything else not covered in the other RLS sections.
Post Reply
Suckerbeagle
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:00 pm
Location: Albuquerque
Contact:

Anyone awake?

Post by Suckerbeagle »

Oick! Is anyone awake?
For quite a while I've been experiencing pretty bad inflammation in my arthritic knees. Finally! My orth doc gave me shots and I'm hugely better. But. I have been largely inactive for quite a while and after the shots was told to stay off the legs for 48 hours. Guess how much fun that was with my rls. Now I'm pain free and grateful but the back lash is driving me round the twist. I take my normal amounts of Gabapentin, Clonazapam and hydrocodone only to have breakthrough symptoms which require more medication. I'm going to come close to running out of Hydrocodone, although I'm likely to make it just under the wire. I don't like to increase and have never had to ask for more. The new laws make me feel like a criminal.

My neurologist is great and would absolutely help me out, but I recently moved from MA TO ME and you can't call this stuff in. Crickey!

A lot the time I do just great and rarely have to suffer. But then comes along a situation like knee pain or the necessity to travel—strapped in, the worst—and I need to use a bit more meds. Right now I'm using more of all three of my meds, by just a bit, trying desperately to manage. I feel for those of you who have to go through this all the time.

Waiting for the extra to kick in. It's raining hard here. I'm in my attic room. Love the sound of rain on the roof. Helping calm me while I wait.

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Anyone awake?

Post by Rustsmith »

Suckerbeagle, I split your post into a new topic because it did not have anything to do with Eefall's postings of his experiences.

Yes, it is currently very difficult to handle the prescriptions for Level 2 medications such as hydrocodone. Although they have a point that a number of people have been abusing some of these medications, they have also made it almost impossible for those of us who need them to get them. I am currently in the process of moving and discovered that no doctor in my new location is willing to write the prescriptions because of all the paperwork hassle. I am therefore going to have to travel over 100 miles to see an RLS specialist doctor who will.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
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.

debbluebird
Posts: 2386
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 3:27 pm

Re: Anyone awake?

Post by debbluebird »

I found that when the inflammation in my joints was resolved, my RLS/PLM improved greatly.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Anyone awake?

Post by ViewsAskew »

I've tried multiple times to get a local doctor to write for methadone - which I've been using off and on for almost ten years. Each time it's been a disaster. I actually fly to see Dr. Buchfuhrer in California and pay for him to overnight me the scripts.

I recently changed my primary care doc. I was going over my history and telling her the medications I take. I almost hugged her during the exchange about methadone.

Me: I also currently take methadone for the RLS and PLMs; I take 5 mg 5 nights a week with the pramipexole, then only the methadone the other two days.

Her: (looking at me with a wry smile) That must be fun in today's climate.

Me: (smiling back) Indeed!

Her: (looking curious) who do you get to write it for you?

Me: I fly to California to see a specialist.

She: (Looking back at her paperwork) How much on the weekends?

She's the first doctor EVER in ten years who didn't look at me as if was a criminal for taking it, took it in stride as part of my medical care, and didn't change in her treatment of me after hearing about it.

In another time, I imagine she would even have written it. But, I am not about to ask her.

I've been lucky in that in ten years, I've had the ability to save a pill here and there and cut one then and again - so that I have a small stockpile. It's not a lot, but enough that I don't worry about scripts running out anymore.
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.

Post Reply