Grateful for Pregabalin Keeping My RLS at Bay

Previously I wrote about how I had to stop taking pramipexole due to the augmentation I was experiencing and knowing that I would not be able to handle the increase in impulse control.

I decided to try my luck with pregabalin, although to be honest, given my history with medications (not just with RLS, but my other diseases too) I had my doubts about whether this medication would work.

I am very grateful to announce that this medication does seem to be helping me and is way better at keeping my RLS at bay than pramipexole.

Dealing with fatigue, migraines, and the cold

At the start of December, I had the new version of the COVID booster, Bivalent, and I became extremely fatigued after that. I spent many hours in bed and was very grateful that my legs weren’t wanting to do their usual song and dance. I was also grateful to be on pregabalin at this time, because we ended up getting a really bad cold snap up here in Canada and I was not able to go out for walks.

Near the end of December, the last week before Christmas, I ended up suffering the most debilitating and agonizing migraine of my entire life. I went to the ER and spent a lot of time sitting in the hospital bed because laying down caused way too much pain in the back of my head. I was discharged about 9 hours later.

My RLS went into a dormant state

Unfortunately, on the 22nd, 3 days later, that same horrible migraine came back. This time, I was in the hospital for 48 hours. Again, I was so incredibly grateful to be on pregabalin because of all the sitting up I was doing. Not once did I have an RLS attack, and that totally blew my mind. It was like I was a teenager again, a time when my RLS went into a dormant state and I had no RLS issues at all. I honestly can’t imagine what it would have been like had I also had to juggle RLS while dealing with that horrible migraine.

I had my first CT scan and I didn’t have to worry about my RLS kicking in while being scanned. I was just worried I might start shivering because I was cold. I also ended up having to have a spinal tap, which required me to be flat on my back for 3 to 4 hours afterward, so I was super happy to be able to do that with such ease because my RLS wasn’t urging me to get up and move.

Even car rides have been easier

I have even been able to go on a couple of random adventure drives, and not once did my RLS act up on me. We never needed to pull over and stretch, which if you recall from my article “The Road Less Traveled Allows For Stretching”, I have to get out and stretch frequently while in the car for more than 2 hours.

Mind you, the longest drive we have done while on pregabalin was only 3 hours in the car, but still — on pramipexole, I would have needed to get out and stretch, and while a couple of blocks away from home massage my legs because the RLS pain would be getting really bad.

Overall, I am so grateful to be on this medication. I have heard wonderful accounts of this medication helping others, and I am so happy it’s helping me like it is.