how to live through tapering off ropinirole
I started tapering off ropinirole but of course it is miserable. I'm on 1500 gabapentin but need more help. I have seriously bad augmentation---arms, legs, whole body--all night and very bad at 4am so I just have to get up.
May I ask why you are going off of Roprinerole? It is the only thing that works for me.
ropinirole works well at first, but at some point, perhaps years later, the body stops the dopamine action on its own. Then RLS gets worse and spreads to arms and body core. That's called augmentation and the restlessness starts in the morning and can go all night. Here is an article about augmentation: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/augmentation. It's important to be aware of the signs in case it happens to you. Hopefully, ropinirole will be effective for you for a long time to come. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
Wonderful articles! Thank you so much!
- Thanks for asking these questions. I have been dealing with RLS and augmentation for many years. I am still on a low dose of Requip but now take 1800 mg of Gabapentin/Neurontin daily. I have had to change my schedule and watch carefully what other meds I take might interfere but this site has been extremely helpful in managing and coping. I agree, these articles are very helpful. BarnGir1 Thanks for the positive feedback! We're glad they help. - Lori (Team Member)
My heart goes out to you,
. How long have you been tapering? Unfortunately, there is not a lot your doctor can do at this stage. In extreme cases, doctors might prescribe low-dose opioids, but that comes with the risk of addiction. Here is an article about opioids for RLS that might interest you: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/treatment/opioids. Here is an article about managing augmentation that might have some helpful information: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/living/tips-manage-augmentation. I wish I had better answers. I hope this period is short-lived and that you get some relief soon. Thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member)
