Hello I was wondering if anyone takes Pramipexole (Mirapex®) for Restless leg syndrome. If so, how effective is it? I’m also worried about side effects. Have you experienced any bad side effects like compulsive behaviors which I’m very worried about. my Neurologist suggested it, but I’m kinda worried about taking it. I’m also curious to know for those who are taking it only for PD, does it help with her symptoms? I’ve lost my mind because of my legs.
Thank you.
I take it for RLS. My neurologist explained that the low dose that I take which is 1/2 of 0.25 mg tablet will not cause compulsive behavior. It is very effective in eliminating RLS symptoms. I discovered that the RLS symptoms return within 2 days if I stop taking the meds.
Be very careful and check out augmentation. I had to wean off Pramipexole as I augmented. First line treatment for RLS is Gabapentin or Pergabalin. Pls. check out recommendations on the RLS Health Unlocked group.
Thanks for the info.
Hi Glenfarclas
I have been taking Sifrol (pramipexol) for over a year.
For me it worked great for restless legs. My problem was more akathisia than rls.
I was Rx Sifrol 0.75mg to take nightly. It worked very well.
After 9 mths i started online shopping. Only bought cheap stuff. That lasted a few months then i began binge eating in the night. That put on 4 kg.
I saw my neurologist and asked if i could stop sifrol and try another rls medication. He rx Lyrica (pregabalin)
That was 3 days ago. First night was good. Slept well.
Second night i was a little restless then settled.
Last night i did not sleep. I was awake all night with the worst rls/akathisia ever. Like you im losing my mind.
It was recommended to try two tablets Lyrica (75mg x 2)
In answer to your question it does work. But Mayo Clinic do not recommend Sifrol for rls.
I have heard some call pramipexol the drug from hell.
Im wondering if i will have to revert to sifrol again.
Last night was like torture.
I wish you all the best and remember everyone is different. You may be fine on sifrol. I didnt have any other side effects.
I told my husband about my dituation so he never let me get really out of control.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I never heard of akathisia before but wondering if I suffer from this as well to a degree.
My HWP has been on Neupro patch 2mg for 2 years. He was a bit of compulsive eater long before PD. I lock fridge n cabinets at night. If he forgets patch 1 day RLS will be active so it works. Slowly trying to reduce patch. Also take 900mg gabapentin for neuropathy a plus Rytary all these meds cause too much daytime sleepiness. I have read must reduce pat h very slowly. Hoping lower dose controls it w less side effects. I doubt he can get off patch completely. His RLS is almost like myoclonic jerks. Tried Horizant it works but did not help as much with nerve pain.
I use Nuepro patches for RLS
I also take Neupro 2mg patches, one every 24h, as well as Tramadol 50mg, an antalgique, twice a day, morning and evening. Together they seem to attenuate my RLS symptoms, especially at night. And with no obvious side effects. I never tolerated Gabapentine nor Pramipexol, even at low doses.
My husband had RLS from hell.He was up 8 or 9 times every night and sometimes fell asleep while he was standing up then fell over and hurt himself.Hospital prescribed Ropinerole which was magic the first 4 days but then caused hallucinations and falls Since then he has been on 15 mg of o
Rest of post! On co codamol plus laxatives They have stopped restless legs no PD side effects and in that dose GP says little chance of dependency
Yes, I just started generic Pramipexole in the last couple of months as an adjunct to Levodopa. It is certainly a very powerful medication and it seems to have more and more noticeable effect on my dyskinesia dominant PD than Levodopa. I have been titrating slowly and find too much makes me very uncomfortable, internal tremors etc. However it does a tremendous job relieving the pain in my shoulder that I thought I was just going to have to live with.
Luckily, I have never had any addictive tendencies and Pramipexole has not really changed that. I do find that I am a bit more "amped up" , kind of like when you take a course of steroids if you have ever done that. However, that does not lead to any sort of compulsive behavior for me.
Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences. I guess I’ll have to give it some more thought. And look at the other options mentioned. As I have some addiction issues and some compulsions I am dealing with at the moment.
