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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Restless leg syndrome, symptom of opioid withdrawal

T

teflon320

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Messages
88
Anyone else have this? Any suggestions for some relief? It?s mostly happening at night and interrupting sleep. Going crazy.
 
When I fell into the heroin and suboxone trap this was a major issue for me. However, I was in a controlled environment and given medication to combat this.

Outside of that environment, I had to either just deal with it or obtain drugs illegally (AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT ADVOCATING THAT). I'm very tolerant to sedatives also, so it usually took a benzo. I hear DXM works wonders for opiate withdrawal and its complications. I advise you do some research on it, (AS WELL AS SAFE DOSES AND FORMULATIONS TO USE). It could help.

I would recommend loperamide, but using it to replace opiates is very unsafe practice. People have died from it, I couldn't tell you exactly how as I've never used it personally. I just know that a few people who were well known on BL have lost their lives to it. So don't do that, I only bring it up in case you've heard it before and considered it. IT IS IN NO WAY A SUGGESTION.
 
Gabapentin or Lyrica seems to work with tramadol and a good strong muscle relaxant Benzo

Also something that helps and is famous in the steroids community is Bromocriptine. Maybe have a look at that
 
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Tramadol will absolutely help! Just take 50 or 100 mg and give it an hour. I took 8 mg of suboxone for almost 6 years and did a slow 3 month taper. I'm not on my 3rd day suboxone free but am taking tramadol (200-300mg) a day until the suboxone has cleared my system. I figure I'll be on Tramadol for 3-4 weeks. My lowest dose of suboxone was 1 mg a day for 3 weeks. Then I jumped to Tramadol. It is working! Might need valium too.
 
opioidsoveragain said:
Gabapentin or Lyrica seems to work with tramadol and a good strong muscle relaxant Benzo

Also something that helps and is famous in the steroids community is Bromocriptine. Maybe have a look at that
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I'm going to give a major second to this suggestion. Nothing, in my experience compares to the Gabapentinoids for the relief of RLS or as its also known Akathisia, that is, at least when withdrawal from Opioids or other drugs happens to be the culprit. They also have a heavily confirmed safety profile. There should be no reason why one cannot simply give them a go. They're the cure if you can get them. Other things, sort of help, like Clonidine and stuff, but Gabapentin should be just as easily acquirable licitly or illicitly.
 
Loperamide can be used, but only at label doses or slightly higher. Don't be one of those A'holes popping 70 tabs daily. I don't know how gabapentin works for withdrawals, but it knocks you on your ass. A 300mg cap knocked me on my ass for 12 hours. If you can sleep the worst part of the wd's this is great.

Be really carefull with the tramadol as you will find yourself dependent to the tramadol when you stop the other drug. The worst part of wd for short acting opioids is the first 4 days. If you can do this. Take the tramadol sparingly. In my personal experience tramadol did nothing to ease my withdrawals, though I forget what I was withdrawing from.
 
For me this is the worst withdrawal symptom it fucks up your sleep and just makes me dread going to bed when I should be looking forward to sleep.
 
Thankfully I've never had RLS while WDing from opiates. Just diarrhea for which I've used loperamide (only slightly above labeled dosing) as well as benzos to help me sleep through the rest of it.

I also always taper when my supply is running low so if I can't cop more in time the WD's are much more managable.
s
 
Seriously though.

Gabapentin (Neurontin)

Pregabalin (Lyrica)

For most, this is all that is required to near-completely mitigate the issue
 
There is a formulation of Neurontin/Gabapentin called Horizant that my shrink specifically scripted me for RLS.
 
Right, but Gabapentin Enacarbil (Horizant) is nothing more than a more readily bioavailable form of Gabapentin (Neurontin) itself, so for anyone who is looking to save some money, Gabapentin is an older i.e. cheaper medication than Gabapentin Enacarbil that should have no legitimate difference if used in the correct manner. I'm not disrespecting you above poster, I'm just saying Gabapentin Enacarbil, to me, just looks like a half-assed attempt at re-patenting an old drug in a last ditch effort to make more money off of it. It should be no better than standard Gabapentin at mitigating RLS/Akathisia, but will most likely carry a higher price tag.
 
Would better BA equal more therapeutic value? Not to mention it did work for me as I have both drugs in addition. Plus my shrink had a card for a free 30 day trial. Of course YMMV but I’d say it’s worth a shot especially if you aren’t getting relief from run of the mill Gabapentin.
 
does anyone else experience restless legs during opiate withdrawal? Yeah I'd say pretty much... every single one of us has experienced RLS and it sucks! Hot shower/bath really helps. Phenibut and loperamide are both easy acquirable and will also relieve your symptoms. They are both liable to start their own addictions so take as little as possible. I've never tried gabapentin for that purpose but I've heard good things. Good luck.
 
Please don't take lope, its not worth the 40 pills you have to take to get 2 hours or less of relief from RLS. I get really severe RLS from opioid withdrawal due to the fact I was born with it. Both parents have it as well. Sleep doesn't come until day 5-6 for me and the first few days are spent pacing half asleep in agony, or thrashing my body violently if I lay down. Although if I wasn't in a treatment center the last time coming off tramadol/heroin, I would have used kratom and would have had little to no rls. It bumps up your dopamine to manageable levels.
 
NoNeedles82 said:
Would better BA equal more therapeutic value? Not to mention it did work for me as I have both drugs in addition. Plus my shrink had a card for a free 30 day trial. Of course YMMV but I’d say it’s worth a shot especially if you aren’t getting relief from run of the mill Gabapentin.
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You're totally right on that statement my friend. I just wanted to throw that point out there lest folks who already have Gabapentin available think they need this other, newer form to get the full effect. Gabapentin's BA can be maximized by following some fairly simply steps that are outlined in a few different threads, namely, taking on a staggered basis, taking with a high fat meal and so on.
 
Went to the doc and was prescribed Clonidine. Doesn't seem to work. Did the jig again last night.
 
I also found certain drugs make RLS much worse for example I took Mirtazapine every night to sleep for years but when I stopped using opiates I couldn't take it anymore because it would trigger terrible RLS that no amount of Gabapentin could get under control. So have a look at what other medications you are taking because they might be causing RL.

The hot bath works for about 15 minutes in my experience so not really much use. I have been looking at these weighted blankets and might invest in one, has anyone had any luck with the blankets?
 
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