Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group restless legs (mostly)

my doc has me takin mirapex for my RLS it works really good especiall y at bedtime it really help me get a good sleep if my back aint hurtin to much....oak

My doc gave me mirapex for RLS. It works really well, but like all medication has side effects. After taking it for three nights I decided it was not for me. It did work really well, but if I remember to eat a banana every day then I don't have a problem.

I'm on Requip. I've been on it a couple years or more. It doesn't stop everything completely, but so far it has been doing a pretty good job.

Thanks DLG, Steve and Oak,
I am going to look into Mirapex and Requip, and talk to my Doc, he did talk about some RLS specific drugs and mentioned that they had some bad side effects but he didn't go into specifics. Have any of you experienced any problems related to these drugs? Art

I have RLS. They have not put me on any of the specific medication for it. I think its because of my dosage of nuerotin. I had thought I had it for years. Last year I finally had a sleep study. They were looking for apnea and oxygen desat. Thank god I didn't have either. The tech said I had pretty bad RLS. I told him it didn't surprise me. I eat the bananas. I take magneesium and vitamin K. No real help. But I figure it would be worse without them. So my advice is try the medication with the diet modification. And I wish you luck. Hope you get relieve.

ive had no real serious side effects but like all meds and people they all react differently i only take mirapex if its real bad and then only when i go to bed....sometime i just pop a vicotin or a valium and i usually get decent sleep....only thing i can advise is talk to your doc and keep askin questions until you feel comfortable with the answers........oak

It may very well be AS related. I am not taking enbrel yet (starting next week) and I have had problems with restless legs for years. I have found that what works best for me is to get out of bed, walk around for a few minutes and then stretch. After a few minutes the pain either goes away or is dulled enough that I can sleep. Hope that helps

Art, you posted this right before I was going to post about the same topic. Ya beat me to it!

In the past few weeks, I've been going out of my mind at night - with this crazy need to keep my legs moving or else they cramp and twich and ache. If I tense up my leg muscles really hard, it helps, but obviously that's not too condusive to sleep. If I stop walking around, even for a second, it all comes back. If only I could set up a horizontal treadmill in bed.

I have a difficult time getting in to see doctors, so have been trying to self-treat. I upped my gabapentin to 600mg at night, and that's helped quite a bit. The funny thing is, I'm already taking natural calm magnesium supplement (have been for about 6 months), potassium, calcium, and vit D supplements as well. I did an electrolyte panel ironically, right before the RLS symptoms started, and it was all fine and dandy. So I guess it's not diet related...

Finding a med that works is a #1 priority right now because the gabapentin makes me so sleepy even though I only take it at night.

Can anyone tell me if mirapex or requip cause daytime sleepiness?

Tramacet works, but it's too expensive to keep taking loads of it every night. Mirapex and requip would be covered by my drug plan.

Advice? Suggestions? Anyone?

Thanks!

Sweetheart,

you know I hate to see you suffer and trying to get your schooling done.

I am pretty sure my Dad takes Requip for his, I will call him tomorrow and make sure, now I don't think it has like cured it a 100% but he was having an awful time before the med and at least now I think most nights he gets a fairly good nights sleep. I will find out and let you know what his dosage is and what he thinks just as soon as I can.

Hugs,

Lisa

Hello Megan, I understand how you feel!!
Tramadol works great for me but I have been taking it for a while now and it seems that the RLS is happening more frequently so instead of taking it before bed its throughout the day now and I am concerned about addiction etc. although my Doc is not so worried. I was working last week and sitting a lot and the RLS flared so instead of drugs, I walked for 40 min. or so and it got better but after an hour of sitting again it was worse than before so 2 50mg. Tramadol was the ticket. Keep me posted on what you find that works and good luck Art