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Opioids Immodium (loperamide) for Restless Legs?

suessmayr

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
1,067
Location
Sydney, Australia
Can anyone who has used immodium (loperamide) tell me whether it would be likely to help at all with restless legs? I got virtually no sleep last night. I am on 2mg's daily of bupe - would the bupe render the immodium ineffective on account of its binding affinity?

I do not have access to benzos.

S
 
Loperamide donesn't do anything but stop the runs for me. I don't know how it helps all these other people but I took mega doses and was just stopped up for like 3 days after.
 
He didn't ask about the runs. He asked about restless legs.

I would like to know this aswell as the RLS really is one of the worst symptoms of w/d and I got fuck all sleep last night too because of it, which is kind of funny as I was lying there I was thinking "I wonder how many people in the world right now are lying here awake due to opiate/opioid withdrawals?"

Sorry though, I cant answer your question. However when it was really pissing me off I got up and did some stretching and yoga for a bit which helped somewhat.
 
I took a bit of seroquel last night after lying in bed from 10pm - 6am and just constantly moving my legs. I got to sleep around 8am but it was fucking horrible and I practically went insane; I got so worked up and upset.
 
I took a bit of seroquel last night after lying in bed from 10pm - 6am and just constantly moving my legs. I got to sleep around 8am but it was fucking horrible and I practically went insane; I got so worked up and upset.

It really does get more and more distressing with each passing minute. I actually remember getting RLS when lying in bed a couple times as a child (no drugs had been tried at that point) but none of my friends knew what I meant when I tried to describe it.

I get a really, really horrible restless feeling in both my legs and my back when it occurs. It's worse in the back though as you can't really shake that out as easily.

It feels like electric-hot snakes are coarsing through my back at break-neck speed in a sea of molten lava.
 
I usually get up and dose if I'm experiencing RLS, as you all are saying, you're not going to stop thinking about it... Anyway, I doubt loperamide will do much, not because of the binding affinity of bupe but rather the relative potency of bupe to loperamide. Lope works because it is an opioid and binds to opioid receptors in the gut, which is helpful if in withdrawal and no other opioids are available, but if opioids are available, it isn't much use IMO.
 
You can try tonic water with quinine. You can get it at walmart. Drinking 8 to 16 ounces (a quarter to a half litre) at night can be a simple remedy.
 
It's bizarre that I was able to get from 90mg of methadone to nil and onto 4mg of bupe with relatively little discomfort. But when I went from 4mg to 2mg everything changed and I'm getting all these fucked up symptoms. I have the runs for the first time in like 3 years.

I therefore have a legitimate use for the immodium now, and will probably just use seroquel to help with sleep. So unless bupe renders immodium ineffective...
 
Yea na, loperamide wont do shit for your restless legs. I'm goin thru bupe w.d as well, and I've been taking the loperamide pretty regularly, it'll help take the edge off a tiny bit, but nothing you'll really notice at all.

The best non-drug solution I've found so far was hot baths. Doesn't matter how good the mattress is, the muscle aches and RLS will keep you awake. So far 200mg of trazadone hasn't even got me to sleep
 
These people are mistaken, it reacts differently for everyone... I personally have received AMAZING relief from not only the squirts, but also, restless body feelings, runny nose, yawning, aching, bone/muscle pain, etc etc. And I didn't even need to take a ton like most people here say. I took like 10 pills. Also, this whole "it'll stop you up for DAYS" stuff isn't true either. It works EXACTLY like ANY OTHER OPIATE. So it's not going to stop you up for days unless you're doing something wrong anyway. I would certainly recommend giving it a shot. It'll take probably up to 2 hours for full effects, but it can last like 24 hours.
 
These people are mistaken, it reacts differently for everyone... I personally have received AMAZING relief from not only the squirts, but also, restless body feelings, runny nose, yawning, aching, bone/muscle pain, etc etc. And I didn't even need to take a ton like most people here say. I took like 10 pills. Also, this whole "it'll stop you up for DAYS" stuff isn't true either. It works EXACTLY like ANY OTHER OPIATE. So it's not going to stop you up for days unless you're doing something wrong anyway. I would certainly recommend giving it a shot. It'll take probably up to 2 hours for full effects, but it can last like 24 hours.

Truth, A lot of people dont have to take heroic doses to feel all that relief. I only took 10-15 loper and it took away all my WD's plus my mood was greatly improved. I can even take a shit the next day after aslong as you drink plenty of clear liquids you are fine.

If you take 10 loper and dont feel relief, wait about 12 hours to redose or make sure you shit first. If you keep upping your dose your gonna be backed up.
 
There are some drugs that are labelled for RLS. Their main use is for Alzheimer but are also effective to stop RLS. My father uses one and I'll ask him next time I speak with him what was the name of the drug.
 
What about some diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and a couple of acetominophen (Tylenol)? I discovered this combo being marketed under the trade name Percogesic when I was trying to soothe some sore golf muscles My pharmacist recommended it.

I sometimes use it as a sleep aid so I don't get too tolerant to benzos. It relaxes the muscles and helps put me to sleep. Supposedly also potentiates any opiates on board.

Worth a shot for this OP? I don't see how it could hurt.
 
Try magnesium. I use magnesium citrate in a powder form. Sort of need to 'load' on it with maybe up to 1 gram but it seems to help me in the long run. It may not be till the second night that it works/is noticable if it works for you.


Mirapex works great as well.
 
Except for the part where opiates enter the brain...

Good call on it taking around two hours to feel any relief, this is important.

Actually it does cross the BBB in a small extent then gets bounced out. It does affect people differently. Some people get drowsy from it. I guess it could give some people relief. I won't call anyone claiming it does help a liar but my experience is different. It stops diarrhea and settles my stomach but that's it for me.
 
I don't want to tell you that nothing helps, but to be honest I haven't found anything to help. the RLS drugs they prescribe for some will also cause withdrawal if you decide to come off them, so I elected to give them a wide berth. I know people who've been on gabapentin and they say it made them feel like a zombie (though perhaps the dose was too high). tonic water didn't help me, nor the magnesium I still take. hot baths with epsom salts provide relief in acute withdrawal but it doesn't last--the RLS comes back like the cat in the song.

I had RLS as a kid and rocked back and forth in bed till I slept. having a tendency to RLS, like you do (since you had it as a kid), will make it harder to deal with this. I've been at zero for two months or so and still got them last night after running 3km in the early evening. exercise definitely helps, though six hours later the RLS came back anyway and I hadn't fallen asleep yet.

at some point in the night, after writhing and thrashing around, my legs give it up and I fall asleep without meds. It's usually at 4:00 a.m., which sucks as I have to be at work for about 8:30. it's better than I was at first, getting maybe 2 hours of sleep every three days, but it isn't enough. yesterday I took the morning off and didn't wake up till 10:30--the six hours of sleep felt great. too bad I can't do that more...

anyway, time heals all crazy legs or at least puts you back to where you were before opiates (hopefully). not sleeping isn't the end of the world. I didn't even get sick from my immune system being shot from lack of sleep--if anything my immune system seems to be in overdrive like the rest of me.
 
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