Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

I have tried everything for my RLS/insomnia issues. Mag Glycinate, gabapentin, Sonata, THC gummies. While the gummies work sometimes, I still find that .25-.75 Xanax is my best bet, although it doesn't work every night. I hate to be taking Xanax but my psych NP says it's such a low dose that I shouldn't worry. The only decent Dr for RLS is 2 hours away su not a great option. Thoughts?

The normal list of prescription sleep aids (Sonata, Lunesta, Ambien, Belsomra) are generally not effective for treating the insomnia that comes as part of RLS. Gabapentin and Lyrica are generally the most effective meds. The problem with gabapentin is that many people cannot adsorb enough for it to be effective. That is why Horizant was developed. Unfortunately, Horizant is usually prohibitively expensive and will be until the patent runs out in 2029. Until that time, Lyrica is your best bet. So try asking your doctor to provide you with a few generic Lyrica pills to see if that works for you. If not, then stick with the low dose of Xanax. And FYI, the normal starting dose of Xanax when used to treat anxiety is 0.5 mg three times a day, so your dose is one third to one half the normal low dose.

I tend to be quite sensitive to meds so hopefully you'll have a different experience, but for me medications like xanax were helpful for a while, but in a relatively short period of time (~6 months) I built up a tolerance and had to take twice the dose for half the benefit. Also, I know 2 hours is a long way to go for a doctor but I think a lot of people on this forum would agree that travel is well worth having a medical professional who is up to date on RLS research. For several years I traveled two states away every 6 months, and as ridiculous as that may sound it was by far my best option.