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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by shasling on April 5, 2008, at 12:35:42
Ok so I have this friend who takes benzos (klonopin, xanax) to get to sleep. They help him sleep, but before they do he always suffers a period of agitation, suffering very restless legs and his feet and toes keep clenching and scrunching up. Has anyone experienced anything like this from taking benzos?
Thanks
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 12:41:50
In reply to Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet, posted by shasling on April 5, 2008, at 12:35:42
I don't attribute to benzos but to my muscles relaxing from them get cramping first and some leg inner twitching and then hopefully sleep. Why does he think the benzos cause it? Phillipa
Posted by BGB on April 5, 2008, at 15:27:11
In reply to Re: Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet » shasling, posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 12:41:50
I have Restless Legs Syndrome as well as PLMS (Periodic limb movements in sleep), and my neurologist said her first-line treatment is almost always Klonopin. Then she tries all of the Parkinson's drugs, the "last resort" is an opiate. The only thing that works for me is 10mg Hydrocodone at bedtime.
Good luck!
Posted by cactus on April 5, 2008, at 16:15:15
In reply to Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet, posted by shasling on April 5, 2008, at 12:35:42
> Ok so I have this friend who takes benzos (klonopin, xanax) to get to sleep. They help him sleep, but before they do he always suffers a period of agitation, suffering very restless legs and his feet and toes keep clenching and scrunching up. Has anyone experienced anything like this from taking benzos?
>
> Thanks
I too have Restless Legs Syndrome as well as PLMS (Periodic limb movements in sleep) I didn't like the anti parkinson drugs in the end, they made me vomit even at small doses. My sleep specialist told me klonopin (clonazepam) helps you sleep through the symptoms, more so than address the problem. I personally have not found this to be true. Ever since starting clonazepam, it has stopped it dead in it's tracks and I don't get it at all anymore when I jump into bed.There are other options out there as mentioned above, Valium works too but klonopin is better for me. I will be sticking with benzo's but there is...
Some mood stabilizers like gabapentin (Neurontin)
different types of Anti Parkinson medications, most of which are extremely expensive, especially the newer ones mirapex and requip/repreve
then opiates as a last resort
The best thing is though, he has been diagnosed. It took me years of trying to explain to doctors what my legs where doing in bed at night. It took a sleep study for sleep apnea to show it up, YAY
One last thing which, he probably already knows and the other stuff I mentioned above included is, stay away from anti histamines (old school ones) and anti psychotics. They have the probability to greatly agitate RLS. take care and good luck
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 19:09:56
In reply to Re: Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet » shasling, posted by cactus on April 5, 2008, at 16:15:15
Oh I have to remember that as they push antipsychotics at you here in the states at least in NC. God forbid something works and opiods like percocet help depression too in my experience. Phillpa ps too guilty to take long even after surgery the stigma is too great you must be an addict.
Posted by BGB on April 5, 2008, at 23:00:43
In reply to Re: Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet » cactus, posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 19:09:56
It took me over 3 years of cycling between anticonvulsants and anti-parkinson's meds before my neurologist tried hydrocodone (Vicodin/Lortab). It works on my RLS, but it definitely hasn't helped my bipolar depression. It's possible that it has made me worse. It's hard to know because I have taken it for at least 7 years. Opiates are not the miracle-cure for depression that many make them out to be. My mood was slightly elevated when I started taking roxicet (percoset syrup) after my tonsillectomy, but it wore off after a week or two. I think I took it for 6 weeks (tonsillectomies are a hell of a surgery).
Posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2008, at 20:13:41
In reply to Re: Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet, posted by BGB on April 5, 2008, at 23:00:43
Yes they are for an adult we used to give codeine syrup for them. Dangerous too as day three bleeding may occurr. Phillipa and same lst dose after my surgery was great and then not so great. Phillipa
Posted by elanor roosevelt on April 14, 2008, at 22:05:51
In reply to Re: Benzos and RLS, scrunched feet, posted by BGB on April 5, 2008, at 23:00:43
for radical leg cramps and scrunched feet the thing to take is that Hyland's homeopathic treatment creatively named "Leg Cramps: with Quinine"
This is the end of the thread.
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