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Tapering off of Requip


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Hi everyone,

      I was precribed Requip back in 07 while I was in a rehab coming off of benzos. I was in severe w/d at the time, I was in a c/t from benzos. They said I had restless leg syndrom, which I know now was not...it was w/d. Well anyway, they put me on Requip 1mg., I found out that it is a dopamine angonist and can cause w/d while coming off of it! Ugg...here I go again, I was feeling soooo good, actually getting ready to post my success story. I have been tapering by cutting the tablet, first I took off a 1/4 then I started taking an .05. I stayed on the .05 for awhile and did great, now I have gone down to a .25, which is a quarter of the 1 mg. Wow do I feel it!!!! I have not been able to sleep til early morning, I have restlessness/agitation at night and during the day i feel really spacy and light headed! I have been reading up on this...they even have a term for it, it's called DAWS dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrom! Just great...so that's where I'm at now. I was wondering if anyone else has been fortunate enough to go through this. ha ha  Well not funny really, but it is what it is, I gotta make the best of it. So now I'am on the .25 and plan on staying here for awhile til I stabalize...hopefully not long. Thanks I would love to hear any feedback, this is the pits! I'm 19 months off benzos...which is huge, this is my last drug to get off of, I have come off of 3 allready...I'm doin' it!

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Oh, great... I take it, too.  For me, quitting isn't an option because I was diagnosed with RLS before withdrawal, however withdrawal made it worse for awhile.  I asked the pharmacist about it awhile ago and he said it wasn't addictive.  Maybe he meant it's not psychologically addictive.  He said, 'Oh, no, it's not one of those.'  ::)

 

Challis

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Hi Challis,

      So sorry you found  this out about Requip...my doctor told me it would be no problem to come off of too! It stands to reason that it would, because it calms the nervous system. I don't feel a mental w/d, but I sure feel the physical. I guess you should stay on it if you have restless leg, I just don't like taking anything.

 

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i took requip and then moved to sinemet.....i tokit for over four yrs for r/l .....i came off it in jan of this year and im telling you its NOTHING compared to benzos.....you already have the hard part over!!!!  you can do it....go slow and steady and poof....you'll be there ......its not as bad as we are made to think......benzos are HARD to come off.....blessings to you and I know you can do this.....prayers for the least painful recovery!  Jen
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Thanks for the encouragment Jen! I know this will be quick...you confirmed it for me. I guess I am having flashbacks from the benzo hell. So are you sleeping now, no more restlessness? I have been taking something to help me sleep for way too long, the benzos were for sleep...sleep has been a huge issue for me. Thanks for posting, I need encouragment right now.

Blessings to you,

Mary

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Hey Jen...how did you get off, how long was your taper? Do you think I'am going too fast? Oh and thanks for the prayers...much needed,

Mary

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Hi All... I am on .25 mgs of Requip, ready to come off as the nocturnal akathisia related to benzos is now better.. and, tada, I realized I am having rebound insomnia due to requip.  Anyone have info on a withdrawal protocol.  I did not think it was as difficult as benzos (!@#), but am also going to be doing Lyrica.. I'm doing the last leg of diazepam so slowly it should not be a complicating factor.  ARGH... psychotropic soup.
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i actually had to look at my calendar to see exactly how long it took me to come off the sinemet/requip...can you believe i had to check tapering?!*  lol  as i said it wasnt bad at all.....i started in Jan of this year .....i was taking a 100/25mg tab in the a.m. and the same at nite ......i began (by dr's orders) by taking the nite dose away...i was like huh? at first but it worked!  good thing he is the dr and im not..lol...so that began on jan 2....on jan 9 i took away the day dose.....so it was only a week wean and poof!  I did have achy legs and limbs but NOTHING like the clon aches that come with w/d!!!!!!!!!!!!!  advil cut the pain....i came off six drugs in six months here and so far clon still is horrific and makes the rest look like water!!!!!  i swear!!!!  i am titrating my clon now...1% a day and so far so good....i am hoping to get to .5 on july 2 and then hold for a few weeks as i did previously.....i now am only on clon and ciprolex and a 1/4 elavil to sleep at nite.....i went on the elavil with the strict promise i can just go off it w/o even tapering as my dose is sooooooooooo miniscule.....so i had to try it and went w/o for five days a few weeks ago....nothing to it!!!!!  lol  my crazy brain is my worst enemy when it comes to catastrophizing my life and its events...lol....talk to your dr and see what he/she suggests for a taper off the requip....i promise its not as bad!!!!!!!!!  not even close......many prayers your way for the least painful taper.....many blessings for strong faith and perseverence your way!!!!! much love.........jen
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Hey Georgie...don't go off too many meds at once, benzos are enough on their own! Why do you think the Requip is causing rebound anxiety? Have you tapered it allready?

And thanks Rocko, I totally will take your warning when it cames to the benadryl. I appreciate your research, sounds ilke you have spent some time on all of this...thanks.

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Hey Georgie...don't go off too many meds at once, benzos are enough on their own! Why do you think the Requip is causing rebound anxiety? Have you tapered it allready?

And thanks Rocko, I totally will take your warning when it cames to the benadryl. I appreciate your research, sounds ilke you have spent some time on all of this...thanks.

Hi Mary, I had rebound insomnia, not anxiety.  Thanks for reading. ~S

 

i actually had to look at my calendar to see exactly how long it took me to come off the sinemet/requip...can you believe i had to check tapering?!*  lol  as i said it wasnt bad at all.....i started in Jan of this year .....i was taking a 100/25mg tab in the a.m. and the same at nite ......i began (by dr's orders) by taking the nite dose away

 

Hi Jen,.. you were taking both sinemet and requip? You started in Jan, did you get off in Feb?

What did you use to titrate requip, did you dilute with water? Also,  I’m trying to get a sense as to what dose you dropped from and to on requip.  I’m taking the lowest, .25 mgs and will need to go slow.. sigh.  You were on sinemet, did you taper requip as well?

 

I came off six drugs in six months here and so far clon still is horrific and makes the rest look like water!!!!!  i swear!!!!  i am titrating my clon now...1% a day and so far so good....i am hoping to get to .5 on july 2 and then hold for a few weeks as i did previously.....i now am only on clon and ciprolex and a 1/4 elavil to sleep at nite

Don’t get overconfident at the end of your taper.  Take it realll easy there, K?

 

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Hey Georgie,

      Your question for Jen concerns me...regarding the requip, that you are on .25 and wondering how to taper? The reason I'm concerned is because, I started at 1 mg of requip, then I cut(which was probably not accurate) 1/4 off. I stayed on that for about 1 month, then went to the .05 tablet, stayed there for about a month. Now I'm down to the .25...I wonder if the cuts were to big. Should I have titrated??? Yikes, cuz I'm pretty much in full on w/d here. I sleep 2 to 3 hours a night, then when I wake I'am completely restless with anxiety. I'am even thinking, maybe I need the Requip, maybe I do have RLS! ???  I just wish I knew how long this will take or if I will not have RL anymore. I have not talked to a doc about this, my doc told me to just drop it about a year ago, I was a complete mess, did'nt sleep at alll for a week, with extreme anxiety. I had to reinstate...then I was better! Jen, I'm glad it was easy for you, do you still have RL? Did it go away? Do either you or Geoigie think I should have titrated? HELP  :-[

Thanks,'

Mary

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I cut(which was probably not accurate) 1/4 off. I stayed on that for about 1 month, then went to the .05 tablet, stayed there for about a month. Now I'm down to the .25...I wonder if the cuts were to big. Should I have titrated??? Yikes, cuz I'm pretty much in full on w/d here. I sleep 2 to 3 hours a night, then when I wake

 

I'am even thinking, maybe I need the Requip, I just wish I knew how long this will take or if I will not have RL anymore. I have not talked to a doc about this, my doc told me to just drop it about a year ago, I was a complete mess, did'nt sleep at alll for a week, with extreme anxiety. I had to reinstate...then I was better! Geoigie think I should have titrated? HELP  :-[

Thanks,'

You do need requip, because you tapered too fast.  I would up dose back to .5 mgs, and hold there for 3 days, see if there is an improvement.  If not, go back to .75 and so on.  Tablets come in .25, .5s and 1 mg.  Would your doc write a script, maybe you can just tell him you cut the dose if you think he will not understand.  Gosh.. the cuts on those tablets sure are approximations, and no better.

 

I'm still learning about the hows and whys, but there is a tapering rule of thumb.. take 10% off, hold for a month, take another 10% off, hold again, and if you have no withdrawal symptoms, hold 3 weeks, and if there are still no withdrawal Sx, you can start dropping with a 2 week hold time.  Eesh.  You went fast.  I'm going to send you a PM with the URL for the site that is helping me out.  I got antsy waiting for us to figure out how I titrate.. I think requip is water soluble, but I don't know how to dissolve it, etc.  I may have to use a jewelery scale.  Ugh.  K.. check your messages. ~G

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Thanks G...but how do you measure on a  jewelry scale, oh wow, that's getting accurate! Requip is not water soluble? So do you cut the pill and measure on the scale? Thanks for the info, I feel better allready! I did go too fast...hmm, I thought so. I'm going back to .50 and then gonna work on the getting the doc to write th scripts! Now I'll read my mail you sent me. Thank you

Mary

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i guess i should clarify here....i was taking sinemet for over four years and began to come off it this jan as in jan 2012.....it didnt take me long...i was on requip for two yrs and sinemet as well...i tapered the requip back two yrs ago....yes i still have a bit of the r/l even in the day and my anxiety went throughn the roof in the beg.....i also was having extreme diff coming off the clon.....i was on 1.5mg and am now down to .5...i had seizures and heart enlargement, nausea, sweats, shakes, headaches, body aches and fatigue, it was horrible until i stabilized for 6 weeks.....my anxiety is at an all time low.....no horrible side effects just the reg ones but at a wayyyyyyyyy lesser level...very bearable....im cutting the clon by titration now...1% a day...went from .75mg to .50 mg in about a month.....now stabilizing on .5......i always ask my doc and follow his directive......he has made huge mistakes in tooooooooooo fast and wayyyyyyyyyy too much but now is on board and is helping with my titration.....yeah!!!!!!  i sooooooooooooo know the dangers of taking this too fast or too big.......i am all aboujt slow and steady and small...i fi can and if i need a break then break it is!!!  lol.....i hope you talk to your dr about the requip and/or sinemet and see what they say....i have no idea dosages etc.....maybe there is help we dont even know!!  lol...many blessings to all................Jen
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Thanks Jen,

      Sounds like you've been through the ringer. I hear ya on that one, I was cold turkeyed in a rehab coming off of a 20 year benzo habit. Talk about hell, yeah, I've been there too. Anyway, thanks for your post, I found the site that G told me about, it's going to be very helpful for me. They feel I need to take it slow, since I've come off of so many other meds allready. I don't really have a doctor that gets it, he actually told me to to just stop the requip last year, so I did, I didn't sleep for 1 whole week, paced the floor, vomiting, shaking... nightmare! I find the best help comes from others who have gone before me, like you!

      I was wondering why you have come off of the RL medication if you still have RL? Did you have side affects from the drug? I'am actually wondering if I truly do have RL myself, because now that I updosed I feel better...IDK, I'm confused, I just don't like taking drugs! Anyway, right now I'm going to hold on this dose of requip, I have alot going on in my life right now. My precious husband has been diagnosed with cancer and his stepfather was taken off life support last night. I was feeling like everything was in 3D when I cut that pill, it's allready hard enough! Thanks for your help.

Mary

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