Restless Leg Syndrome

What you’re going through sounds miserable. I did try both Mirapex and Requip and they did help, for a time, until they led to augmentation, making the RLS worse. Best wishes to you and hoping your physician sorts it all out.

@barbarn just take onene when you have to drive

@rensacb: I had the very same thing happen to me with Requip......isn’t it strange that after all that time it would stop being effective? Disappointing too as it worked well all that time. I stopped because I was needing to increase dosage every two weeks & would get sick & vomit, have a blasting headache, & be dizzy to the point passing out with each increase. By the time the side effects started to abate, it was time to increase the dosage again - and round and round it went. That’s when Mayo switched me to gabapentin which has proven to be somewhat effective but not entirely. Right now I am taking Neupro which is a transdermal patch, and so far it’s working pretty well. Problem is it’s quite expensive. It too is a Parkinson’s/RLS drug. Like @babarn above, I keep wondering if I can switch back to Requip some day or if it will forever be something that doesn’t work.

@barbarn: isn’t it miserable to be so tired & try to drive? Becomes easy to just drop to sleep, and that’s kind of scary. Good luck with future trips, and I hope you can sleep at least a few hours straight so you can get enough rest to drive.

Hi; I've also used a spoonful of mustard that will immediately relief any cramps in your legs or hands..I've tried it and it worked for me.

Im looking for some type healing from drop foot along with the neuropathy. There was an ad in the paper to cure neuropathy but they wouldn't take Aetna insurance.. so I didn't pursue it.

@bburleson1 Yes I agree a friend use to carry mustard packets when she would go out It's good for superficial burns also I burned my hand on hot coffee The waitress put mustard on it took the sting out

Hi, @bburleson1 - for the foot drop along with the neuropathy, you might post your question here where there are lots of members dealing with neuropathy https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/living-with-neuropathy-welcome-to-the-group/

I think you are right on to suspect harmones. Example, Study the"Brain Barrier". Magnesium jel helps at night when rubbed into the lower leg. But, when magnesium accumulates in the brain barrier and does not dissipate fast enough, it can aggeravate RLS. My RLS started after I had weakness and was hospitalized from Hypercalciumia (From the hypothalmas.) I had taken 2 years of flomac for osteopenia and it affected the gland. Like wise I have a low Vit D and am on a 6 month boost. I hear a ferrin test is needed for over 76, since this has been associated with RLS. I had a negative brain scan with no tumor. But I have real leg jerks and intention hand motion., more thalmus.

Regarding RLS: I have it my sisters have it and my mother had it and I believe there is an inherited tendency to develop this condition. There is also a similar condition called Periodic Involuntary Limb Movement or PILM when the limb moves in a fast jerking motion. My experience with RLS was that it was a compulsion to move the legs in a sweeping motion. PILM was totally involuntary and nothing slow or sweeping in the movement.

I found taking Vit D3 starting at 4000 IUs stopped the RLS and I am now down to 1000 IUs. The PILM was a reaction to Benadryl and Ambien. I can now take a nibble of Ambien when needed but I cannot take Benadryl at all.

I have also had great misery from muscle spasms in the legs through the night, especially excruciating spasms along the shin bone. I started drinking more water and taking magnesium at bedtime and after about a week, the muscle spasms totally abated.

I hope these are possible resolutions to your issues. We are all different but who knows what will work until we try it.