Side Effects of Mirapex EQ

[redread]

Mirapex EQ was prescribed for my husband to replace the Sinamet that has caused difficult facial tics/dyskenesia. I read about the possible side effects but would like to hear from anyone who takes this med. Is it as effective as Sinamet? Does it cause hallucinations, confusion or extreme drowsiness? Will appreciate any info.

[karolmilk]

I took Mirapex for about 6 months with Sinemet and felt a great deal of energy and pretty normal. I went off of Mirapex because I found it caused compulsive shopping on the Internet. It snuck up on me and I was unaware of my spending until my husband brought it to my attention. My physician at the time said it may be corrected by lowering dosage but I stopped taking after reading on Internet of similar behavior including gambling and sex addiction caused by Mirapex. Also, I didn't drive when taking because mfg. warnings indicate you can fall asleep without warning for up to a year of taking Mirapex. However, I will say when taking Mirapex I felt the best I have since being diagnosed.

[kyrajamine in reply to karolmilk]

I agree with the person writing about mirapex causing complusive behavior. many people have gambled, excessive spending etc. once off mirapex and only on sinimet I felt so much better. I could think better like the lights went on. I still have various parkinson's symptoms because I have the disease. Sinimet helps much more. Some countries have banned mirapex, I have heard.

[pdspouse]

My wife was given Mirapex and it did not work and had minor side effects, do not remember them. However it may work for your husband. PD different for each person. Keep on top of his reaction to it and log everything so you can tell neuro what happened.

[Kachimom]

I took Mirapex for several years. It did well for about two years and then it lost its effect and actually worked in reverse. Causing the Parkinson' s to get much worse. Finally another Parkinson's specialist took me off and started SINIMET and I immediate got a lot better. Didn't experience hallucinations, drowsiness or confusion.

[Kathleen]

I took a low dose of Mirapex and it worked great . When the Dr. increased the dosage , that the gambling started. It was so not like not me, I was compulsive

I worked ,then to the casino daily, I ended up going to a Behavior Specialist for help.I never would have gone to a casino ,my husband worked out of town so I

had no one to moniter my activities. I had to drive 1 hour to the casino some nights I would stay until 4 am went home showered and went to work.

[MGirardi]

No, of all the RX meds for PD this one was the worst for me for side effects! Hallucinations and compulsive spending! Be careful! Sinemet ER is the only safe drug I have used after 12 years of PD.

[redread]

If I may ask, did you get the dyskinesia side effects from Sinamet? My husband is having very difficult problems with facial tics, etc., or he wouldn't even consider changing meds. Thanks for the feedback. Almost everyone who repied has had trouble with Mirapex.

[Chak]

I was diagnosed four years ago and was immediately given a combo of Mirapex and Sinemat.

Mirapex is like that extremely attractive, fun-loving person whom you kept wondering why this person is single. You get involved with person and discover that she/he is just plain evil!

Mirapex's performance is incredible when teamed with Sinemat. I walked in my first 10k with that dynamic duo. But like making a deal with the devil....

Side effects: hallucinations, confusion, OCDC behavior, extremely swollen ankles, VIVID dreams, unpredictable nosebleeds from HELL, seizures, cloudy thought process, EXTREME insomnia--I became a zombie.

[Jmk54 in reply to Chak]

I was on a very low dose of Mirapex for about a month. Dr said no need to wean off, just stop. It has been a week. How long for the swollen ankles to stop? I also had hair loss on this. Did not see any improvement with my symptoms. I'm also taking Rasagiline.

[redread]

Thank you for your feedback on this med. I am really apprehensive about my husband switching. He can't afford anymore side effects.

[Chak in reply to redread]

It least get a second opinion. Also, if the docs have not checked for vitamin deficiency, have him tested for that. From what I read, a lot of parkies have vitamin D and Vitamin B deficiencies.

All Best

[Pete-1]

Now here is a curious ting that I have not heard from anywhere apart from my PD Specialist nurse and that is Levodopa becomes less effective and dyskinesias and hallucinations may occur at that later stage when "the brain loses the ability to store dopamine".

What I think this means is that a normal dose of levodopa is going to be an overdose at first and then as time passes by an underdose.

So what is needed is a way of giving the brain a dose at the same rate as that needed by the brain, i.e. supply has to match demand.

If the normal dose has no, as it were, holding tank then too much Levodopa is going to float about causing mayhem in the form of dyskinesias and so on.

So the doctors often, after years of increased doses of Levodopa start to prescribe rather smaller but more frequent doses so there is no sudden glut of Dopamine. Hopefully matching at least to some extent supply and demand.

Now, there is a controlled release version of Sinemet (sometimes called Half Sinemet) that releases Levodopa evenly over 12 hours. They may well produce a 24 hour version too. Not knowing much about these versions I would have thought that that would be a much better option than Mirapex, remembering though that Mirapex may help with other symptoms.

I have been taking Mirapex (Pramipexole, Sifrol, Mirapexin) for about 6 years. It helps with some symptoms but not ones that are especially important to me, for example, and here is a strange one, Mirapex got rid of my dandruff.

When first taking Pramipexole and with each dose increase I found I had a few days of hardly being able to keep my eyes open. This passes with time.

More importantly stopping taking Mirapex is a big deal with withdrawal symptoms being very unpleasant, I know I have tried.

For me a symptom of fairly severe RLS was exposed. I found I could not relax. I felt agitated all the time, couldn't sleep mostly due to RLS and felt generally strange in ways I always find impossible to describe.

To stop taking Mirapex successfully it is advisable to get your GP on side to supply help in the form of morphine and other drugs that other people in this forum have mentioned. The is more about Mirapex. Just search for DAWS (Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome in this community or RLS - UK in the HU site

I don't remember many side effects of Mirapex. I am mainly more aware of the weaing off difficulties.

I will be happy to try and clarify anything that I have confused you with.

[redread]

Thanks for the good info. I understood everything you said. I think we should have asked the neuro to prescribe the Sinamet ER before jumping to the Mirapex. We can back up and do that. She might not be happy but it makes sense with what you mentioned. We had avoided the Sinamet ER only because of the protein problem. With "all day" Sinamet, I'm sure the med is always fighting the protein for full effect. My husband is 81 so he can't afford even a few days of being so drowsy that he cant walk, etc.

[Pete-1 in reply to redread]

Hmm, I may have overstated the effect regarding the sleepiness with Mirapex. Also I seem to remember hearing somewhere that the prolonged release versions are not as effective as the normal Sinemet. This is probably a very variable individual experience

Anyone out there had experience with the controlled release version of Sinemet.

The protein problem only occurs when the drugs are taken within about half an hour before and three quarters after consuming protein. Seems milk is particularly a problem with reduced absorption of the drug.

[redread]

You didn't overstate on Mirapex. Others have mentioned similar symptoms. The totality of response was not positive. One of the reasons my husband has not requested Sinamet ER is due to the "not quite as effective" issue that we think MAY be related to protein and the need to regulate food schedules around the med schedule. A friend of ours takes Sinamet ER without considering protein at all.

[Hokuto]

I've used Mirapex since 2011. The worst side effect for me is sudden onset of sleepiness. I have other side effects (or symptoms), but since I'm taking several meds it's hard to say which SE is caused by which med.