Taking iron for RLS; Requip better than Mirapex?

[Dancingintherain]

I'm a newer member, but have had RLS for about 30 years. My GP agrees with daily iron supplements that I take with Vitamin C (per information I read on this forum). My ferritin level is 76 and I have learned from this group that it needs to be 100. So I feel like I am making progress to treat the RLS directly.

My GP also wants me to switch from Mirapex (it's causing some neuropathy) to Requip. I'm currently taking 1 mg. Mirapex at night and want to get off it completely. It seems that Requip is another dopamine agonist, so I don't quite understand why it would be better. Any thoughts on whether Requip is better than Mirapex?

[Joolsg]

What symptoms of neuropathy are you experiencing?

The maximum dose of Mirapex ( pramipexole) is 0.125-0.25 a day. If you are on 1 mg you are on a very high dose and could be experiencing Augmentation rather than neuropathy.

Please ensure you do not switch to another DA like Ropinirole if you’re augmenting as the problem will continue.

Switching to another DA is only advisable if Mirapex has stopped working.

Have your symptoms increased in severity, started earlier in the evening and moved to your feet, arms, hands, back, trunk or face?

My arms & face started twitching & symptoms increased in severity and I couldn’t sit in a car or cinema and realised I was in Augmentation.

I came off Ropinirole in 2016.

[Dancingintherain in reply to Joolsg]

Saw GP with tingling in toes of left foot and fingers of left hand. He said it is almost certainly due to Mirapex after checking thyroid and B12 levels.

Have had symptoms of RLS earlier in evening and frequently in right forearm, eerily in same location when it occurs. Had never heard of Augmentation until I happened onto this site.

Thanks for the advice. You are affirming my decision to reduce Mirapex dosage. Took .75 mg. last evening with TiZANidine 4 mg. (muscle relaxant) and did fine. Will slowly reduce dosage of Mirapex and hold off on Requip.

Feeling like I am running my own science experiment and I am the guinea pig. (Smiley face.)

[Joolsg in reply to Dancingintherain]

Ha ha. Yes we all have to become experts on RLS. I know far more than my GPs now.

It does sound like you’re augmenting so reduce slowly and tramadol or an opioid will help.

[involuntarydancer in reply to Dancingintherain]

Sounds like you have already amassed a great deal of knowledge and are very much on the right track. I agree with everything Joolsg says. As you have read around the topic on here you will know to expect your symptoms to worsen a lot as you reduce the mirapexin dose and you may require an opioid to help you at the end - if you can persuade your GP to it.

[Postbote]

Don't know why it would be better but I've been on requip for about 7 years now without issue.

[Dancingintherain in reply to Postbote]

That's good to know. Thank you.