Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Hi, I'd like to hear from those of you who have stopped your DA and replaced it with Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone). My experience has been generally positive but I do have one side effect.
I stopped my DA cold turkey mid-August 2024 and started on Suboxone. I started with 3/4 mg of Suboxone to cover DA withdrawal and my RLS symptoms and raised Suboxone dose to 1mg a few weeks ago. The best way to describe my side effects are little, sharp electrical "bites" on my legs. I wouldn't say they hurt but they are very noticeable. If I didn't have RLS and wasn't on Suboxone, I probably would chalk them up to something else. But I do worry about them. I don't know what to attribute them to. Are they remaining withdrawal symptoms from stopping a high dose of DA? Are they related to the Suboxone?
So, if any of you fall in this category, would you respond to me? If your transition from your DA to Suboxone has been seamless, I would also like to hear from you. If you are experiencing any side effects from this transition, I would be interested in hearing your symptoms.
Thank you, Becky

I take suboxone 1 mg divided into a am dose ans pm dose, but before that I took methadone. Before that was a DA. I've Beverly had that dide effect. I'd ask my doctor.

Hi Beverly, thanks so much for your message. I did ask my doc (Dr. Buchfuhrer) about it and he didn't have an answer for me. He hadn't heard of this sensation from any of his other patients on Suboxone. Said to increase my dose by a little and see if that helped. I was on 3/4mg per day and bumped it up to 1mg/day. I can't say the increase dosage did anything for this feeling.

I couldn't quite understand your response - have you had this feeling of electrical bites in your legs or not? Very odd feeling, to be honest. Like I said, it's not painful, but bothersome. Thanks - Becky

Hello Becky...I stopped taking DA's over 6-months ago although I haven't replaced the DA with any other type medication...I know exactly what you talking about when you say electrical bites..I've been experiencing them since stopping the DA's but they have become less intense over time since first stopping taking the DA's....I believe it to be residue withdrawals from the DA's that will slowly dissipate with time...

Michael, that's really interesting. I first thought the electrical sensations were from stopping my high dose of DA but my doctor didn't think so. Anyhow, it's good to hear that they are slowly getting less intense for you.

This is an interesting topic. When I was taking pramipexole, I got the electrical bites in my toes - I assumed they were a type of neuropathy. I associated it with the pramipexole, I think, but this is 20 years ago, so I am not sure why I was sure it was that instead of actual neuropathy. At some point - could have been when I stopped pramipexole - it got worse - I remember I also had them in my hands. It's stopped, mostly, since I went on an opioid, but I still get them once in a while. But, for me, it was definitely DA related.