Requip for leg movement

[newpapper]

My sleep Dr. just prescribed me Requip for restless legs. (I had 354 leg movements in my last sleep study.) My leg movements went away at higher titrated pressures but not at my prescribed 11/7 bilevel pressures. Does anybody here use Requip? Do higher pressures help with restless legs? Thanks.

Edit: I have just been reading about Requip and the side effects seem really scary! CPAP/BPAP is so much safer!

[SmoothieMom]

I am prescribed gabapentin for rls/plmd . I've been using it for a month, and I think it's working.

[DavidT1954]

I have tried both requip and gabapentin, with little to no help with my PLMD. They could help knock me out, but did not impact my sore tired legs that I have every morning. Since this has been going on over a year I decided that it had to be sleep related... thus the CPAP treatment.. jury still out on the CPAP as I have just got my leaks under control.

[kteague]

My sleep Dr. just prescribed me Requip for restless legs. (I had 354 leg movements in my last sleep study.) My leg movements went away at higher titrated pressures but not at my prescribed 11/7 bilevel pressures. Does anybody here use Requip? Do higher pressures help with restless legs? Thanks.
Edit: I have just been reading about Requip and the side effects seem really scary! CPAP/BPAP is so much safer!

Were you diagnosed with PLMD (Periodic Limb Movement DIsorder)? Can you explain a little more about the movements being helped by higher pressures? Was this shown on a sleep study? What I'm wondering is if that higher pressure allowed you to reach the REM stage when movements are usually not present. That could make it appear that the high pressure helped your legs, when it may have been a bit more circuitous. Also, there are common ebbs and flows of movements over the course of a night and sleep stages, so could your period of relief been related to that? While I've read that CPAP has helped some people with limb movements, seems most (not all) of those have been respiratory related movements. Were your limb movements classified as respiratory related movements? It might be helpful to read the exact language your reports uses regarding your movements. It can make a difference what you can reasonably expect. I am guessing yours are NOT respiratory related for the doctor to prescribe Requip. As to the Requip, if your movements are respiratory related, meds won't likely be of any help. Effective CPAP treatment should. If you have movements unrelated to respiratory effort, Requip may or may not help. It is not a med to take lightly, but neither is loss of sleep from limb movements. I can only suggest you first have your ferritin level checked and if needed get it up to above 60. My doc recommended closer to 100. Not sure what the latest science on this is, but fairly recent thinking is that those with lower ferritin levels are at a increased risk of developing augmentation, not uncommon with dopamine agonists. If you do decide to take the med, I strongly suggest if low doses don't work and you make increases, don't just keep persisting in what does not work. Wean back down and off. Not knowing any better, I kept trying to make it work out. You may get lucky and find a low dose with few side effects does help you. Some on here have had that experience. Being in tune with your body and aware of potential side effects may be enough to help you avoid those problems if you see trouble on the horizon.

[Catlizg]

After trying Lyrica (awful and rapid weight gain), Xanax, Ativan, Lunesta, Ambien, Keppra, clonazepam and a few others without success, my GP sent me to the neurological sleep specialist for a sleep study and treatment of restless legs and arms. She put me on pramipexole (Mirapex) 0.5 mg 9 PM and 0.25 mg earlier in the afternoon if I feel RLS/A starting. I have not had a full blown episode since starting this regimen a month ago. Prior to that things were so bad that I would feel like I could go crazy if the RLS did not ease up and have actually fallen out of bed.

I'm wondering if you have Periodic Limb Movement since this occurs during your sleep. RLS usually presents prior to sleep. RLS prevents sleep and lack of sleep exacerbates RLS.

[dlchance_1]

I had similar results with leg movement during my last sleep study. My doctor did not show any concern for it and therefore did not treat me for RLS. In June and Dec, 2012 I had both of my hips replaced, and after the 2nd hip, my surgeon prescribed Ropinarol (Generic for Requip) to help with my RLS. I used it for 3 months and did not have any problems with the medication or RLS. Hope this helps. I think it was great. Got a lot more sleep then normal, and now that I am off the medication again, I have learned how to control the RLS a little better so that it is not a problem.

[newpapper]

Thank you all for your helpful comments! I'll get out my sleep study to answer the detailed questions.

[kteague]

After trying Lyrica (awful and rapid weight gain), Xanax, Ativan, Lunesta, Ambien, Keppra, clonazepam and a few others without success, my GP sent me to the neurological sleep specialist for a sleep study and treatment of restless legs and arms. She put me on pramipexole (Mirapex) 0.5 mg 9 PM and 0.25 mg earlier in the afternoon if I feel RLS/A starting. I have not had a full blown episode since starting this regimen a month ago. Prior to that things were so bad that I would feel like I could go crazy if the RLS did not ease up and have actually fallen out of bed...

Wow, all of these were tried because of restless legs? Have you had iron studies (particularly ferritin level), magnesium and Vitamin D checked? Just wonder what effort was made to discover and treat possible contributors. In view of the list of meds above your doc was willing to prescribe, I can't help but wonder if you might be on a medication that is either causing or exacerbating your RLS. What meds do you take? At any rate, glad your regimen is working for you at this point. Sounds like you were pretty miserable and I certainly understand that.

[Catlizg]

Wow, all of these were tried because of restless legs? Have you had iron studies (particularly ferritin level), magnesium and Vitamin D checked? Just wonder what effort was made to discover and treat possible contributors. In view of the list of meds above your doc was willing to prescribe, I can't help but wonder if you might be on a medication that is either causing or exacerbating your RLS. What meds do you take? At any rate, glad your regimen is working for you at this point. Sounds like you were pretty miserable and I certainly understand that.

Good catch - LOL. all the meds were AFTER checking D, ferritin, magnesium, B12, inflammation markers and my first born son. I was low on ferritin and D stores (post gastric bypass and living in Buffalo). The RLS has been going on for at least 10 years and did not level out despite a couple of years of normal levels and continued supplementation. Thus, the referral to a neurologist who specializes in sleep disorders. With a history of rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and some strange nerve reactions, RLS is a typical comorbidity. I'm off everything but the pramipexole and a variety of vitamins. Thank goodness a very low dose works.

[newpapper]

To answer your detailed questions kteague. The sleep study diagnoses Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep. The plot of the leg movements on the sleep study shows that they completely go away at the 12/8 and 13/9 bilevel pressures during the second half of the night, but these pressures have a higher AHI from increasing central apneas. The report lists a PLM arousal index of 2.5 per hour. There is no mention of the movements being respiratory related, but I wonder why they went away at higher pressures. Thank you for the suggestion of checking ferritin level, and to be very cautious if I do take the Requip.