Pramipexole

[grower]

I was diagnosed with PD ten years ago, bradykenesia, facial mask, no left arm swing and now both aren't in time, no tremor. Have anxiety/looping thoughts and general low mood. Have a physical job and have been able to carry on but this year festination developed, walking often turns into running short steps until I can grab something to stop or fall. Inside the house seems worse, especially if I'm carrying something, always crashing into benches to stop. I do not have RLS

Sinemet has never seemed to help much, I don't feel the on/off so my geriatrician has just suggested I try adding the dopamine agonist Pramipexole. Starting tiny does .25mg

I have read a lot about people having trouble with it, does anyone on here find it has helped?

[ored13]

My husband takes co-careldopa/levadopa (not the same but similar?). Because of his BI he has Parkinsonian syndrome I think it's called so many if not all Parkinson's symptoms, but has not been diagnosed with Parkinson's We have seen some changes, all positive and limited side effects. When we were working on increasing the dosage he did get headaches or the odd dodgy belly. He has said that he doesn't have huge side effects. Still the odd headache and he sometimes sees colours he says. But nothing more than that.

It is a very slow increase in dosage on the program which means that its manageable. We were also told that if we were having problems we would simply step down the recently increased dose. Also that if he had to come off because of side effects, that it wouldn't make him ill etc.

[weekapaw]

I was on pramipexal.it made me terribly OCD. I know others who became. Obsessive as well. Gambling, shopping etc BEWARE

[grower in reply to weekapaw]

Do you remember what dose were you on at that point? Was it difficult to get off? I'm only on .25mg so far