severe restless leg syndrome day and night

[kiarraangel]

I have been on all the antiparkinsons meds for this plus the benzos, muscle relaxers. Nothing seem to help . Finally my doc put me on Tramadol which worked great for many years, but I had to stop taking it due to epilepsy and having seizures daily. So now I am on narcotics. I just recently moved to another state and my new doc treats me like a drug attic. My question I guess is there another option besides the opiates (which by the way work wonders). I suffer day and night in both my arms and legs.

[ILADVOCATE]

I have tardive dyskinesia which is clinically similar to Parkinson's and I have tardive akathesia which is similar to restless legs syndrome but it would depend on the cause of it. If its clinically similar to Parkinson's, I did not find Bachlophen, Mirapex, Aricept and Requip to be of help but many people do. I was ruled out for Tetrabenzene and Namenda but those have shown to be of help. Atenolol was helpful for me and can be for some but I was changed to Clonidine and they interact but that is helpful on controlling akathesia for me. Zofran was helpful in experimental usage. Again it would depend on the cause but those options were helpful for me so you could discuss them with your neurologist. If standard clinical options haven't worked I would suggest seeing a trained movement disorders specialist.

[ggreg]

Dear Angel,
Advocate gave you some good tips.  I have restless legs, the painful 24/7 type, plus I have a little neuropathy and spinal injury.  My general doctor years ago diagnosed it immediately and gave me Tylenol Codeine #3, and it took away the RLS.  Later they tried all that other medicine, just in case, but it didn't work, so I stuck with the original drug.  I know what you mean about docs being reluctant to prescribe controlled substances, it's a pain when you switch physicians that are not studied on proper treatment for the indescribable seizing we feel deep in our calves.  I have actually SEEN this wierd rippling of the muscle fibers in a completely erratic manner.  Plus, I was on the same dose for years before I had to up it, so all this commotion and politics about opiates is unfounded.  

If you cannot either educate or find a knowledgeable general or neuro guy (rls.org has info to print out), then I can tell you when they had to give me Neurontin to settle down my lower back pain, my neurologist said it might also help my restless legs.  Of course I have no way of knowing, because I also take the codeine stuff... no way can I let that go, on account of enduring the neuromuscular syndrome is such a bad dream.  But maybe you can get that nerve stuff and it might help somewhat if all else fails.  Let us know if eventually you can get some relief, we don't want you to go round the bend the way some have.
GG