My Poor Mother Needs Sleep! Advice Needed!
Hi all,
My mother has been suffering from RLS for roughly 20 years. For about a year now, my mother's case has become extremely severe. Countless nights of little to no sleep. Pramipexole has really made things difficult, and the augmentation is frightening.
She has tried so many different medications (both combined and alone), and we have yet to find the perfect medicinal solution. Below is a list of what we have tried.
- Pramipexole
- Gabapentin
- Lyrica
- Neupro patches
- Suboxone
- Tramadol
- Methadone (currently taking)
Pramipexole has worked in the short term but has only intensified the augmentation in the long term, so we are staying clear of that. She is currently taking methadone, and, I believe, a small co-medicine of lyrica at the same time. She will be able to sleep for about 2-3 hours in the early early morning, but other than that she is restless and cannot sleep.
We are looking into the NIDRA but all signs point to that not helping much given how severe her symptoms.
Can this wonderful community offer an guidance? What should we be looking into? What practices have helped? Is the NIDRA worth it ($7K+ since our insurance company keeps blocking it)? How are we going to get my mother, and this wonderful community, some sleep?!
Much thanks.
Ryan K
Hi Ryan (
). What a great son you are to reach out on behalf of your mother. My heart aches for her. She must be mentally and physically exhausted. So far, we've heard from only one person who has tried NIDRA (as far as I know). Here is a link to that forum: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/forums/trying-the-new-nidra-therapy. If others have tried it, I hope they jump in with more feedback. It's still so new that it's hard to know who will benefit most from it.
Here is an article about other devices that might help: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/treatment/devices.
And here is an article about iron supplements as treatment: https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/iron-supplements.
Unfortunately, since there can be multiple causes of RLS, not all treatments will be equally effective for everyone. Does your mother know what might have triggered hers? Did it follow a spinal or head injury or did it simply appear?
It can be a tedious task, but if you read through the forums and the comments on articles, you will find nontradition treatments some people have discovered that work for them. Off the top of my head, I recall one person had success with applying pressure to pain points while another found that marijuana was effective. Yet another person got relief by spreading charcoal-mint toothpaste on their legs. Strange stuff, but you never know what might work.
I wish I could be of more help. I hope she keeps advocating for herself and trying new treatment methods until she finally hits on something that brings her relief. Please keep us posted. I'll be thinking of you both.
- Lori (Team Member)
